Gil Kenan

WESTWOOD – JULY 17: Kenan at the premiere of “Monster House” at Mann Village Theatre July 17, 2006 in Westwood, CA. s_bukley/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Gil Counio

Place of Birth: Lewisham, London, England, U.K.

Date of Birth: 16 October, 1976

Ethnicity: Sephardi Jewish, Ashkenazi Jewish

Gil Kenan is an Israeli-American filmmaker. He has directed the films Monster House, City of Ember, Poltergeist (2015), A Boy Called Christmas, and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire; and an episode of the show Scream. He also co-wrote his third and fourth films, as well as Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Gil was born in London, England. His father, Oded Counio/Kenan, worked in commodities. His mother, Orna Kenan, is a scholar and author, who specializes in Jewish studies. His father has Greek Jewish/Sephardi Jewish ancestry. His mother was born in Ramat Gan, Israel, and is Ashkenazi. Gil was raised in Tel Aviv, during his early years, before his family settled in Reseda, Los Angeles, California, U.S., when he was eight. Gil’s stepfather is Czech Jewish historian and professor Saul Friedländer.

He is married to art director Eliza Chaikin.

Gil’s maternal grandfather was Moshe Lud Meron/Max Ludwig Segall (the son of Victor Emanuel Karminski and Hanna Johanna Königsberger/Koenigsberger). Moshe was born in Königsberg, Germany, now Kaliningrad, Russia; and took the surname of his stepfather, Gustav Segall. Victor was born in Fæstningen Poznań, Województwo wielkopolskie, Poland, the son of Adolphe Karminski, who was from Plungė, Lithuania; and of Franzisca Kempner, who was from Skuodas, Lithuania. Gil’s great-grandmother Hanna was born in Königsberg, the daughter of Moses Jacob Königsberger/Koenigsberger, who was from Katowice, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland; and of Maria/Marie Simon, who was from Königsberg.

Gil’s maternal grandmother was named Ahuva Wandrow/Vandrov (the daughter of Ben-Zion Vandrov). Ahuva was born in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Sources: Genealogy of Gil Kenan (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://www.gmeron.com

Genealogy of Gil’s mother – https://www.geni.com