2003 Articles

The Fallacy of Biological Judaism

Pollack, Robert

The document "The Fallacy of Biological Judaism" by Robert E. Pollack challenges the notion that Jewish identity can be defined or diagnosed through genetics. Pollack argues that while Jewish heritage has been historically tied to religious practices, cultural traditions, and shared memories, there is no genetic marker or sequence that distinguishes Jews as a biological group. He emphasizes that advances in DNA research have disproven the idea that Jews are a distinct biological family, highlighting that genetic diversity is a fundamental characteristic of all human populations. Pollack stresses the importance of acknowledging this diversity and cautions against linking scientific findings with religious or cultural identity in ways that could be harmful or misleading. He advocates for a view of medicine and genetics that values individual differences and rejects any form of biological determinism in defining religious or ethnic identity.