David Baddiel
by Marc Shoffman
Comic David Baddiel has revealed how tracing his family tree helped him gain a valuable insight into his Jewish identity.
Speaking at genealogy extravaganza, Who Do You Think You Are Live in Kensington Olympia in May 2007, the writer and comedian explained how valuable tracing his roots had been.
Appearing in the first series of the BBC show, Baddiel discovered that his Great Uncle may have died in the Warsaw Ghetto and located the remains of his German grandfather’s brick factory which was seized by the Nazis. He also attempted, without success, to contact the ultra-orthodox side of his family in the UK.
Baddiel said: “I don’t really have a religious bone in my body, but culturally I feel very linked to Judaism.
“The experience was really valuable in terms of finding out what has happened to Jews in the last century. My whole story was about what it means to be Jewish and surviving, It was really valuable to me.”
Reflecting on his religious relatives – something of a rabbinical dynasty in Britain – he said: “That side of my family are celebrities in the ultra-orthodox world. To them I am this renegade off the television. I was pleased they didn’t meet me as essentially they are Jewish fundamentalists. I didn’t know how they would treat me”.
The BBC show isn't the only occasion when Baddiel has looked into his past. In 2004 he wrote a novel titled The Secret Purposes, loosely based on his grandfather's experiences as an internee on the Isle of Man during the Second World War after fleeing Nazi Germany.
“When you look back at what happened during the war you end up thankful to Great Britain for what they did,” he mused.
how they would treat me,” he added.
The BBC show isn't the only occasion when Baddiel has looked into his past. In 2004 he wrote a novel titled The Secret Purposes, loosely based on his grandfather's experiences as an internee on the Isle of Man during the Second World War after fleeing Nazi Germany.
“When you look back at what happened during the war you end up thankful to Great Britain for what they did,” he added.
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