Rob, thanks for a great post.

mb, the letter you’re thinking of is Tolkien’s draft of a letter to the Potsdam publishing house Rütten & Loening Verlag, from 25 July 1938. It’s reprinted in Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (letter #30; cf. also letter #29 to his English publisher Allen & Unwin). In the reprinted letter he wrote “I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.”

I have more (including some background a full copy of the excerpts reprinted in Letters) at G 2006-04-27: From the geek archives: Jews, Tolkien, and a parting note to some ruddy little ignoramuses.