Matthew Katz, who grew up contemplating his unreliable and harsh father, eventually took the name of his adoptive father, Richard Katz, when his mother remarried. It came as no surprise that, as an adult, Matt decided to take a DNA test to solidify his understanding of his genetics, believing himself to be fully Ashkenazi Jewish. However, the outcome shocked the New York-born, Philadelphia-based journalist, revealing a half-Irish heritage. This discovery propelled him to conduct a profound exploration of his roots, which he documented, resulting in “Inconceivable Truth.”
Determining who your biological father is used to involve a lot of guesswork. There were clues like resemblances and shared characteristics, but the most significant factor was whether he identified you as his offspring. Yet the advent of DNA testing and ancestry platforms online has shattered familial mythologies, uncovered hidden narratives, and disoriented identity perceptions.
In exploring his own lineage, Katz stumbled upon individuals with their own startling self-realizations. While delving into how two Jewish parents with Eastern European roots could produce a half-Irish child, he unravelled the existence of three half-siblings, as well as a great-great-grandfather hailing from Macroom.
One memorable instance during this eight-part series is a captivating anecdote of Katz and his family exploring the Co Cork locality, fraternizing with local historians, and climbing over fences. Dublin was not excluded from his voyage where he spent a night drinking in a pub and observed the dynamics of a typical Dublin night out, characterised by messy public affection sessions, altercations involving inebriated youth, and distinctly odd street-side encounters. Despite all, Katz found himself enjoying his experience in Ireland.
Katz’s scrupulously researched, straightforward, and touching exploration into his familial past is enthralling: I must admit, I was compelled to hastily send an urgent message after a nail-biting cliffhanger, pleading for advance access to the unshared episodes (a request which Katz graciously fulfilled). Numerous stories revolve around the search for your father, Star Wars as an example, and Katz proves to be an exceptional narrative-weaver. I can’t resist the urge to attribute this skill to our shared heritage. Unraveling the mysteries of a blurred past, Katz reveals some extraordinary events linked to fertility treatments in the 70s.
While grappling with crucial queries concerning lineage and history, the final episode, in my opinion, is the most stirring, when Katz highlights the significant role of his adoptive father, Richard Katz. This is the man who adopted and named him, nurturing him from when he was four years old, a testament to the ultimate form of fatherly love and devotion. Isn’t it plausible that the warmth and stability provided by Richard Katz could also wire into his DNA, just as research in epigenetics suggests that traumas and adversities can be genetically transmitted? Even though Katz might pass his distinctive Irish glance onto his progeny, they might also inherit a hint of the fatherly love that has shaped him: being 50% Irish, 50% Ashkenazi Jewish, and entirely his father’s child.
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