Mandy Patinkin Learns He Had Family in the Holocaust

In this clip, Mandy Patinkin is moved to discover he had family members in the Holocaust.

#FindingYourRoots airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on PBS. In the April 27th episode, Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores Audra McDonald and Mandy Patinkin’s family lineages.

[HigherGround]

Anyone else also teared up with Mandy? 😢

[j.k.s.]

As a child, no one in my family ever talked about this. As an adult, I found out that my maternal grandmother's family and my paternal grandfather's family had all been killed in the Holocaust. I can definitely understand how difficult this is for Mandy (and others) to process.

[Aldo_raines]

Mandy is one of the most eloquent and wise folks around.

[JacqueBowlingMedium]

Mandy Patinkin is the most tender hearter human. That's what makes him such a great actor. He was probably shook for weeke after.

[annemacleod]

I’ve watched Mandy, his wife and son on his channel ... he can laugh but to see him weep like this breaks my heart. He feels so deeply ... that is why I admire him so much as an actor.
Bless you Mr Patinkin.
May your heart be lifted out of this deep deep hole of inhumanity towards your forbears.
🙏🏼🙏🏼🇳🇿🇳🇿🐑🐑

[JustMeAgainMargaret]

I got on an elevator at our local hospital and on the way up I looked over at the short silver haired woman next to me who was gesturing with her hands. Something caught my eye. It was numbers tattooed on her arm. Her accent gave her away as did her features. I realized I was standing next to a Holocaust survivor. In that one moment the trajectory of my life was turned on end. Even now, just thinking about that moment, I begin to cry. By the way, over the years I learned who she was and indeed, my assumption was correct.

[joankelly]

I will never be able to understand how a person's mind could conceive such evil, and put it into practice.

[dr.purrscent]

Bless his soul. All of his ancestors have been lifting him up so he could help the world remember...and so he could be free. Bless all of their souls.

[Stephm]

I love Mandy! Such a sweet and eloquent man. I felt his pain and cried with him.

[Arwen]

Merciful heaven, this is One of the most moving moments I have ever witnessed. A potent reminder that we must actively and vehemently care for one another and oppose any sort of cruelty or discrimination.

[callicoat]

Oh Mandy, your pain and sorrow is excruciating. I understand not being able to imagine this horror. Your reaction is how every living soul should react, now and then and forever.

[mellisapollom]

This made me tear up when I watched it Tuesday night. He and Scarlett Johannsen's reactions were heart wrenching

[shirleyrhodes]

Ripped my heart out! Buckets of tears! I am so sorry, Mandy.

[magooda]

I was starting to weep in anticipation, poor Mandy. Poor World that events like the Holocaust and ethnic cleansing occurred and still occur.

[samaritaDeath]

The saddest thing is that we did not learn. It still happens, in a smaller scale in other countries, for religious, political, tribal, sexual orientations, reasons.

[MsMadmax]

When Mr. Patinkin broke down in tears, you could feel his sorrow. How heartbreaking for him to find out that a large number of his family members perished in the Holocaust. I never knew I had a Jewish ancestor until I had a DNA test done by Ancestry. I discovered her through my maternal side of the family, and I had no idea she had married a man and came to America with him, leaving her family behind in Poland. I'm sure with further genealogical study, I would discover that her family had not been so lucky. It frightens me that I see the beginnings of this nightmare again here in America. One ideology taking over the media, controlling speech, banning books and destroying the livelihood of anyone that doesn't conform. Mr. Patinkin asked, "How did this happen?" Exactly the same way it's beginning to happen here in America. One political party controls the mainstream media, people are being fired from jobs because they refuse to conform, people's voices are being extinguished from social media. Certain people in this country are being persecuted for what they believe--some are beaten in the streets for it. This isn't the America that my ancestor found refuge in anymore. I am amazed that others, people of Jewish decent don't see it. Did we learn nothing from Hitler's Germany? Young people are turning on their parents in the exact same way that Hitler's youth turned their own parents in if they didn't fall in line. I am amazed each and every day that others don't see it.

[stereotypea]

Ahhh how can I jump through the screen and hug him!? 😣

[siiiiiuu]

One of my first memories of Mandy Patinkin is an interview where he spoke of the injustices committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. I remember being surprised because it's not common for Hollywood figures, particularly Jewish ones, to speak up about the matter since it's so taboo. It's both heartbreaking and heartwarming to discover his roots and how it ties into his humanitarian beliefs. I like to think his family is looking down on him with immense pride.

[Masqueraid]

I love Mandy and his acting and singing abilities. My favorite show he was in was Criminal Minds. I watched the full episode of this show. I cried so much for him when he found out about his family.

[vaar]

I cried with him...so sorry for him and especially the poor souls who were murdered.