In Defense of Ashkenazim Part 1: A People Rooted in Torah and History

B"H

Introduction:

Addressing the Attacks

Ashkenazim are frequently targeted with false accusations:

1.The claim that they are "fake Jews" or not truly descended from Israel.

2.The slander that they are "Khazars" with no connection to the Jewish people.

These claims are rooted in ignorance, antisemitic propaganda, and historical revisionism.

This lecture will present the truth: Ashkenazi Jews are legitimate descendants of Israel, with deep historical and genetic ties to the Jewish people.

I. Ashkenazi Lineage: Unbroken Jewish Descent

Migration Patterns:

The ancestors of Ashkenazi Jews originate from Judea and were part of the exiles following the destruction of the First and Second Temples.

Jewish migration from Eretz Yisrael → Babylon → North Africa and Italy → France and Germany (Rhineland) → Eastern Europe.

Early medieval Jewish communities in Europe were founded by Jews from the Land of Israel and Babylonian Jewry.

Rabbinic Continuity:

Ashkenazim trace their rabbinic lineage through the Geonim, Rashi, and the Baalei Tosafot—scholars who clearly upheld the Torah traditions of their ancestors.

The Rambam, a Sephardic sage, responded to halachic inquiries from Ashkenazim, proving they were already recognized as legitimate Jews in his time.

II. Genetic Evidence: Jewish Ancestry Confirmed

Multiple genetic studies confirm that Ashkenazi Jews share deep genetic connections with Sephardi, Mizrahi, and other Jewish populations.

Studies show that Ashkenazim have Levitical and Kohanic lineages, proving direct descent from ancient Israelite priests.

Genetic bottleneck effect: Ashkenazim have high rates of shared ancestry due to population restrictions, proving they are not a mixed Khazar group but a distinct, ancient people.

III. Refuting the "Khazar Theory"

The Khazar theory was popularized by anti-Jewish polemicists, but it is historically and genetically false.

The Truth About the Khazars:

The Khazar kingdom converted to Judaism in the 8th-9th centuries, but their population was small and absorbed into other Jewish communities.

No serious Jewish historian or scholar considers Ashkenazim to be descended from Khazars.

If Ashkenazim were Khazars, they wouldn’t share genetic markers with Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews—yet they do.

IV. Ashkenazi Culture and Contributions to Jewish Survival

Ashkenazim have been instrumental in preserving and advancing Jewish thought, halacha, and Torah study.

Despite pogroms, expulsions, and the Holocaust, Ashkenazi Jewry upheld Jewish tradition and produced great Torah leaders like:

Rashi and the Baalei Tosafot

The Maharal of Prague

The Vilna Gaon

Chassidic Masters

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and other modern poskim

Ashkenazi contributions to Talmudic scholarship, halacha, and Jewish ethics are unparalleled.

V. Judaism is a Faith, Not Just a Bloodline

The Torah defines Jewish identity through covenant, not race.

In the Book of Ruth, Ruth was a Moabite, yet she converted and became the ancestor of King David and the Mashiach.

The Jewish nation always accepted converts—from Avraham's time through the present.

Halachically, once someone converts to Judaism, they are fully Jewish and indistinguishable from someone born Jewish (Yevamot 47b).

The Khazar conversion theory (even if it were true) would only mean that Ashkenazi Jews descend from a mass conversion.

If the Khazars converted properly, then their descendants are 100% Jewish, just like any Ger Tzedek today.

Jewish law does not recognize "partial Jews" or "fake Jews"—either one is Jewish or not, and conversion is a valid path to Jewish status.

VI. The Jewish Nation Has Always Included Converts

Throughout history, the Jewish people absorbed righteous converts who became full members of the nation.

The Erev Rav (mixed multitude) left Egypt with Bnei Yisrael (Shemot 12:38).

Onkelos, one of the greatest Aramaic translators of the Torah, was a convert.

Rabbi Akiva was a descendant of converts, yet he became one of the greatest sages of all time.

No one today would claim Rabbi Akiva was a "fake Jew"—so why claim it about Ashkenazim?

VII. Antisemitism is the Root of the Attack

The real goal behind the "Khazar theory" is not historical truth but to delegitimize Ashkenazi Jews and, by extension, the Jewish people.

This argument is often used by:

1.Antisemitic groups (Neo-Nazis) trying to deny Jews’ connection to Israel.

2.Black Hebrew Israelites and other supremacist movements who claim Ashkenazim "stole" Jewish identity.

3.Conspiracy theorists who mix fake history with antisemitic tropes.

The irony?

Antisemitic groups hate ALL Jews, regardless of whether they are Ashkenazi, Sephardi, or Mizrahi.

The same people who claim Ashkenazim are "fake" also attack Sephardim and Mizrahim.

Their goal is to erase Jewish identity altogether.

VIII. The Jewish People Are One

Judaism is not a race, but a covenantal people united by Torah, halacha, and history.

Ashkenazi Jews are no different from Sephardi, Mizrahi, or Teimani Jews—our identity is based on Torah, not bloodline.

The attacks on Ashkenazim hurt all Jews because they divide Klal Yisrael and play into the hands of antisemitic enemies.

We must reject these lies and stand strong in Jewish unity.

Conclusion: Ashkenazim Are Jews, Period

The claim that Ashkenazim are "fake Jews" is not just false—it is a dangerous attack on Jewish unity.

Ashkenazim are deeply connected to Eretz Yisrael, with family histories tracing back to the land.

Those who attack Ashkenazim are often influenced by antisemitic conspiracy theories, not actual history.

The Jewish people are one nation, whether Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, or Teimani.

Final Thought: Defending All of Klal Yisrael

Defending Ashkenazim is not just about one group—it is about defending the Jewish people as a whole.

Torah teaches that all Jews share a common destiny and a divine mission.

We stand strong against lies, knowing our history, our Torah, and our identity are eternal.

Closing Statement

"Our people have survived Pharaoh, Haman, Rome, the Inquisition, pogroms, and the Holocaust. The latest conspiracy theories will not shake us.

Ashkenazim, like all Jews, are part of the eternal nation of Israel—Am Yisrael Chai."

End of Part 1