The singer was the debut guest on the 10th season of the show “Finding Your Roots”, where she discovered more about her Jewish origins that her family never revealed: “I think there was terror in her bones”
Alanis Morissette discovered more about his Jewish origins on the program Finding Your Rootsfrom the American channel PBS. In the show, which is dedicated to exploring the genealogy of personalities, the 49-year-old singer revealed that she had little contact with her family’s history, and that she only discovered that she was Jewish after she was 20 years old.
In the program, presented by Henry Louis Gates Jr.Alanis discovered that her maternal grandfather escaped the Holocaust in Hungary, and that she spent years trying to find the two brothers, whose fates were never revealed (via Yahoo! News). According to the artist, her parents always protected her and her siblings from possible generational trauma:
“I think there was terror in their bones and they ended up protecting us by not wanting to [que sofrêssemos] anti-Semitism,” he said. “So they did it to protect us by keeping us in the dark.”
In the program, which aired this Tuesday (2), Alanis had contact with research conducted by the production team with Yad Vashem, the World Center for Holocaust Remembrance, which revealed that his great-uncles Gyorgy and Sandor Feuerstein, who were allegedly sent to “labor camps” in Russia to serve in the armed struggle, died in concentration camps in Russia. Her grandfather, Imre Feuerstein, reportedly remained in Hungary, where the singer’s mother, Georgia, was born, before the family moved to Canada.
According to presenter Gates Jr., Alanis’ grandfather never stopped looking for her brothers, even filing search requests with the Red Cross in 1949, four years after the end of World War II. “Not knowing where your brothers are, whether they are alive or dead… God, no!”, reflected the singer.
During her participation, Alanis also revealed that she was proud to be Jewish, that she didn’t care about how “super Jewish” she is, and that she has always had a “crush” in the Jewish community. “I feel welcomed,” she revealed. “Now I know why. It’s like coming home.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
