In 2017, actress Scarlett Johansson experienced one of the most emotional moments of her life when the PBS genealogy program Finding Your Roots, hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., uncovered the tragic fate of her paternal Jewish ancestry during the Holocaust.
While the actress had always acknowledged a vague connection to her family’s Jewish heritage, the details revealed on the show provided a stark, personal link to one of history’s greatest atrocities, bringing the star to tears on camera.
The Tragedy of the Warsaw Ghetto
The documents revealed the devastating contrast between the fate of her great-grandfather, Saul Schlamberg, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1910 and established himself as a grocer in New York, and the family members who remained in Poland.
Specifically, Johansson learned that her great-great uncle, Mosze Szlamberg, a Jewish businessman, along with his two children, Zlata (age 15) and Mandil (age 17), all tragically perished in the Warsaw Ghetto. The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest of the Jewish ghettos established by the Nazi regime in occupied Poland during World War II.
Overcome by the gravity of the information, Johansson struggled to maintain her composure, choking up as she realized the horror her family endured. “You can’t imagine the horror… It’s crazy to think about,” she said. This discovery gave her a profound, visceral understanding of her family’s resilience and sacrifice.
Advocacy and Purpose: The Oxfam Standoff
Instead of succumbing to despair, Johansson used the revelation to forge a deeper connection with her family’s heritage, stating the experience made her feel “more connected to herself and her family.” This strengthened resolve quickly translated into a public stand on complex global issues, shaping her career in a way few Hollywood stars attempt.
The commitment to her Jewish identity was publicly tested years earlier, in a controversy that pitted her humanitarian role against her personal beliefs.
- The Conflict: Johansson had been a Global Ambassador for the international humanitarian organization Oxfam for eight years. However, in 2014, she signed on as the first global ambassador for the Israeli company SodaStream.
- The Data Point: SodaStream maintained a factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, a location criticized by Oxfam and other international human rights groups.
- The Outcome: The conflict in views led to an irreconcilable difference, forcing Johansson to resign from Oxfam. She publicly defended her decision, stating that she and Oxfam had a “fundamental difference of opinion” regarding the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.
Johansson defended her work with the company as an economic effort to “build a bridge to peace between Israel and Palestine,” noting that Arab and Jewish employees at the factory received equal pay and rights. Her public, firm defense of a stance rooted in her desire for regional cooperation, and informed by her family’s history, marked a pivotal moment in her career, demonstrating a willingness to prioritize personal conviction over public image.
By connecting to the pain and resilience of her ancestors, Scarlett Johansson found a deeper sense of purpose that transcended her acclaimed acting roles, anchoring her to a history of enduring survival.