Why do Jewish and Italian people look similar?

[Insuperable]

You picked Robert de Niro as a Jewish looking Italian and he is three quarters Irish and one quarter Italian.

[Sikeliot]

I think that the examples he used were not the best. I could have come up with better.

[Vesuvian Sky]

I also think the similarity could be do to Jews picking up Southern Med-European autosomal traits when they were in Greece and Italy.

[Sikeliot]

I also think the similarity could be do to Jews picking up Southern Med-European autosomal traits when they were in Greece and Italy.

That is a factor too. It could be a combination of that, plus the latter two groups' West Asian affinity, which explains why Jews don't look Iberian for instance or French.

[Anglojew]

Other examples:

Debi Mazar:











Jewish but looks Italian to me.

Al Pacino:









Italian but could pass in Israel as Jewish.

Fabio:





Italian also.

Debbie Mazar is with Chris Penn, in the first few photos, who's Jewish but looks Italian.

[Sikeliot]

Some of my examples:

Italians who pass as Jews:







Jews who pass as Italians:

[Vesuvian Sky]

How bout Sarah Silverman? More Jewish or Italian looking:

[Sikeliot]

Either. Toretto1989 who posted here had a Sicilian girlfriend like her. But she does look Jewish.

How about Lea Michele? She is half and half.

[Vesuvian Sky]

Either. Toretto1989 who posted here had a Sicilian girlfriend like her. But she does look Jewish.

How about Lea Michele? She is half and half.

Yeah I always thought Sarah could pass as Italian.

Oh the girl from Glee? Yeah she could probably pass in Italy I suppose, maybe even Iberia a little? Regardless she inherited a Med. look.

[Anglojew]

Has anyone else ever wanted to give Fabio a hair cut?

Yeah I always thought Sarah could pass as Italian.

Oh the girl from Glee? Yeah she could probably pass in Italy I suppose, maybe even Iberia a little? Regardless she inherited a Med. look.

I know lots of half-Italian Jews. We call them Pizza bagels.