The Perilous Story of David Duchovny's Family Finally Revealed | Finding Your Roots | Ancestry®

[@AncestryUS]

Have your family members ever shared stories from their youth? Drop your experience below!

[@KSUgrad79]

I never realized how unstable my mother’s life was during the Depression, moving constantly from house to house to house, never staying put. It made me understand why, once we bought our family home 60 years ago, we never left. Our mom wanted us to have a place to call “home”, unlike her childhood. Thinking back on the arc of her long 94 year lifespan (she died last year), I begin to truly understand her a lot more now and her desire for stability for both herself and we kids. Too bad we never knew our father, though: he died 61 years ago in a car accident…

[@acookie23]

Could you please upload the full episode featuring David Duchovny for his fans who don't live in the US?

[@Robin_Is]

Ok.

[@simplykate1]

I have been told by my family that Daniel Boone is a direct ancestor

[@pequena_ninera]

On my mother's side, my great grandparents came from Russia to the U.S. My cousin set up a facebook group for my mother's side and posted all of the documents of their journey from Russia to the U.S. Including the ship, immigration papers, the citizenship and work papers my great grandfather had to fill out. It is amazing how my great grandparents made the journey from Russia to the U.S on a ship. I wish I had known this growing up, because I know I would of wanted to learn Russian just to experience what it was like to live in Russia. The group is for my mom's side that has tons of pictures of my relatives and some child hood pictures of my grandmother and my mom and her siblings. I love it when new stuff is posted. I learned a lot of my mother's side of the family.

[@samhersch9609]

I went to Grace Church School in New York for first and second grade, 1996-1998. As one of the only people with a disability ever in the history of that school, one of the strongest advocates for my success was the lower school principal, Margret "Meg" Duchovny--his mother.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Sam! 💚

[@carolynm8421]

Who I believe I heard him say was Scottish.

[@jonelfilipek7848]

David bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather, Moishe (and his own father, Amram.) A strong and intelligent gene pool. Amram was highly educated and played important roles in the Jewish-American community. He has so much to be grateful for in his family’s struggles. In just two generations, they all became successful, a testament to their will and endurance. I’m happy that he was able to find out so much about his family and that he can pass this along to his own children.

[@AncestryUS]

We are glad to hear that you enjoyed this episode of Finding Your Roots.

[@jonathanramos8414]

David lived the American dream. He became a successful actor and was educated at ivy league. And got to act in a hit TV show as an American government agent lol

[@franksullivan1873]

In life you must test which way the wind is blowing and understand when they are favorable to keep you motivated…always seeking safe haven on your journey.

[@greencello599]

My paternal grandfather served in the US army during WW2. Like many veterans from that war, he rarely talked about his experiences. He borrowed a book by Stephen Ambrose about soldiers during the European theater of the war from my dad. My dad didn't get the book back until after Grandpa died. In every available space that he could find, Grandpa wrote down his own experiences that Ambrose didn't know about or got wrong from speculation. His life after the war was a good journey. He became an engineer, married my grandmother, raised a family, and became an active part of his community for many years. Served on the city council for 12 years, 5 of them as mayor. He carried a physical reminder of his military service for the rest of his mortal life. Caused by mortar shrapnel in Germany, he lost feeling in 3 digits of his left hand. He had to be careful, especially with his woodworking projects, which were among the several art projects he undertook after he retired.

[@exdus235]

How fortunate for you to have back your annotated book.

[@jennifertharp659]

This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this story of your grandfather.

[@lollolowski8956]

Fascinating

[@SonyaHudson]

I love this... God bless your grandfather for allowing his story to be shared after he passed. This means a lot and as to the missing part of history. ❤🙌🏾

[@auggied6760]

Thank you for sharing this.

[@OphelieH27]

He has so much empathy, I cried at his emotion, wanted to give him a hug. Great program.

[@AncestryUS]

It was incredibly moving to watch David receive and process all this new information about his family. Thanks for watching.

[@peaceandlove544]

Hello my name is Ofelia

[@AnthonyP73]

This is lovely and also painful to watch. Painful when you realise what David's ancestors and relatives went through, but lovely to see genuine emotion on his face after all these years. I'm so happy for him that he connected to his people

[@AncestryUS]

There are moments where you can hear how proud David is of his family and all that they’ve accomplished even with their hardships. It's incredibly powerful to watch.

[@nbi8116]

Does it mean that the rest of the children and his wife( grandmother) perished at the hand of them?

[@Shalommaranatha7]

Most of my mom’s family perished in the Holocaust except for a literal handful, a remnant who went on; to not just survive; but thrive. We are of proud Polish & Russian Jewish ancestry. But I grew up with the fear passed on from my mother’s mom who always has this fear & rarely came out of her room, afraid that somehow one day; she would be taken back & thrown into the camps; so I understand the emotion when reading & seeing the names listed from her family in death records from the camps; 70 plus members, almost an entire generation. For years it was hush hush, talked of in quiet corners, in Yiddish, in Polish; in Russian so us children wouldn’t here, but children pick up so much more than you realize. To this day I have a fear of trains, we pass on our fears just as we pass on our love etc from generations past, we are a part of their DNA. But we can happily say we survived and are almost 70 strong now. ❤

[@ГружевськийГлібІгорович]

I would not be proud of russian roots. It would be better to register as Polish

[@lmc2375]

@@ГружевськийГлібІгорович Why would you say that? Who can help where they were born into?

[@gamzillio]

​@@lmc2375he's typical Ukrainian. Don't mind it.

[@SunnyDaze096]

​@@ГружевськийГлібІгорович Don't be so ridiculous

[@rememberableoccassions9079]

It’s sad because as a African-American, we hold onto our ancestors trauma and people don’t realize that. Sorry that happened to your ancestors. All we can do is pass on our family history to the next generation so they would know what their ancestors went through and how strong they are. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

[@anniepurse2831]

After watching Ancestry for years I found David to be the most genuine person to ever be on the show. Nothing flashy or phoney about him. Happy he got to know his family history, the happy and sad parts. Thanks David. Hugs

[@vavietipoun1]

David struggling with his emotions was a poignant moment to watch. His family was resilient, strong and never gave up. Such an inspiration for David. Hope he will find a way to transcribe this heritage into a novel.

[@AncestryUS]

It was such a bittersweet moment to see David learn about his family’s journey and all of the hardships and challenges they encountered.

[@bhoqeem1975]

He did make a novel--two, even. But not about his family.

[@SQTierHog]

At 5:05, man, that don't make you cry? Just as he was getting choked up, I surely was. Many times we see these actors, they play their parts so well, that until moments like this, we realize that they are just as human as the rest of us!

[@jenwombatexcelsior]

They act so well because they become those people, in a sense. It's been seen in scientific research, at least, that its thought they can suspend their sense of self. Which would sounds like the ultimate empathic state, to me.

[@RetendoArcade]

David Duchovny is one of my fave actors, and man to hear the story of his family and his emotion, man this hits the feels. Glad they made it here to the US even if this isn't where they wanted to be.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi there, Retendo Arcade! Thanks for stopping by. We are delighted you have enjoyed this episode of the show!

[@heathersmith8549]

What a fascinating story of resilience. Thank you Mr Duchovny for sharing this with us.

[@AncestryUS]

Watching David realize all the hardships that his family endured during their journey was extremely emotional. Thanks for watching.

[@davidsluijsmans]

Adore David so much, his family had a difficult time, but like he said, they never gave up! Beautiful:)

[@AncestryUS]

And rightfully so, you can see just how proud David is of his family for overcoming everything that they had to endure.

[@ladydeerheart1]

We all want to think we will be remembered forever but the reality is our grandchildren will be the last ones to remember us and they won't remember our stories. They'll just remember how we made them feel.

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Not necessarily. I remember the names of numerous family members beyond my grandfolks. I knew the names of all but one of my great grandfolks. The one whose name I did not know was an abusive schizophrenic whose kids (my grandparent) never talked about, even to thier kids (my parent). I knew names back as far as the 1830s, my 4th and 5th great grandfolks.

[@ej3016]

I come from large extended farm families - until COVID my mother’s family met at our church hall each year and celebrated Christmas dinner together - at peak the tables were set for 75 - yep and that’s just one quarter of my family - until I was twelve (1972) we had Sunday suppers at either one grandparents or the other - frequently many of my great aunts and uncles those who didn’t have children of their own were there too - we used to joke that my mother was related to everyone at the Methodist Church she attended before marrying my Dad - and Dad was related to everyone at their Presbyterian Church - paternal family gathered yearly each summer - we used to rent a pavilion at a wonderful park and seemed to just eat and talk all day - again that ended in 2020 - I consider myself “a great grandchild” (am 64 yrs) the twice great grandchildren have had the Christmas experiences - their wee ones won’t have had either experiences - we need to find photos and record stories of these folks who were (still are 🙏) such a very big part of our lives - the question that needs answering while my folks generation are still with us is this - why was Sir Arthur Currie’s family table (with 6 leaves in it) in my maternal grandparents farmhouse kitchen / dining room - was he family or just neighbour - think WWI 🇨🇦 military leader / hero in Europe - looks like I better get started 🇨🇦🙏

[@theresagomez2605]

This is probably my favorite episode of this show I've ever seen.

[@AncestryUS]

We're glad you enjoyed the episode, Theresa! Thanks so much for watching. 😊

[@AndySaenz]

I remember seeing him as agent Mulder on the X Files! He’s a great actor!

[@NäinSeVaanMeneejalumen]

David was my favourite actor when i was a child and still is, awesome to hear all this!

[@skontheroad]

My great-grandparents were also from the Pale (from Bialystok--where the Bialy was invented!). My great-grandmother's name was also Duba (they are pronouncing it wrong--it is Dub, like RUB--DUB-A). I named one of my daughters after her--Duba Leah. It helps keep the connection alive! Edit--In fairness, the way it is spelled in Hebrew--they are pronouncing it as it is written. It just is not normally written that way. It is a diminutive of Devorah. Which is Deborah in English. Just FYI.

[@agnaobrazkowa]

I didn't know about Biały, and after I read the wiki page I see it's very similar to Lublin's cebularz (onion cake). :)

[@collegekid65]

I love watching these stories because it tells us to never give up, that there is always a way, that eventually everything will be okay. Just keep going.

[@maritesshoy317]

"They didn't give up." So many brave ancestors. RIP

[@sshaw4429]

I have always loved David……his tender heart, makes me love him more.❤❤

[@AncestryUS]

Hi S Shaw, thank you for watching!

[@juliame8026]

Berdichev is located in modern Ukraine, not Russia. Pale of Settlement included modern day Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland , Moldova. All the lands belonged to Russian Empire back then. The Jews were forbidden to live in central Russia.

[@jerriporter5500]

Well, if all the land belonged to Russia, then it was in Russia. Not "modern day" Ukraine.🤔

[@juliame8026]

@@jerriporter5500 Russia didn't exist in those days, only Russian Empire. Not all the Eastern Europe is Russia., as some Americans still think. I believe that even if each state of United states of America is unique, so even more countries which were parts of Empire are unique and diverse. All those countries were very different culturally, historically, religiously, linguistically . Many nations were included in Empire. Its pure injustice and imperialistic narrative when you call someone from Poland as Russian. Or Estonian as Russian. Its also important to not call Russia all the former territories now, when Russia wages cruel war to get back former colony, and Ukranians are fighting for their survival,. Also its important for people like David who wants to know true story and backgroynd of his family. Besides, to be clear, no Jew could live in a territory which is now Russia those days, It was forbidden.

[@jerriporter5500]

Thanks again, for this historic background. However, I only stated, what you said. Have a good night. Bye-bye

[@juliame8026]

@@jerriporter5500 Sorry if It sounds rude and harsh. I didn't want It that way. I just wanted to explain my point.

[@CS-wq1vu]

@@jerriporter5500 It's important to understand that historical accuracy is essential and that when people on the internet are up for sharing and intellectually discussing something it's fantastic and a rare glimpse. The distinctions she is making are huge and compromise millions of people's lives. Let's admire knowledge and cheer those who are willing to share 😉

[@mariaroldan4200]

Yes, my mother always told us stories, but unlike most people, her life was a life of luxury, her grandfather was a Supreme Court Justice. Their ancestors had immigrated from Spain to Argentina.

[@AncestryUS]

It must’ve been such an eye-opening experience to learn about your family’s history.

[@mariaroldan4200]

@@AncestryUS I did not know it was such a big deal till I came to the USA, and people were telling me that I come from “Royalty”. No, I just come from highly educated people, that’s all.

[@joshschneider9766]

My great grandfather came from Poland in 1922 at the age of 23. He gave our family freedom. He must've suffered greatly to have taken a German name. Rejoice David. Your family did it all for you. And their sacrifices gave us all fox mulder. Rejoice. It is all to Gods plan.

[@stephenfisher3721]

"He must've suffered greatly to have taken a German name" What? Why do you say this, it makes no sense?

[@JerzyFeliksKlein]

Actually it was quite common especially because Yiddish is quite closely related to German. For instance Samuel Goldwyn of the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer fame was born Samuel Gelbfish which he changed to Goldfish (direct translation) after moving to England and then to Goldwyn when he set up his studio in Hollywood. It was quite common for Jews to change their names to a local sounding names due to antisemitism.

[@paulszymanski2513]

Jews had it great in Poland till Germans invaded in 39' What freedom are you talking about?

[@LadyBlueJeans13]

Such an incredible story about David Duchovny's family. To know who your ancestors were, and their life stories... What a blessing!

[@Clairebearthegoodfinder]

We discovered my ancestors actual papers from their arrival at Ellis Island. The Corragios my great grandma and her 13 children; one died en route. The last of them my Great Aunt Virgina died 2 weeks ago. She was the youngest.

[@juniorbor5888]

In my case I bless the day I decided my self to take the ancestry DNA test and after,investigate little bit on ancestry data online! I watch this videos and I can't help crying too,because... nobody should be growing and living as somebody they're not and ignoring who they really are! It's a crime to me! In my case I found my great great grandfather was a Spaniard from Seville, he was Andalusian! Something that filled me with pride! I bless again the day I choose to take the test and bless Ancestry Corp, for doing what they do! For draining so many tears of joy and giving truth to so many!

[@CS-wq1vu]

Where about was he from, do you know?

[@hdragongirl7628]

The Slavic translation of David’s last name means “a person who is spiritual”.

[@Србомбоница86]

Yes ,same in Serbian

[@Alexandra_Indina]

Just "spiritual", without "a person...".

[@enkhzayazundui1063]

Духовныи. Дух. I see.

[@joan8878]

Yes, in Poland 😉.

[@ryanjones4150]

I have watched a lot of these, and this one stands out to me, not because of anything related to David Duchovny, but because of how horrible humans can be to each other, but also because of how some people triumph over it and prevail. Many didn't and don't though, that's why I have a little tear in my eye right now.

[@irenekotarac1346]

So heartbreaking but what truly brave people. God bless.

[@victoriaorellana9745]

I saw the full episode 😢..... Sad , full of surprises for David a hiden story uncovered in front of us . Beatifull at the end when he says " the room is filled with all his family he didn't know .

[@adamatova]

This is one story of hundreds of thousands. David might be doing some soul searching as a result of knowing what was held back till now. Heritage really speaks beyond time.

[@Shoopdelaang]

I'm from Argentina and when my family looked at our genology we found out we're related to the Duchovnys (even have the same surname). It's quite common for russian or polish jewish families to have emigrated separately and eventualy settle in Buenos Aires and the US.

[@mariaroldan4200]

No te puedo creer. Aunque los argentinos somos un poco de todo. Vivo en EEUU y fui maestra muchos años y muchos de las familias judías que conocí, tenían parientes en Argentina. Qué grado de parentesco tienen?

[@AncestryUS]

That's great! What an interesting connection.

[@nikiedmonds6236]

Wow...We all owe our ancestors so much just for not giving up

[@LisaRichards_123]

I don’t use my real name in KZbin, but none of my relatives couldn’t get over here to the US, because of quotas on Jews from Europe. They were educated, working people that spoke several languages. As a result, they were murdered, due to not only due to the antisemitism of the Nazis, but also because of the antisemitism of people in America in the State Department. The government knew the entire time that the Holocaust was happening, and they covered it up. They didn’t want to have to let Jews in. Meanwhile, the part of the family that lived in the east, like many of the other Jews that were still in the Pale of Settlement, were all shot to death or sent to concentration camps to die. The rabbi of Berdychiv is a legend, by the way. The violence of 1914 is one of millions of reasons why the Jews need a homeland.

[@skibidi.G]

Sorry to hear about your family and their sad troubles. However, you are overarching on accusations of antisemitism. Having a quota on Jews is not a sort of crime, it's self-governance. And if you keep a hateful mindset like that and act upon it, your future family will also run into troubles, as in the days of old.

[@Bulvan123]

My grandparents were survivors. But still thinking with an open mind the US had no obligation to take in millions of persecuted Jews & OTHER MINORITIES from around the world. There was a depression going on. In 1938 unemployment in the US was 19%, in 1939 it was 17.2%. During wartime most countries do not allow immigration as they have enough problems they're dealing with.

[@SunnyDaze096]

​@@skibidi.G Nonsense.

[@ellenhamilton2787]

I love every episode. I also love the way I have watched Dr. Gates learn and grow in his understanding with each episode. Wonderful healing series for all.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks so much for stopping by, Ellen! We are delighted you enjoy the show! Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

[@Nirupama108]

He is so lucky to find this history. I hired someone to help find information about my family but records don't exist for so many Jews. I hope to continue to pursuing it but for so many of us there is no hope. David's struggles in his own life make sense considering this traumatic family history.

[@angelirohival6270]

Wow! He was so touched!

[@brent4209]

Love the series! Keep them coming!❤

[@katiesioux7757]

He is the flower of the seeds of their dreams😍⭐💯

[@Tawadeb]

Very moving. Is there a part 2?

[@AncestryUS]

This was such a powerful episode.

[@amac5455]

🙂 Not "Berdyczew" or "Berdiczew" but: Berdyczów! Now it is a town in Ukraine, but then it was in Poland! Russia occupied the territory of Poland (The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland). Józef Korzeniowski (100% Polish) known as Joseph Conrad, was born in Berdyczów. In Berdyczów Honore de Balzac married a Polish lady Ewelina Hańska. It was a famous town in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

[@nataliasalmanova6020]

Thanks! I was wondering about the town

[@Peter-gt6jq]

Yeah? Do you call Morris Duchonvny a liar?

[@Magdal9347]

@@Peter-gt6jq?

[@Peter-gt6jq]

@@Magdal9347 Well, Moriss said it was Berdichev and Russia where he had been born... Not Berdyczew or Berdiczew or Berdyczów... I think Morriss knew better. Using the above logic it is more correct to say, that until Russia it was a Lithuanian town... 🤣 It is all about how one interprets history

[@laurencenaim233]

Today it is in Ukraine. I have bien there. There was à big jewish community.

[@jacekpiotrowski9336]

Joseph Conrad (a Pole by birth - Jozef Korzeniowski) was born in Berdyczow. It was also there that Honoré de Balzac married a Polish noblewoman Ewelina Hanska. Well, and David Duchovny's grandfather :)

[@Conernforthesedogs-iw7lf]

This is astounding and thank you ~ overwhelming

[@AncestryUS]

We understand that feeling, Conern for these dogs.❤️ It can take time to come to terms with some of the information revealed in this ever engrossing show. We appreciate you taking the time to comment and would encourage you to take a look at our full playlist of clips from the past 10 seasons of the show here: kzbin.info/aero/PL0xuz8BBkD4gm8NBVH8ga1elIoAkBjL-q.

[@mariadesaferreira1690]

Amazing and touching!!!🙏🏻❤✨

[@AncestryUS]

This was such a moving episode! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@JuliaWalter]

Berdychiv is Ukraine now, Zhytomyr Oblast.

[@renacleerican7824]

This period of History was crazy. People were fleeing wars, wich were everywhere in the old world. Europeans, like Americans share this messy ancestral past. One of my grand grandfather and his brother and sister escaped the Armenian genocide and fled to Greece, then the Caire in Egypt. Then my grand grand father moved to France( I am french), his brother and sister to America( my "Armenian" cousins are all in Canada and the US). Funny how my ancestors could have met the Duchovny during their diaspora. I bet one of his ancestor was as handsome as he is, one of my first big tv crush in Xfiles❤

[@captainkangaroo4301]

My grandfather immigrated from Norway when he was 18 years old in 1916. It was during WW I. I never knew anything about the family he left behind and he never saw them again.

[@ViktorijaIllustration]

It's not the first episode when you are mislabeling contemporary territories of Belarus, Ukraine etc as Russia. His ancestors are not Russian Jews but Ukranian Jews, Berdichev is on the territory of Ukraine even if it was under Russian empire. In fact Russia didn't exist then, sometimes you correctly note it's Russian Empire but not clarify that in fact it's territories of Ukraine, Belarus, latvia, estonia, Lithuania, Georgia etc under russian empire. It's incredibly important, especially during the current climate of yet another russia's war of conquest to see and call out the imperial narratives which go far beyond the military, but also in the appropriation of people, places and cultures. When you are saying over a million of russian jews were forced to leave, it is not correct, they were not russian jews, some of them were. They lived under russian empire but they were polish jews, ukranian jews, belarusian jews, latvian jews, lithuan jews etc etc They often spoke local language (in Belarus they wrote belarusian with hebrew lettering and there were signs in hebrew in Mensk up to 1920) and have been living in these territories for centuries before the russian empire came to occupy these lands. Please pay attention to the names of the places, hire an expert in eastern Europe (an actual expert on the region with knowledge and understanding of local history and politics and not someone who labels everything as russian) it's been terribly inaccurate in many of your episodes.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, Viktorija. Thanks for your comment. We're happy to forward your feedback to the appropriate department.

[@santiagoTo]

Well, all the documents from that time have Russia in them. Now it is all politicized but it is incorrect to call someone Ukrainian or Belorussian if he was actually a citizen of Russian Empire. If you had spent some time doing genealogy research on that region you would quickly realized that.... On the other hand you would see Palestine instead of Ottoman empire. Go figure! It would be great if these things were static and never changed borders but alas that is genealogy research.

[@ViktorijaIllustration]

​@@santiagoTo What is with russian bots always opting out for latin sounding names? Everything is always political, then and now. So... Incorrect, in the documents, it would say Russian Empire. Russia didn't exist until 1991. Absolutely wrong, you would call someone Belarusian, Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Georgian, Armenian, Buryat, or Chuvash even if they were the subject of an empire. These Jewish people lived in their communities, often for centuries before the russian empire occupied them. What suddenly made them russian when we talk about them now? They were expelled from that empire based on them being Jewish, why now they would carry the name of that empire into the world as their own? You wouldn't say about someone who was born in america while it was a subject of British empire English, would you? How far back would you go wishing the borders didn't move to make your imaginary genealogy research easy? Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth? To Kyivan Rus? Ottoman Empire? British Empire? Roman Empire?

[@Nosferatu729]

It was Russian empire back then. For example my great grandparents were born in Azerbaijan but since it was under Russian empire it states they were born in Russia.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, Viktorija. Thanks for your comment. We're always happy to hear feedback from our members. If you'd like to submit additional feedback, please do so by using the link we're providing. support.ancestry.com/s/article/Providing-Feedback-About-Ancestry?language=en_US

[@ajaddams7277]

What happened to mom and the other kids? Only dad and one kid make it to the US.

[@foryoumysofteyes]

I wonder what happened to the rest of their family. I can only imagine how each one may have been feeling. We all have a story! Grateful for all the sharing.

[@Liztastaney7]

Wow. I've always felt our ancestors must have endured incredible acts of cruelty and barbarism just for us to be here. Most of us don't even know our great grand pas but the fact that we are here means they are living through us and so are winning. I recently went home to visit an ancient palace in my region and found out my family was linked to the female harem that were completely massacred overnight (300 powerful women) by the reigning monarch to accommodate his new harem. Such stories don't make it online or Wikipedia but it will live forever in our community bcuz such cruelty, suffering can really never be forgotten.

[@DoeADeer88]

Do you mind sharing a bit more information? I've never heard of this before.

[@anthonydavid5121]

Like the millions of us the world over, the story of David's family, while interesting and tragic, symbolizes and reflects the experiences all our Jewish ancestors had as they moved from here to there, hopeless and under constant duress. I am so thankful that today, we have the wonderful, modern and democratic State of Israel. Now, we are in our own home and in our own rightful land. Am Israel Chai.

[@patrickwalsh4615]

Very powerful & touching. 2 great guys.

[@scosta87]

I always loved this actor I used to have a crush on him when he was younger so handsome

[@jeannemarie3704]

I think he is still handsome! But yes... ❤ those early xfiles days 1993 ish!

[@CrystalTwinStar]

He's so sensitive like me. He can probably feel some of what they were feeling through his DNA. I heard he had a personal passion for The X-Files beyond just acting in the show and now I believe it

[@AncestryUS]

It was so moving watching David read the petition for naturalization. David's family has come such a long way.

[@CrystalTwinStar]

@@AncestryUS Thank you for responding to my comment! 😊💝🙏🍃

[@NovaTheSinger]

Same! 🥺

[@madgavin7568]

David Duchovny himself wrote and directed a few episodes of the show, that's passion.

[@kevinwhelan9607]

What a moving story, truly epic.

[@AncestryUS]

We couldn't agree more, Kevin! Thanks for the kind words and for stopping by, we hope you enjoyed this video!

[@Magyarleanzo]

It’s nice to experience the history of people we look up to and admire. What a story!!

[@AncestryUS]

Watching David become emotional while learning so much about his family’s history was incredibly powerful.

[@laguanlee]

Very moving. We are all humankind.

[@AncestryUS]

We hope you enjoyed it, LaDonna! Are you interested in learning more about your family tree? The article below will address what you can expect from Ancestry. Please let us know if you have any questions and we'd be happy to help! support.ancestry.com/s/article/Why-Use-Ancestry

[@CradleEpiscopalian56]

The level of anxiety when you know there's only one clip to watch for each episode.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks so much for dropping by. Please be advised that you can catch the episodes on PBS. See their website for more information: www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/. 🙂

[@nakitabutcher6691]

If I didn't already love David Duchovny, I definitely do now!

[@AncestryUS]

Agreed! We're so glad you enjoyed this episode.

[@AncestryUS]

That's great, Nakita!

[@sandybruce9092]

Once again for David - very strong people! I can’t even imagine e being forced to move to another country plus having everything they own stolen.

[@girlanonymous]

Hate did that. Racism do that. We must continue to fight fascism and racism in America before we go thru these horrible things. People of all faiths, colors, cultures should be able to live in freedom and peace.

[@AncestryUS]

Seeing David have to learn of all these hardships and process everything that his family went through was such a poignant moment.

[@yencymartinez4138]

Lovely watching this. True emotions. Thanks for watching

[@AncestryUS]

We're pleased you enjoyed this short excerpt from another interesting episode, Yency. Dr Gates jr is always at hand to deliver fascinating insights into both the personal history and wider context of the times. We hope it inspires you to learn more about your own family history should this be an ambition you hold. Please call by to see us again as we're always posting new stories and love to hear from our all those with a passion for genealogy. 🌳

[@hoffmanfamily2452]

For a while, ancestry was important but now it seems too many are happy to forget history.

[@vadymdiachenko3655]

the city of Berdychiv is not in Russia, but Ukraine.

[@liatmarmur4368]

My dad's father was a soldier in the Russian Army during world war 2 and one officer warned him of what was coming. They packed up that night and left Poland. Had nobody warned my grandfather, I would not be here.

[@mattmurphy24]

Enjoyed hearing about David's family history. It made me think of the saying "beyond the pale". I looked up the origin to see if it was from Russia. Turns out it was from the English conquest of Ireland. The pale was the area in Ireland were the English settlers had the protection of the king. Beyond the pale were the Irish.

[@irenekotarac1346]

I love you David, you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your ancestors & a they went through. Amazing story, God bless.🙏

[@barbeonline351]

Anyone see the full episode to see if the research addressed why it was like 6 family members who traveled to Palestine, but only the 2 who traveled to the US?

[@stratford867]

Can you please do an episode on someone from southern Louisiana? The last names and migration and genetic mixture is so diverse. It will be amazing to see.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We'll make sure to pass this along to our team!

[@dlbstl]

Just wondering, how does the name Duchovny become Douharmi, and then back to Duchovny? How do you even find that thread to connect all those dots with the names being so different?

[@KristinaUSA-x5n]

Czechoslovakian

[@dameofthedammits.6025]

Oh my God, what happened to the rest of Moshe's family? Brothers & Sisters? Mother?

[@shadow_hillsgrandma8224]

Glad to see diversity in your guests.

[@magdapinto4164]

So sad for David. What a soul he has. He carries all this in his DNA and doesn't even know.

[@girlanonymous]

This is what my people (Black people) think regarding our history: we still bear the scars of slavery ….in a way.

[@Србомбоница86]

​@@girlanonymoussame with my Serbs ,we suffered extremely,I feel in my veins their struggle

[@AJD1969]

Thank you for sharing your past!

[@JerzyFeliksKlein]

The weird thing is that "Duchovny" is actually a Polish name "Duchowny" which means a clergyman. What is odd is that Polish Jews rarely had Polish surnames or first names and especially it would be odd for a Jewish clergyman like a Rabbi to have a Polish "clergyman" as a surname.

[@AlexAminoff]

Duchovny literally means spiritual one in Russian

[@JerzyFeliksKlein]

@@AlexAminoff Yes, I think it has this meaning in both our languages. On one hand it means "spiritual" but on the other it became a name for the clergymen.

[@dov111]

Would be great to see “Hilaria” Baldwin on here just to clear things up once and for all 😂

[@MossyMozart]

I don't see how I could have endured what my ancestors did.

[@AGrace-ff3cu]

My mother lineage lived with the Chickasaw Native American tribe in Oklahoma until Oklahoma became a state in 1907. We like so many others believed we were part Native American I took a DNA test and had less than 1% Native American totally surprised. My mother don’t like to talk about it but I would like to know more I saw a relative’s picture in the book black slaves Indian masters when they went to Tishomingo Oklahoma to petition for land but again I would still like to know more

[@CradleEpiscopalian56]

Same with my family, we have an original pic of a grandma who was a Native American Indian but I have 0% of Indian dna. Turns out I'm 38% Irish. There is nothing else to know.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi there and thank you both for sharing your experiences with us. We're sorry for any disappointment caused by the fact you either did not show any Native American DNA or showed far less than you expected in your ethnicity estimate. It's important to bear in mind that even with a perfect knowledge of the history of your ancestors, DNA can still show some unexpected results. We each inherit 50% of our DNA from both our mother and father but exactly what 50% we inherit is random. We do not get an equal 50/50 split of all of our parents’ DNA. This is known as genetic recombination. It is therefore entirely possible to have a Native American ancestor in your family while your results say you have 0% Native American DNA. Bear in mind that the more DNA is passed down from generation to generation to greater chance it has of not being inherited by the next. We'd like to assure you that given the random nature of DNA inheritance, not showing Native American DNA in your estimate does not discount your heritage or your documentation, it simply means it didn't show up genetically. The first article we've linked below which discusses inheritance and how it works. The second article should give you a greater insight into Native DNA. We hope these help! Understanding Inheritance: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Understanding-Inheritance Native American DNA: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Native-American-DNA

[@ellebelle4094]

@@CradleEpiscopalian56 A BIG reason there is a dearth of Native American DNA collected is because so many Indians opposed getting it done. Even if an Indian does want to do it, he will be excoriated so doesn't do it. This is not really because the Indians are distrustful, etc. It's because they have something to hide. They do not want a chance that DNA will reveal that they are not so special. They are modern Indians, but before they were here there existed other races, at least two. Read a book called No Bone Unturned. In my early DNA, Native and East Asian showed up. "East Asian" was once the only DNA used to determine Native American. Then that DNA of mine disappeared. Still showing in a few cousins, and we know absolutely we have a Native(s) ancestry. I do have people pick me out as a bit Native quite often, and I have some skeletal features that are strictly Native per doctor and dentists. Also, by the time DNA entered science, Natives were quite mixed so the randomness of DNA distribution can appear there is no Native when there is. It is all fun, though. Now Ancestry can sort your DNA between mother and father contribution. It gave us some surprises in our family.

[@ellebelle4094]

@@AncestryUS Add'l note, the tribes themselves are very intermingled. This goes way back and is noted in biographies like that of Crazy Horse and Quannah Parker on his father's side. His mother was a kidnapped white woman.

[@ellebelle4094]

Right now, there are 574 recognized tribes and 300 groups. Notice that pretty much ALL Natives who get featured for any reason will have more than one tribe affiliation. Sometimes tribes were desimated by other tribes, and recombined with remnants of other tribes to form a new tribe. There was a lot of intermarriage, too. So, no "pure" tribes.

[@marieschryver7096]

I wish I could find out about my maternal grandmother. She's a complete mystery. I know her name and what her parents' names were supposed to be but there's no evidence of them existing. 😢

[@carsonwieker]

Incredible, thank you

[@AncestryUS]

You're welcome! So happy to hear that you enjoyed this episode.

[@australianmade2659]

Many people settled the globe due to oppression elsewhere. My family came to Australia for a hope. The country delivered 🇦🇺

[@georgezuniga6298]

All that has happened to everyone has brought all us here today. What a great crazy journey our race has walked.

[@jennysmith38]

So his great-grandfather and grandfather moved to the US, what about his great-grandmother and the rest of the children?

[@bdarci]

My thoughts exactly.

[@kimmycupreacts]

A lot of times the men would go first, to secure jobs and housing, then send for the rest of their family. Hopefully that's what happened!

[@gadaboutunited]

My family left Safed (modern day northern Israel) around the turn of the 20th century, and emigrated to Manchester. It was not just the barbarism of the Ottoman Turks but also the poverty, illiteracy and hard life it was back then, meant that they and the Amdurer clan made that desperate move to England, Great Britain - a nation, a haven that I, and those who have ancestors like me should, be grateful to.

[@shrineheart87]

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE

[@starrycrown]

I LOVE this comment! ❤❤❤

[@EMVelez]

I want to believe.

[@hazeleyees]

So say we all 👍

[@Stretch-bh8pd]

I can trace from myself back to my 5th great grandfather arriving in the U.S. in Philadelphia September 19, 1738 on a ship named “The Thistle” coming from Rotterdam and then Plymouth, England. 2 men named, of which one was supposedly his father and the othe an uncle, took the Oath. But I believe both men were actually uncles. Stories say they were from Cologne, Germany. I have found baptism records from the area which if correct, shows different parents for my 5th great grandfather. I may never know beyond these records the rest of my history.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, we know how frustrating it can be to come up against a brick wall when doing research. We have an article on our support site with some research tips that may be of some help, support.ancestry.com/s/article/Overcoming-Roadblocks-in-Your-Research?language=en_US

[@Stretch-bh8pd]

@@AncestryUS that did nothing to help

[@gandolfthorstefn1780]

Duchovny is awesome👍

[@kasiajones]

I wonder if David knows that his surname Duchovny means spiritual in Polish.

[@juliame8026]

Also in Russian and Ukranian

[@mirjanapucarevic2105]

Also in Serbian language

[@juliame8026]

@@mirjanapucarevic2105 really? That's so interesting!!

[@shashijain5084]

Wow . It took a bit to recognize DD !!!!

[@vb9043]

He looks just like his grandfather

[@AncestryUS]

He bears such a striking resemblance to his grandfather.

[@tamarapulley6291]

I really had to pause this and give myself a second to process just how much he looks like his grandfather

[@jerrykeenan1848]

Thanks

[@kimmypresley6621]

I love David ❤

[@kcuzz4091]

Duchovny’s family story sounds like a movie script.

[@iwanttobelieve5970]

Amazing story.

[@Asa...S]

What was the original family name? What does it say... Douharmi? 0:49 Perhaps it sounded to much like "Do harm" so they changed it when arriving in the US?

[@h.b.lawrence4551]

Curious why they left the other family members behind....

[@alizahalon]

Very often, and I know this from both sides of my family, the father would come alone or with an older child and work here until enough money was earned to pay for the rest of the family's expenses to get here. If this is what eventually happened in David 's family, they don't tell us here. I wonder if they do on the actual show on PBS.

[@h.b.lawrence4551]

@@alizahalon Makes sense. Thanks!

[@CharlotteWebb1952]

So much world history to know!

[@AncestryUS]

There certainly is! We hope you enjoyed this episode! Are you interested in learning more about your family tree? The article below will address what you can expect from Ancestry. Please let us know if you have any questions and we'd be happy to help! support.ancestry.com/s/article/Why-Use-Ancestry

[@adamodeo9320]

yafo comes from the Hebrew yafa - beautiful place