Lineage Lesson

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Here, I am often mistaken as Jewish. Recently, a man told me, "You look and dress just like a religious Jewish woman." I told him, "Other than the scarf, this is exactly how I dress in the States." In this society, a head covering helps portray that I am married.
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Funny, but when I was in my mid-teens, I was asked a few times by strangers if I was Jewish. The dark hair, eyebrows, and nose all lead people to draw that conclusion, I suppose. And my usual style of dress - long skirts and loose clothing - help me fit right in here.
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It doesn't matter if a person's father is Jewish. One can only be classified as Jewish if Jewish blood can be detected in the mother's line. My mother's side of the family can trace its lineage back to the 1600s. Research labels us as solidly British, with a smattering of Irish and Scotch sprinkled in. A lady told us last week that a specific blood test can tell us if we have Jewish blood or not. That is most interesting, but probably not something we will do. I am quite content to visit here as an American, gleaning from Jewish ways and wisdom and learning from their society.