the most important element here is that it isn't a binary choice. although a
person cannot follow more than one ritual tradition (either you eat rice on pesach
or you don't), there are other traditions (e.g. romaniote, iraqi, indian, hassidic,
etc.) which don't divide neatly in sephardi or ashkenazi.

there were always migrations in both directions, depending on local conditions.
names like ESKENAZI and FRANCO are common sephardic names, whereas RAPOPORT is
ashkenazic.

groups which make claims of "purity" fly in the face of the historical and the
genetic record, because things aren't that simple.

....... tom klein, toronto