My mother was of both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewish descent, as was my grandmother, which is supported by a DNA test. I can trace my Iberian family line back to David ben Yehuda Ibn Ya Ish ben Zakai II, as well as the Rothschilds and many others. However, I was informed that I would need to undergo a conversion because I do not have proof of an unbroken maternal line for eight generations. As a result, I am not considered Jewish, despite my mother and grandmother’s DNA and family history. I was trying to reconnect with our heritage, but I felt rejected. I also learned that I would need to pay $200 to a company that verifies this information to establish my lineage. In the end, I am not recognized as Jewish, even though my mother and grandmother have this DNA and family history. I was trying to bring our heritage back, but I felt rejected.

I'm sorry that you feel rejected. I suggest you contact the Tzohar Rabbinical organization which deals exactly with this issue of proving one's Judaism. Please contact them at: [email protected] All the best!