I took my older cousin who lives in Louisiana to the WW2 museum in New Orleans. She is 10 years older than me. She was born in 1938 and remembered the war. I found out that her mom worked in the war industry in Philadelphia. Her mom would take her to school in the morning and then my cousin would walk to her mom’s work and wait for her to be finished. I knew her dad my father’s brother was in the Navy. I found out that my uncle was a cook supplying ships that were in dock in Virginia their food supplies while the ships were being repaired. My dad was also a cook but he was in the Army and was in New Guinea and Australia which I had known for just about my whole life. She and I had a great time that day!
My Father was a US soldier in WWII. One night, the paragliders dropped into a city, I forgot which one. They were to take out a German Machine gun nest. My Father and 2 other men approached. The man to my Father's Left got shot, killed, the man to the right of my Father got killed, so he was on his own. They kept firing at him for a long time, and I believe the other glider troops overtook the nest while he was shooting at my Father. He said those gliders were shot up like swiss cheese. A miracle he survived. That was just one story of many. I'm lucky to be here.
I'm use to seeing Jeff, a quirky but endearing actor, in situations which spark laughter. Him being moved to tears by stories of his ancestors, for me, makes it even more so impactful.
Hey Dame Martha Falker. It's so true! We're used to seeing Jeff using his considerable comedic talents in so many memorable roles that such episodes can really make us pause and reflect. Thank you for checking out the video and we wish you every success in unlocking your own family history. Please call on us anytime you need our support.🌳
As an Indian sometimes I feel very privileged that we know our roots to such a deep level like we are still very close to my great grandfather's cousin's family it's amazing how we have so many thing in common
I know about my great great grandfather, great grandfather and so on... But I wanna know about people who were there before them and also their extended families. Maybe someone did something great and we don't know that they did. Maybe we can show some respect that way
@@NavW-or2rm Ayyy, same here. After the communists wrecked Vietnam and Laos, our family roots are gone to the wind. All we have is vague stories from dad and some war torn forests. Practically we began to exist in 1950.
One of my daughters was born and spent her first three years in Oral, Russia. By that time it had been renamed to Uralsk, now in Kazakhstan. I saw a small war memorial there. Lovely people there.
I absolutely ADORE this series. It is always very well put together. I've never seen the episode with Jeff though, have to go find it in its entirety. He is wonderful.
Every Jew suspects family members were engulfed in the mass extermination during WW2. It is heartbreaking when family research provides confirmation about family extermination during WW2.
Between slavery and the Holocaust, it’s hard to read or watch the atrocities that occurred. I weep for humanity when I watch anything pertaining to those events.
@@KSynBlaze Here, here. I’ve made similar statements in recent years when newly found relatives refer to us as being ‘distant cousins.’ If the DNA says we’re kin, compounded with proof via research, we’re family.
Thanks for sharing with us, @greenblood64. We hope you enjoyed this segment from "Finding Your Roots". Good luck as you learn more about your family history.
Ancestry us truly amazing. You never truly know what you'll find. My 14th great grandfather was John William Rogers. He was burnt at the stake by queen Mary in 1555 for not changing his religious beliefs. My 12th great grandfather Thomas Matthew Rogers. Thomas and his son came over on the Mayflower. My 11th great grandaunt Ann Foster Alcock was accused of being a witch during the salem witch trials. She died in prison at 76 years old after withstanding torture. I am also connected to a veteran of the revolutionary War and the war of 1812. Proud of my heritage: Mostly Scots irish. Made me tear up a bit when Jeff found his roots.
What a fascinating family history you have Thomas, thank you so much for sharing these parts of it with us. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed this episode of Finding Your Roots as well!
I love his work and his sense of style! Jeff G. and Christopher Walken float my boat! Jeff’s a Scorp, quirky and deep. Much married and finally a father at like, 60-something with accumulated wisdom and a solid legacy for his sons. Also an accomplished jazz musician. The whole enchilada. 🎶🏆💯
Hi there, BlondieLJ! Thanks so much for stopping by. We are thrilled you have enjoyed this episode with Jeff Goldblum so much. We hope you love the rest of the seasons just as much!
My father's family were from Buczacz which; when he was born, was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and is now in western Ukraine near Lviv. In 1919 my grandfather decided to move my grandmother and their children to London to stay with relatives. None of my family who stayed behind survived the war. Like Jeff, many names that came up during research I'd never heard of. I suspect there are MANY like us.
You know, it's crazy, I've always wanted to learn more about my grandfather, he was in the army in Vietnam but no one will tell me what he did, he died when I was 7. all I know is he was a specialist. Now I'm in the navy in Japan and yearning to learn more about my family's past but don't have the time to do the research
This is common for soldiers who return from war. It's so scarring, they never want to talk about it. My grandfather was a prisoner of war in occupied France in WW2, he was liberated by the D-Day operation. He never spoke of it in any more detail than that. His goal once he returned to the US was to try to live his life as if that horrific chapter had never happened. Even with his close family, he would not speak of it. It's possible no one in your family knows exactly what your grandfather did in Vietnam.
My grandpa was in Korea as a medic. The only thing I know about his time serving was that he saw enough trenchfoot and gangrene that he never wanted anyone wearing his shoes....and it's not because he ever told me that.
If your grandfather was a Specialist, I think he may have been a doctor and not in the front lines. That was a horrific war. Thank God that he survived and was intelligent that he didn't have to fight in the front line.
My father’s family on his father’s side were descendants of the Spanish Inquisition in which Jews that were forced to convert or die. They fled to Poland and remained Jewish.
Hi Heather, we are glad that you enjoyed the video. You can learn more about hiring a professional genealogist here: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Hiring-a-Genealogist?language=en_US
Hi Eva. We're glad to hear from you. There are many ways to learn more about your family history. You can start a family tree and use our free records to start your research. AncestryDNA is another way to connect with living relatives and work together to grow your family tree. Here are more details to help you start your own journey. support.ancestry.co.uk/s/article/What-to-Expect-from-AncestryDNA support.ancestry.co.uk/s/article/Ancestry-Family-Tree-Resources
My maternal grandmother and grandfather were from Russia and in the very early 1900s fled Russia for Brooklyn. This story is similar to those of many Ashkenazi Jews.
You never know what you will find. My great,great, great, great, great grandfather was the Choctaw Chief of Scouts under Andrew Jackson in the Creek War of 1814. The Creek War Chief Red Eagle they fought against is also my cousin! How often does things like that happen? I am two parts Choctaw & one part Nansemond & Cherokee along with the Scotch, Irish and English I inherited from both sides of the family. I encourage you to dig deep. You never know what you might find.
It certainly blew me away when I found out. I am also related to the gunslinger Sam Bass through my GGG grandmother, Nancy Ann Bass Weatherford. I have two famous relatives in my family and both were “bad” boys. 🤣
My grandparents came to the USA from Poland shortly after WWI. My great grandfather was Jewish. The family that came here was saved from experiencing the Holocaust. The last name of my gr. grandfather in the Polish census shows only a few thousand in Poland now. Have to assume the worst. Heartbeats go out to Jeff Goldblum.
When people find those connections to their ancestors, all that ‘celebrity’ goes right out the window. They’re like any normal person then. Love this series!
Jeff's story is like so many other Jews of that time. My mother was born in Minsk, was living in a pogrom (ghetto) when her father moved to the US first. He brought his 2 daughters (my mother was 8) and wife eventually, leaving, what I understand thru hearsay, several sons there. I'll never know if that's true.
Hi, LL. Thanks for commenting. These stories are interesting and some are also very sad. It's so wonderful to learn more about your family. We'd love for you to find some answers about your family.
I thought "pogrom" only referred to a violent attack against a minority group or a systematic discrimination against a minority group. Does it also refer to a location inhabited by a minority group?
@@tintinismybelgian A pogrom is a violent ambush and destruction of a community. Historically, Christians were only allowed to borrow large amounts of money from non-Christians. Resentment of the moneys owed by one or more influential citizen would incur heightening anti-semitism, an up-rising would be instigated- this is the basis for the pogrom- plunder and violence would ensue, the growing debt would be erased, along with the lender, and the village. Pogroms were a fact of life for the Jewish people, and, the catalyst for the influx of eastern European Jews to North America in the 1920's.
Hi, Suzi. Thanks for commenting. We're so glad you enjoyed this segment of Finding Your Roots. It's always interesting to see how people react when they learn about their family tree.
My father’s side of the family were also Jews who fled persecution in Russia around the turn of the century. Though I know most of that side of the family tree were wiped out after my immediate ancestors arrived in America, I wonder how many cousins I have, somewhere out there.💙
I admire those like Mr. Goldblum who can look back on family histories that don't include slave plantation owners. They can feel some sympathy and connection with their forebears. I look back on the diseased branch of my family tree and owww, my head. My favorite film he did was probably "Igby Goes Down" (probably not quite the role he'd like to be fondly remembered for but it was such a great story and film!)
No matter how famous a person is, we all have humble roots from before modern society existed and this actor just proved it with real and wonderful human emotion. :)
Found out about my dad 3 years ago. I been researching now my whole family Ancestry for I think 15 years or so now overall. Family History is still just out of reach for me, even though I know of Names now. My dad is an Alcoholic, and neither him or my Half sister know much about there history. I hardly talk to them.. but I would like knowing. Seems I had Revolutionary War, 1812, Mexican American War, Union troops, WW1 & 2 Soliders all over in my family. Lost some Ancestors to disease, Indians, ect.. I like this Show on PBS. Mr Goldblum I was Happy for, very touching indeed.
Every Ancestry video is like: Ancestry to black person:"Bru your ancestors were slaves.." Black person:"Bru that makes me so sad." Ancestry to white person:"Bru your ancestors owned slaves" White person:"Bru I would never do that.."
My mother's maiden name was French Basque. My paternal great grandfather was recorded as born in France. My DNA shows zero French or German ancestry.😳🤔
Hey there, thanks so much for stopping by! We completely understand why that would be surprising. We'd invite you to see more on this topic here: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Unexpected-Ethnicity-Results We hope this helps!
Because the Basque (genetically) are neither French nor Spanish, they are thought of originate in the Caucasus, present-day Georgia, etc Of course most Basque at this point also have French and Spanish ancestry but it's perfectly possible you're entirely Basque
All successful people's ancestors are someone who has done important in history. This is one of the keys of success in life. They learn from past sufferings to the road of success. That's bravery. He intentionally or unintentionally learned a lot from his ancestors. His father decided to fight in WW2 maybe feeling he must. He may have easily avoided this war.
listennnn i paid like $80 for my kit. i want to watch full episodes! 😕 anybody who brought a kit should be able to watch this for free ! y’all charge the famous people for all this research ? I hope so because y’all trying it .
Thanks so much for watching, Regina! We're glad you enjoyed the clip. If you're interested in learning about your family history, you can get started for free on our site. We'll pop a guide below for starting your family tree below in case you'd like to check it out. Thanks again for watching, and have a great day! Link: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Getting-Started-Lesson-1-Starting-Your-Tree
Research the Russian Icons and you will see what the Hebrews looked like. They were of color. There were “black” Hebrews in Spain along with the Moors. Research that. JG looks like a mixed man. I would love to know his haplogroup. Very interesting!!!!
