From a reader:

As an Orthodox Ashkenazic Jew, I have had the misfortune of having to
deal with many geneticists and one of the things I hear most often is
that our community makes for a good study ground not because of the
uniqueness of our genetic material but the fact that our bloodlines are
purer. OK I had to throw that line in there ( what good would an email
be without an oblique hitler/nazi reference) but what I obviusly mean is
that up until fifty years ago or so there was virtually no
intermarriage at all so the gene pool did not get muddled. Even today
the rate of intermarriage in the Orthodox community is very small which
still provides researchers for prime study material. So when these
researchers start drawing conclusions with respect to genetic diseases
my gut feeling is they are overstating their case since there is
probably the same “smart gene” in any other non-diluted gene pool. Again
just my gut but I find it hard to believe that this gene is unique to
Us, it just hasnt gotten lost in the melting pot called America……yet.
By the way we couldve saved the researchers alot of time and effort and
tought them the term ” Ah Yiddishen Kup”.
PS Not really related , we have a fantastic program of voluntary testing
for single guys and girls to test to see if they are carriers of any of
these genetic diseases. More info here.
Thanks for all the good work in the Corner.