Meeting Michael Douglas
TEL AVIV, June 25, 2015 (AEN) – Former Israeli President Peres, Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Shcharansky and this year’s Genesis Foundation Award winner, renowned American actor, director and producer Michael Douglas, met with a group of young Jewish leaders at the Shimon Peres Peace Center.During the meeting, a poster of his family tree was presented to the U.S. guest by representatives of the Genesis Foundation. A unique study of Douglas ‘s family history and family ties was conducted by the staff of the Israeli institute “Am a-Zikaron”. According to this study, the roots of famous actors Michael Douglas and his father Kirk Douglas go back to the family of Belarusian Jews Danilevicha. Its founder was Daniel ben-Yaakov from Grodno. The family’s patrimonial name later evolved into a hereditary nickname and then into the surname Danilevich. One of the representatives of the family, Iser Danilevich, moved to Chausy. There he opened a large and successful carriage company. Danilevichs were engaged in transportation of people and cargo. In the early twentieth century, most of the family emigrated to the United States. The descendants of these emigrants include the current laureate – Michael Douglas. From the research conducted by the Am a Zikaron Institute, the American guest learned for the first time many details of his family’s history, starting in 1700 – that is, for more than three hundred years.