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

Actor David Duchovny has longed to find a connection to his paternal grandfather for decades. Now, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. brings him closure by sharing the heart-breaking, but powerful story of Moshe Duchovny.
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00:00 Introduction
0:23 David Duchovny seeks answers about his grandfather
0:49 David Duchovny gets emotional reading his grandfather’s petition for citizenship
2:00 David Duchovny traces his roots to Russia
4:24 David Duchovny learns about his Jewish ancestors’ hardship
6:24 David Duchovny’s emotional reaction

[@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

[@Nannie4334]

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! 💚

[@JC-du6sn]

Look up Within Heaven's Gates by Rebecca Springer. Page 64 😇

[@AntiTroll1993Bby]

Mr. XIII himself 😊

[@carolynm8421]

Who I believe I heard him say was Scottish.

[@waketp420]

David is one of those actors that you just cannot hate. He carries himself humble.

[@AncestryUS]

We hope you enjoyed this episode, Glorp! Thanks for sharing with us!

[@gandolfthorstefn1780]

Who do you hate?

[@waketp420]

@@gandolfthorstefn1780 Pedophiles

[@monaliza3334]

Most Russians and RussianJews are humbled people become of our DNA...

[@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. ❤

[@user-rv3fp7hh6m]

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

[@lmc2375]

@@user-rv3fp7hh6m Why would you say that? Who can help where they were born into?

[@gamzillio]

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

[@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?

[@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.

[@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

[@hdragongirl7628]

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

[@SRBOMBONICA86]

Yes ,same in Serbian

[@Alexandra_Indina]

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

[@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). :)

[@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.

[@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.

[@AndySaenz]

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

[@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.

[@Sevaanmeneemuteimeeonneks]

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

[@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. 😊

[@sshaw4429]

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

[@AncestryUS]

Hi S Shaw, thank you for watching!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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?

[@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?

[@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.

[@maritesshoy317]

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

[@clairebear1808]

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.

[@brent4209]

Love the series! Keep them coming!❤

[@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 .

[@nikiedmonds6236]

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

[@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.

[@patrickwalsh4615]

Very powerful & touching. 2 great guys.

[@AJD1969]

Thank you for sharing your past!

[@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.

[@mariadesaferreira1690]

Amazing and touching!!!🙏🏻❤✨

[@AncestryUS]

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

[@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.

[@angelirohival6270]

Wow! He was so touched!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@JuliaWalter]

Berdychiv is Ukraine now, Zhytomyr Oblast.

[@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.

[@carsonwieker]

Incredible, thank you

[@AncestryUS]

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

[@irenekotarac1346]

So heartbreaking but what truly brave people. God bless.

[@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. 🌳

[@shadow_hillsgrandma8224]

Glad to see diversity in your guests.

[@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.

[@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.

[@SRBOMBONICA86]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@vadymdiachenko3655]

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

[@iwanttobelieve5970]

Amazing story.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Tawadeb]

Very moving. Is there a part 2?

[@AncestryUS]

This was such a powerful episode.

[@katiesiouxlamoureaux7757]

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

[@brendasmart553]

This is one of, if not thee most powerful discovery of ancestry I’ve heard.

[@AncestryUS]

We're glad you enjoyed the show and found the discovery very impactful, Brenda! PBS will show reruns from past seasons nearly every week. Be sure to tune in Tuesday evenings for more. Have a great evening!

[@brendasmart553]

You are welcome!@@AncestryUS

[@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!

[@shashijain5084]

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

[@georgezuniga6298]

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

[@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/. 🙂

[@BlankCanvas88]

He’s so adorable in “Return to Me.” One of my favorite rom-coms!!

[@jerrykeenan1848]

Thanks

[@tamarapulley6291]

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

[@taylorsmall2280]

thoughtful story of humility ❤🗽

[@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 :)

[@parkerposey8155]

I love this guy!! I remember seeing him for the first time. An HBO series??? Red Shoe Diaries.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for watching, Parker! Some of us here at Ancestry are also big fans of David.

[@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

[@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!

[@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.🙏

[@marzymarrz5172]

Sometimes I think the universe rewards us for just being brave enough to look for something better or at least something not as awful as what you left.

[@gandolfthorstefn1780]

Duchovny is awesome👍

[@Linda-hs1lk]

Can I watch the full episode somewhere? I always thought his family history but be very interesting (and shocking). I just found this, but it's only a part. I'd love to see all of it.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Linda and thank you for reaching out to us. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the clip and are interested in seeing the first episode. We'd recommend checking out the PBS website for more information. Episode availability can depend on location so you'll be able to find out more information there: www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/.

[@dameofthedammits.6025]

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

[@alenakrapivka6424]

Berdichev is located in modern Ukraine. not in rusia

[@Nosferatu729]

It was Russian empire and their birth certificates stated so. Same goes to my great great grandparents who were born in Azerbaijan but it was under Russian empire hence their birth certificates stated Russian empire. Do we have Russian ancestry? No. We are Mizrahi Jews who spoke Persian and Turkish at home.

[@junesmith790]

Looks like his grandfather 💕

[@yogaforsuccess]

INSPIRATIONAL

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Sathu, thanks for watching. We are glad to see that you enjoyed the video.

[@kimmypresley6621]

I love David ❤

[@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❤

[@ajaddams7277]

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

[@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.

[@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. 😢

[@hoffmanfamily2452]

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

[@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?

[@midnightchannel7759]

(Wow, check out the beautiful handwriting on that Ellis Island ledger!)

[@dov111]

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

[@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!

[@MossyMozart]

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

[@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.

[@ArtFreeman]

I love David's character on the X-Files

[@cdeanneeckles]

I love watching

[@AncestryUS]

We're so glad, Cindy! Have you done any research into your own family tree?

[@marykopydlowski4654]

I really liked ancestors

[@auggied6760]

It's really almost inconceivable in today's world to realize what our grandparents went through to come to America. Few people want to hear the plight of millions of Jews because Jews have been so reviled and mischaracterized throughout history. Living in the Pale of Settlement -- Russia, Poland, Belarus, etc. -- Jewish towns were raided frequently, often by Cossacks. Women were raped, villages burned, people murdered, possessions stolen. It was a miserable, cold, barren existence to be sure. And yet it's amazing that they traveled across the world at the first opportunity, with no money and nothing but hope in their hearts. If you have not read it, read Emma Lazarus's poem that is engraved at the Statue of Liberty, because it is heartwarming and represents America's open arms to greet the world's refugees who wanted nothing more than to work hard, feed their families, feel safe, and contribute to the nation's glory. The United States' greatness was built on the backs of immigrants - Jews, Hispanics, Black people, Irish, and so on.

[@user_mll374]

This is beautiful 💙

[@6xxxMickeyxxx6]

David, I want to believe. Believe in everything you and your family have been through

[@laurenalacroix5114]

here we go!* i want this! geneology!* for good!

[@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.

[@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 😉