Several years ago, my husband Steve and I were watching TV as an American politician of Hispanic descent responded to a challenging question by an antagonistic reporter.

The politician gave such an eloquent and informed answer, sprinkling his response with historical facts, literary allusions, and even dashes of humor, that when he completed his answer, Steve said, “Damn...that is one brilliant guy!”

Reflexively, I expressed what I’ve privately suspected for ages when witnessing similar scenarios: “He’s probably Jewish!”

Steve laughed, but I meant it.

Not long after this episode, I read a book by Jon Entine, a former producer for NBC News and ABC News and the author of several books.  In Abraham’s Children, Entine tells the story of Father Bill Sanchez, a Catholic priest from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who had always been curious about the strange rituals his parents performed in their religiously observant Catholic home, such as lighting Friday night candles, spinning tops at Christmas, not eating pork, et al.

It's relevant to mention that the Sanchez family migrated from Spain, where, centuries before, in 1492 — the year Christopher Columbus (who research indicates was probably Jewish) sailed the ocean blue — massive numbers of Sephardic Jews were expelled under threat of death unless they converted to Catholicism.

Historian and writer Eric Buesing says that the Spanish Inquisition, which began in 1478, “forced Jews to adapt or perish.  Many chose secrecy, becoming crypto-Jews who practiced their faith in hidden cellars, or adopted Christian rituals publicly while whispering Hebrew prayers in private.”

Easter DNA

In the early 2000s, Father Sanchez saw a television show that featured the research that Bennett Greenspan, the founder and president of Family Tree DNA, was doing on the then-fledgling subject of DNA, and how that genetic material could determine a person’s probable lineage, roots, country of origin, religion.

Curious, both Father Sanchez and his father volunteered to be subjects and promptly sent samples of their saliva to Mr. Greenspan’s lab in Houston, Texas.

It wasn’t long before he received the results: “You’re Jewish!”

In fact, Father Sanchez’s DNA included a signature associated with the Cohanim priesthood tracing back to biblical figures like Aaron, brother of Moses.

Upon learning this stunning news, Father Sanchez traveled to Israel,........

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