Genealogy / How common is it for other people of Polish origin to discover they are actually Jewish? [127]

Thank you Nile for helping me out, that is correct. I am not a practicing Jew religiously...and to the other person who posted, yes, there is a Jewish gene, my maternal Aunt was tested for it when she was diagnosed with very aggressive, sudden onset breast cancer despite practicing extremely healthy lifestyle habits, which is sadly a common diagnose for Ashkenazi Jewish women. It was confirmed that she is of Jewish descent although not Ashkenazi.

Genealogy / How common is it for other people of Polish origin to discover they are actually Jewish? [127]

This is very interesting. I can relate to your question and I have a similar story. I am a 37 yr old female, third generation Polish American. There has been a "rumor" in my family that my mother's family is Jewish. Recently, it has been discovered, yes....discovered that we are in fact Jewish by my mother's Great or Great Great Grandmother whose name was Kagan (or maybe spelled Kegan). I was told that it was often kept a very grave secret out of fear of persecution if you were Jewish hiding in Poland. It was never spoken of until recently. So, I can relate to your story. I also wondered what it meant to be a Polish Jew as well since I grew up not fully knowing my ancestry. Could my ancestors have been holocaust survivors? What were the lives of my female ancestors like and how may that have shaped who I am or am not today. I am not an Ashkenazi Jew, my maternal Aunt is a survivor of very aggressive, sudden onset breast cancer and was tested for the Ashkenazi gene as they are genetically predisposed to aggressive breast cancer. If your even think you might be Jewish, they doctors will test you for that just so that they can learn more to help Ashkenazi women. So your ancestry can help catch some health problems before they hit hard and help others as well.

I know some people have posted statements of disbelief wondering how does someone "discover" or not know of their ancestry.
I also hope this helps some people understand that this is not unusual and that wanting to know about where you came from does not mean you have identity issues or are "latching on" to an identity. Some people just find their own ancestry more interesting and enriching than others. Some don't.