Stories in Our Roots
By seeking the stories of our ancestors, we find our own. Through the lens of genealogy, host Heather Murphy invites you to embark on a transformative quest of self-discovery, enabling you to cultivate self-awareness, forge meaningful connections, and embrace a life filled with resilience and joyful authenticity. Be inspired to take your own journey into the branches of your family tree, illuminating the stories of your ancestors and empowering you to discover your true self. Through research, personal anecdotes, and expert insights, we explore how knowing the stories in our roots can reshape our identities and change how we see the world and our place in it.
Episodes
80 episodes
Exploring Hungarian Roots | Linda Broenniman
Linda Broenniman knew little about her Hungarian heritage until a surprising revelation at the age of 27 changed everything. Discovering her Jewish roots and the heroic actions of her family members during the holocaust became a turning point i...
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Episode 79
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25:52
Connecting to Jewish Identity By Exploring Her Family Tree | Fayge Horesh
As a public historian, Fayge had always been interested in history. It wasn't until she moved to West Philadelphia, close to where her ancestors lived, that she began her search in earnest. Her exploration was also intertwined with her re...
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Episode 78
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20:21
Exploring Multiple Truths Through Family History and Curiosity | Julie Pham
Julie Pham, a Vietnamese boat person, shares her family's journey as refugees fleeing communism and establishing a new life in the United States. Through Julie's experiences and insights as a historian, listeners will explore the power of multi...
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Episode 77
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28:23
Unraveling Their Family's Departure During Iran's Golden Age | Danielle and Galeet Dardashti
Join Danielle and Galeet Dardashti as they share their journey of discovery to learn why their father's family left Iran during the Golden Age for Jews. With limited access to records to answer their questions, the sisters relied on inter...
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Episode 76
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29:00
The Power of Anthropology in Unearthing Family History and Culture | Elizabeth Keating
In retrospect, Elizabeth Keating wishes she would have used her skills as an anthropologist when she interviewed her mother about family history. To help others avoid her mistakes, Elizabeth shares how we can use interviews with living fa...
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Episode 75
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29:38
Vivien Sieber - How War Changed the Trajectory of Her Grandmother's Life
Our conversation delves into the remarkable life of Vivien Sieber's Czech-born grandmother, who faced adversity and triumphs during World War II. From owning a cinema in Vienna to finding refuge in England and caring for girls who fled their fa...
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Episode 74
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28:24
How to Face Your Ancestors' Choices Even When It's Hard
All of your ancestors were perfect, right? Unfortunately, everyone has ancestors who disappoint us with their choices.In this episode, I talk about four ways we respond when we discover an ancestor made choices that hurt others....
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Episode 72
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24:26
Genetic Genealogy Leads to Discoveries and Connections | Stephanie Renée
In Stephanie Renée's story, there's an exploration of identity and belonging that resonates deeply. She began her journey seeking to fill in the gaps left by the early loss of her mother. Her path took an unexpected turn when she discovered her...
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Episode 73
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30:58
Using Genealogy to Tell the Truth About the People Her Ancestors Enslaved | Annie Hartnett
Annie Hartnett recently started exploring her family's connections to slave ownership, which took her on a transformative path of discovery. By doing so, Annie gained a deeper understanding of her roots, and as a result, developed an increasing...
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Episode 71
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29:28
Exploring Family Tragedies with Compassion and Understanding with Jacqueline Jannotta
Jacqueline Jannotta's genealogy research uncovers a family history of mob ties and tragedy, revealing the ripple effects of trauma and the importance of understanding our shared humanity.Through her genealogical research, Jacqueline gai...
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Episode 70
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27:00
The Power of Sibling Influence: Extraordinary Acts of a Family Hero
Amidst the shocking history of his family's escape from Austria during the Nazi invasion, Christopher Bock discovers the remarkable life of his great-uncle Paul Patek, a metal worker and artist who played a key role in their survival, inspiring...
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Episode 69
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23:57
Shannon Peel - Hero vs Victim Language in Storytelling
Shannon Peel is an expert at stories, and while her usual audience is made up of business owners looking to improve their marketing, her discussion of hero vs victim language in storytelling is so valuable to those learning about the stories in...
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Episode 68
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27:51
How a Disastrous Therapy Session Transformed My Use of Family History
In this episode, Heather shares how she took elements from therapy, even after having a very negative experience, and used them to transform the ways in which she approaches family history. She explains the connection between the 8 C's ...
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Episode 67
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23:25
David Alston | Discovering Purpose Through Your Ancestors
Oftentimes when people research in their family history they're looking for inspiration. They're looking for ancestors who did hard things, who were successful, and who can inspire them in their own struggles and what they want to achieve in li...
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Episode 66
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25:11
Heather Smith | Family Conversations Using AI Technology
What if your grandchildren could have a video chat with your grandmother, even if they didn't live at the same time?That is the vision behind StoryFile, a way to preserve and share personal experiences and stories in an interactive plat...
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Episode 65
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30:51
Dave Combs | Music in His Appalachian Roots
Dave Combs shares stories of music and perseverance that carry through his family tree.About Dave:Dave Combs is a songwriter, entrepreneur, successful business executive, and best-selling author. Over the 40+ years he has wri...
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Episode 64
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15:31
Lisann Valentin | Generations Living Vibrantly
Lisann Valentin began her family history journey by exploring why her Puerto Rican great-great-grandmother was called La Irlandésa, or “The Irish One.” Along the way she discovered the things her ancestors were known for “had nothing to d...
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Episode 63
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25:51
Renee Harris | Entrepreneurship Across Generations
Renee Harris is the founder of an online skin care business selling soap and lotion for dry skin. Ironically, it was "soap-selling" that her grandfather used as a cover to hide dozens of Jews throughout World War 2 in his home in Holland. Havin...
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Episode 62
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26:37
Ann Hince | Birth Family Commonalities
Ann Hince shares the stories of how she came to meet her birth mother, learned about her birth father, and made other family connections. We talk about the parts of herself she recognized as she learned about her birth family, that not ev...
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Episode 61
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18:53
Anika Chabra | Embracing Heritage Through Conversations
Anika shares her experiences as a second-generation immigrant and how she realized she didn’t need to choose between the cultures that made her who she is. Through learning the stories of her parents’ and ancestors she gained a deeper und...
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Episode 60
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30:34
Andrea Petrut | Inherited Generational Effects of War and Famine
Two World Wars and famine affected Andrea’s ancestors in Romania, but Andrea herself also experienced the effects from those events. One of the most apparent effects came through beliefs about wealth. One family branch says bu...
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Episode 59
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25:20
Mitch Lomazov | Knowing Family Heritage Provides Clarity and Purpose
Mitch Lomazov is a first-generation American with Russian Jewish roots. He shares how hearing his family stories gave him a different understanding of history than textbooks and how things that seem ordinary in our families in truth make ...
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Episode 58
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25:55
Jill Phillips | Life on Lamlash Street in 1960's Post-War London
Jill Phillips is a family storyteller with a passion to inspire families to connect through the telling of their past. She started life on Lamlash Street in London, emigrated to Canada, where she obtained her master’s degree, and spent 30 years...
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Episode 57
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26:44
Gabrielle Robinson | Api's Berlin Diaries
Born in Berlin, Gabrielle grew up in Germany and Austria. After a PhD from the University of London, she taught Literature and Writing at US universities and abroad. She is the author of seven nonfiction books. Our discussion for this epi...
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Episode 56
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28:55