I had my genes tested by FamilyTreeDNA.  I already knew I had two very different lines of ancestry.  My father's Ashkenazi Jewish (Belarus, Ukraine).  My mother's of Irish and German descent.  My results came back: Ashkenazi 38%, Ireland/British Isles 27%, West and Central Europe 23%, Southeast Europe 9%, East Europe < 3%.

The Southeast European bit was sort of a surprise.  On my mother's side I know back to my great-great-great-grandparents in all cases and further back than that in some cases.  (Of course, this assumes that everyone's father was the person their mother was married to.)  On my father's side I only know back to my great-grandparents plus, in three out of four cases, their parents as well.

Is it possible that some of my father's ancestors came from Southeast Europe and later immigrated to the Pale to escape persecution?  It's rather tantalizing that 38% + 9% + 3% adds up to 100%.  (Of course, it could also be that some of that 23% West and Central Europe is coming from my father's side as well as my mother's.  For example, my mother's Irish ancestry arises from three different women who immigrated from Ireland independently of each other, at different times and possibly from quite different parts of Ireland.)

I should also note that both my parents are now deceased.  Each of them had one sibling, also now deceased.  My father's sister had no children.  So asking him or her or them to get their DNA tested isn't possible.

Many thanks for any info!

SarahRose Werner
RABINOVICH: Chopovichi, Ukraine
GITELMAN: David-Gorodok, Belarus