In the early stages of my researching, I started collecting so many names with whom my ancestors colonized with, married, bought from, sold to, etc. that I started calling them “the gang” and found it crucial that I research their names too. The clues that lay in the names of the associates were dead-giveaways. During the Diaspora Jews stuck together, and after all those years, during Colonial times, these pioneer American families were still sticking together. I often wonder whether the younger generations were aware of their Jewish heritage or if the older generations guided them to choose Jewish partners? A sort of silent conspiracy between sets of Jewish parents may have existed. There must have been heated arguments over whether or not to completely abandon Jewish origins (enabling new generations freedom from persecution and access to advantages in the New World) or to hang on desperately to the last vestiges of their ancient bonds.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy a how-to for uncovering ancient Jewish ancestry available at Amazon, B&N and Ocean-Hose.