Avotaynu DNA Project

06/04/2026

Congratulations to Raquel Levy-Toledano and the Avotaynu Project upon the publication of their landmark DNA study describing the remarkable origins of Moroccan Jewish men.

This Y-chromosome study of Moroccan Jews, the largest conducted to date, analyzes the patrilineal origins of 288 men of genealogically verified Moroccan Jewish descent through the Avotaynu DNA Project, identifying 111 distinct founder lineages. The long-standing hypothesis of large-scale Berber Juda...

02/27/2026

Fascinating!

Most people alive today carry fragments of Neanderthal DNA in their genome. Now scientists are gaining a more intimate understanding of the ancient encounters that put it there.

02/21/2026

Our condolences to the family of Beth Long, our long-time genealogical collaborator and expert on the Jews of Marmares County, Hungary. Beth was a delightful person of not only great intelligence, but personal warmth and patience as well. She was always ready to help the participants in her genealogical and DNA projects with their research problems large and small. She was a great friend. We will miss her terribly.

12/14/2025

Further news on research financed and organized by the Avotaynu DNA Project.

A recent academic paper highlights global collaborations and decades of research revealing Sephardic origins in individuals with a genetic mutation that causes the most severe form of epidermolysis bullosa.

12/01/2025

✨ GIVING TUESDAY ✨

We invite our thousands of friends and participants around the world to financially support the Avotaynu Foundation and the Avotaynu DNA Project!

🧬 Uncovering Jewish origins through genetics, history, and community collaboration

Your gift supports:

• Next-generation Y-DNA & mtDNA research

• Preservation of endangered Jewish diaspora histories

• Open-access publications advancing global scholarship

• Building the world’s largest curated Jewish DNA reference library

• Cutting-edge tools for phylogenetics, TMRCA, and lineage reconstruction

🌍 Every contribution helps illuminate ancestral connections across centuries and continents.

Be part of this historic work.

Donate Today — Help Us Preserve the Past & Shape the Future.

→ Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=F8CR6FY4WBCC6

Help support AVOTAYNU RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP LLC by donating or sharing with your friends.

12/01/2025

10/22/2025

https://www.timesofisrael.com/archaeologists-unearth-1500-year-old-synagogue-below-abandoned-syrian-village-in-golan/

A team from the University of Haifa and Kinneret College identifies an ancient wall facing Jerusalem and 150 synagogue items, including a stone engraved with a menorah

10/22/2025

New from our colleague Karl Skorecki

The size of the founding generation of founder populations is typically small. For example, studies estimate the Ashkenazi Jewish founder generation a…

08/28/2025

Human-Neanderthal hybrid child from 140,000 years ago found in Israel's Skhul Cave

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