Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about the DNA kit, privacy, and Sephardic ancestry.
Is the DNA kit really free?
Yes. The kits are paid for by donations, there is no charge to you and nothing is sold to you. Because funding arrives in batches, kits are sent first-come, first-served from a waitlist.
Does a DNA result prove I am Jewish?
No. Jewish status is determined by religious law and documentation, not by genetics, and no rabbinic authority treats a DNA result as proof. A result is a genealogical research clue.
Can a result help with the Law of Return or Spanish/Portuguese citizenship?
Not by itself. Those processes rest on documentary evidence and are decided by governmental, rabbinic or communal authorities. A DNA test is not accepted as proof of eligibility.
What happens to my sample and my data?
Your DNA sample goes directly to the testing partner. Crypto-Jews.org never receives, sees or stores your sample or your genetic data. We hold only the intake details needed to post your kit, and we delete them once the request is fulfilled.
Which countries can request a kit?
We ship worldwide. If we or the laboratory cannot reach your country, we will tell you.
How long does it take?
Roughly a few weeks from request to results, depending on the post and the laboratory.
Will the test tell me about my health?
No. The test covers ancestry and relative matching only. It does not report health or medical information.
Why is Sephardic ancestry harder to detect than Ashkenazi?
Sephardic Jews lived among the Iberian population for centuries, and after the forced conversions their descendants married into it for five hundred years more. The genetic signal is fainter and the reference data thinner, so small percentages can be noise.
My test showed nothing. Does that mean my family story is wrong?
No. A converso ancestor from the 1490s is fifteen to twenty generations back, and you may not have inherited detectable DNA from them. Absence of a signal is not disproof.
Can I request more than one kit?
One per person by default, so kits reach as many families as possible. If you would like one for a relative too, just ask.
Who runs Crypto-Jews.org?
It is run by one individual rather than an institution, funded by donations. The person legally responsible is named in our Privacy Policy.
How quickly will you reply if I write to you?
Within a few business days.