How E-L117 Came to Be a Jewish Y Haplogroup

 Nadene Goldfoot                                      

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) had the Y haplogroup of E1b1b1 (E-L117)  and was a physicist born in Ulm, Germany.  Nazis in 1933 caused him to move to USA, gaining citizenship in 1940. He was appointed professor of theoretical physics at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Study.  Now he is known for his theory of relativity that revolutionized concepts of space and time in physics and philosophy.  This was thought out from 1905 to 1913, published in 1916.

Einstein’s parents were secular, middle-class Jews. His father, Hermann Einstein, was originally a featherbed salesman and later ran an electrochemical factory with moderate success. His mother, the former Pauline Koch, ran the family household. He had one sister, Maria (who went by the name Maja), born two years after Albert.

Genetic genealogy study focused on the Y-DNA pedigree of the Savran-Bendery Chassidic dynasty from Ukraine and Bessarabia during the nineteenth century. Genealogical and Y chromosome genetic data are presented. All patrilineal descendants of the Wertheim-Giterman rabbinical lineage share the L117 SNP of Y-DNA haplogroup E, previously described as E-M35, E-M35.1 and E1b1b1 in the literature. 

 According to Arthur Kurzweil, one of the pioneers of Jewish genealogy and an American author, educator, editor, writer, publisher, and illusionist: “For the Jewish people … our royal families have been those of the illustrious rabbis.” Through the practice of shidduch (arranged marriage), these rabbis and their descendants tended to intermarry. Multiple generations of these families of rabbis provided guidance and leadership within the framework of Jewish communal self-government and were the interpreters of Jewish law and ethics.

These great rabbinic families have long been recognized for their immense contribution to the preservation of Jewish identity and culture. However, it is only recently that Jewish genealogists have realized that these rabbinical families have yet another magnificent gift to offer their descendants – their inherited DNA. Individuals of Jewish descent have long attempted to connect themselves and their families to the family trees of these great rabbinic families. Now it is possible to use Y-DNA testing to identify and verify these ancestral connections, and to genetically connect to these rabbinic families.

E-M35.1 now called  (E-L117) is the 2nd most frequent  haplogroup found in Jewish families.  This is the same as  E1b1b1 that Einstein had. It's just been given a newer title.  18% to 20% of Ashkenazi Jews carry this and 8.6 % to 30% of Sephardi Jews carry it. It is the 2nd highest haplogroup found in Jewish men after J1.   "The E1b1b1 men claiming to be Levites may have existed in Israel before the Diaspora of 70 CE.

Levites came from the tribe of Levi in which Moses and his 

brother, Aaron, came from.  Aaron was chosen as high priest 

by Moses, with his sons taking the position when he died. It 

was an inherited position, now called the Cohen gene shown 

as J1 today by scientists.   

E, (E1b1b1) whose name was then changed to E-M35.  Another line on the same level was E-M35.1 which is now being called E-L117, and  E-M84 of Berber origins.   E1b1b1-m35 is now Z830 cluster B or E-Z830-B.  This is the haplogroup of Albert Einstein whose ancestor was Naphtali Hirsh Einstein b: 1733-d: 1799. 
E1b1b1c1a is now called M84.  About 4% of Jews are of M84.  E3b, mentioned by Harry Ostrer in Legacy,  

A current problem for anyone researching YDNA is that the nomenclature regularly changes and evolves. In that context, the YDNA haplogroup E-L117 (if that has not also changed) has undergone several name changes, and is still often referred to as 'E1b1b1' or even 'E-3b'. Google those
'E codes' and all becomes clear, as there are numerous references to the Jewish link to the haplogroup including
http://e1b1b1-m35.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/e1b1b1-jewish-haplogroup.html .

Originally from Africa 50,000 years ago it was thought, now more likely the Middle East, shares common ancestry with haplogroup D.  It has groups in Africa and the Middle East.  Some clades are also found in Europe among those living near the Mediterranean, believe to represent the ancient genetic influence from the Middle East to Europe.  20% of Ashkenazi Jews are E1b1b or E-L117.  

Haplogroup E1b1b1 is a very Jewish line.  (from Albert Benhamou)  added 5/2/2012 Albert  Einstein  belonged to haplogroup E1b1b1b2* E-Z830, with a sample taken from a paternal descendants of Naphtali Hirsch Einstein.   

Also,  According to a genetic study in December 2012, Ramesses III, second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty and considered to be the last great New Kingdom king to wield any substantial authority over Egypt, belonged to Y-DNA haplogroup E1b1a, mainly found in sub-saharan Africa.  He of course was not Jewish but Jews lived in Egypt for 400 years as slaves.    
 

 "E1b1b1 may have arisen instead of Africa,  in the Near East or the 

Middle East 20,000 years ago and then expanded into the Mediterranean with the spread of agriculture. 

E-M35:

The most current group of E1b1b1 includes the individuals with no known sub-clade.  Mutations (who are therefore said to be in the "ancestral state")  referred to as E1b1b1 or E-M35) and now we have the E-L117."  

Men with surnames of Cohen are also found to have E-M96; E-L117 

as haplogroups.  
 
  18-20% of E-L117 make up Ashkenazi   and 8.6-30% of Sephardi 

population,  

E3b may have evolved in the Middle East before going into the Mediterranean during the Pleistocene Neolithic expansion. It’s found in many Arab populations and in areas around the Mediterranean. It’s in East and North Africa among the Berbers and in SE Europe. The Cohen Samaritans are found with E3b due to an admixture event.  The Lemba's of South Africa have 2.9% of E3b.  Cohens with J1 have 1.5% of E. 

Resource:

https://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-haplogroup-we-be.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMPjkfCGz2k
http://www.e1b1b1-m35.info/2011/02/e1b1b1-jewish-haplogroup.html

https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/topic/70311032

https://yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Savran-Bendery_Hasidic_Dynasty...Drs. Paull & Briskman