Several EPSTEINs have joined in a Family Tree DNA=20
=96 JewishGen surname project.
Painless mouth swab genetic testing procedures are being used as a promising
tool for breaking through our genealogical brick walls. It might help you
to greatly expand your family tree, and may also help our surname project.

To the best of our knowledge, the EPPSTEINs emerged in Germany in the early
15th century. By the late 19th century, the surname was prominent in and=
near
what is now Belarus, and moderately present elsewhere in eastern and central
Europe. JRI-Poland lists about 453 Epstein=20
entries for Waszawa Gubernia (out of
about 4,000 for the whole database), making it a moderately popular surname
there. Many Epsteins in the Russian Empire,=20
especially in Byelorussia, adopted
the surname in the early 19th century or changed=20
to it later to avoid the draft.
It is also likely that Epsteins elsewhere=20
probably held that surname for several
centuries. To what extent is Warsaw, a migration magnet, genealogically
representative of the Russian empire?

We have identified members of one paternal lineage that has borne the
Epstein surname for several centuries. There are hints of another old line.
Most of the project's current members, however, are patrilineally unrelated
to each other. In addition, most of us have discovered patrilineal
relationships to men whose surnames are not EPSTEIN. Most of us trace
our ancestry to eastern Europe, and only two to Germany.

We are working on identifying the various branches of our principal cluster,
on exploring additional clusters, and on connecting our unrelated
members to cousins. To accomplish these goals and to create as broad
a search as possible, we need more male Epsteins to contribute a
cheek swab as a DNA sample. If you are female EPSTEIN or an EPSTEIN
through female ancestors, a sample >from an EPSTEIN male relative can
represent your family in the test. If you are not an EPSTEIN, please share
this message with EPSTEINs who may want to participate in this project.

To join, go to http://tinyurl.com/nyh6z
The basic, and most affordable, twelve marker test will indicate to whom
you are probably related. The more advanced tests could help to identify
closer and more certain relationships. You can start with the 12 marker test
and add to it at a later date, using the same sample.

More information about DNA testing and JewishGen's involvement in it
can be found at http://www.jewishgen.org/dna/

If you have any questions, please contact Marsha Epstein, our project's
volunteer administrator at epsteindna_admin@earth link.net

Itzhak Epstein New York, NY
iegen@earthlink.net