<p>non Jews CAN get tay sachs...</p>
<p>yeah.....it is a recessive trait more common in certain jews but non jews can get it.....</p>
<p>Isn't the Tay-Sachs thing because of the fact that they are passing down the genes within a concentrated, specific community? It makes sense b/c since it's recessive, you need two to get it and since the same group of people has been passing it down, it would stay within that group for the most part. That doesn't prove the ethnicity argument, just that Jews are more likely to marry and have kids between themselves to a certain extent.</p>
<p>yes, exactly.</p>
<p>I'm not supporting this theory, but an interesting, if bit romantic notion: after centuries of diaspora, pogroms, discrimination, ruthless taxation, genocide, basically being 2nd class citizens...you could apply social darwinism to Europe's Jewish community. Only the strongest, <em>smartest</em> survive. </p>
<p>Social drawinism also gave us the Final Solution. But let's romanticize shall we.</p>