Mia Kirshner
Kirshner in 2009, photo by s_bukley/Bigstock.com
Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date of Birth: January 25, 1975
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, Sephardi Jewish
Mia Kirshner is a Canadian actress, writer, and activist. She is known for her roles in the films Exotica and Not Another Teen Movie, and on the series The L Word and Star Trek: Discovery.
Mia’s father, Sheldon Kirshner, is a journalist for the Canadian Jewish News. Sheldon was born in a displaced persons camp in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, the son of Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust. Mia’s mother, Etti, is a Bulgarian Jew. Bulgarian Jews are considered Sephardi. Her parents met in Israel.
Mia’s paternal grandfather was named David Kirzner/Kirshner. David was born in Łódź, Łódź Voivodeship, Poland. He fought with the Polish Army when Germany invaded the country in 1939. He spent most of the war in the Łódź Ghetto.
Mia’s paternal grandmother was named Genya/Jean. She lost her first son in Auschwitz.
Mia’s maternal grandmother was named Reni Lazarov.
Sources: Genealogy of Mia Kirshner (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Obituary of Mia’s paternal grandmother, Genya/Jean Kirshner – https://steelesmemorialchapel.com
I watched the movie Love, Lights, Hanukkah. Her character Christina took a DNA test and came up 50% European Jewish, 50% Italy/Greece.
Because Ashkenazi have southern Europe roots
Correction: ‘Polish’ Jewish and ‘Bulgarian’ Jewish are not real ethnicities. She’s half Ashkenazi Jewish half Sephardi Jewish.
This is correct. Update her ethnicity to that, or at least add those tags.
Bulgarian Jews are Sephardic, whereas Polish Jews are Ashkenazi.
jews should change their german surnames.
Many of them have already changed their surnames to Hebrew (Hebraization) in Israel.
Either way, the ”German surnames” are also perceived as Yiddish.
WHAT?
40????
omg……. never thought that age…
In this interview she mentions that her Grandparents were originally from Poland. I’m guessing it is from her father’s side. Kirshner is a common name used by Polish Jews (I think it was back to the time when Poland was part of Germany).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dKDdKUTroc&feature=related
Great interview AJS!
Many Eastern European Jewish names are of German origin (as is Yiddish to a very high degree). The reason is that the Jewish migration to Eastern Europe from the 10th century on started (at least partially) in Germany which then was a center of Ashkenazi culture (in the medieval Ashkenaz was identified with the south-western German regions of Rhineland and the Palatinate).
“Kirsh”/”Kirsch” (German for cherry) is a common Jewish (but not only Jewish) name throughout Europe and North America; Kirshner however may derive from the profession of a peltmonger/furrier (I don’t know the correct word, these are two translations from the German “Kürschner” at dict.cc). In this case the name is originated in Poland (because in Germany the guilds would never have allowed a Jew to take this profession, but in Poland they could). but derived from the Middle High German language O_o (respectively Yiddish …)