The Jewish Americans, directed and produced by David Grubin, tells the dramatic history of Jews in America. This riveting documentary focuses on individual personalities and stories that chronicle the 350 year saga about immigrants who gradually wove themselves into the fabric of American life by forging a thoroughly American identity without abandoning the cherished traditions that often set them apart.Originally broadcast on PBS, The Jewish-Americans covers 350 years in the lives of Jews who have struggled to maintain their religious identity and still be fully accepted as Americans. It is a story at once specific and universal, one that can be appreciated by any ethnic or religious minority who tests whether “democracy, like America, can find room for everyone.” Beginning with 23 Jewish exiles seeking safe haven in New Amsterdam in 1654, writer-director David Grubin does an admirable job of charting the often rocky and treacherous course for Jews in this country, and their personal “tug of war between being American and being a Jew.” Do they consider themselves Jewish-Americans, or American Jews? Carl Reiner, Mandy Patinkin, Sid Caesar, Jules Feiffer, playwright Tony Kushner, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are among the more recognizable personalities who offer illuminating commentary and bittersweet reminiscences. But Grubin presents what he calls “an ensemble of voices” rather than “a star-studded parade.” Authors, historians, sociologists, academics, and rabbis share a rich personal and cultural history.
Narrated by Liev Schreiber, The Jewish-Americans is comprised of three two-hour episodes, “They Came to Stay,” “The Best of Times, the Worst of Times,” and “Home.” Each is a richly textured tapestry of talking heads, still photos, archival footage, and audio and film clips (the inevitable Gentleman’s Agreement), and reveal how Jews have become woven into the fabric of Jewish life. Songwriter Irving Berlin wrote “God Bless America,” and the holiday classics “White Christmas” and “Easter Parade.” Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster created Superman. Another crossover pop culture success was Gertrude Berg as Molly Goldberg of the Bronx, offering sage advice and homespun wisdom on radio, television and the movies. One illuminating segment reveals how assimilated movie mogul Louis B. Mayer’s Andy Hardy films, with their “fairy tale visions of small town life,” were the “American fantasies of a Jewish immigrant.” Anti-Semitism rears its ugly head throughout the series. Grubin captures the hysteria surrounding the murder trial of Georgia factory worker Leo Franks, who, in 1915, was falsely convicted in the murder of 13-year-old Mary Phagan, and subsequently lynched by a homicidal mob. The segment that addresses the Holocaust documents America’s indifference in dealing with Hitler’s “Final Solution.” Grubin notes how political activism has long been a part of Jewish-American life, and how Jews took an active role in the Civil Rights struggle. As the old saying goes, you don’t have to be Jewish to be compelled and profoundly moved by this ambitious documentary miniseries. But it couldn’t hurt. –Donald Liebenson
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September 13, 2010
#1
Review by A. Altman
Rating:
I watched the second and third two-hour segments on PBS. It was very beautifully done, very moving. Caveat: I am Jewish and I grew up post-WWII with parents who were children prior to WWII. This presentation gave me a background I needed; it filled in a lot of holes in my understanding of what my parents life was like and what was the context that I was raised in. It also has beautiful music, and graphics are used extremely well. But, CAUTION: I have no idea how well this collection will be received by people for whom the information is NOT so personal. Will this interest you if you did not live it? Perhaps.
September 13, 2010
#2
Review by Jeffrey R. Brant
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I viewed the full six hours of this wonderfully rendered series on PBS. It provides an excellent, moving history of the American Jews, their changing culture, and their important contributions to American society. The series explores this by bringing to light personal stories of many individuals and families. It does this by incorporating beautiful graphics, music and interviews with famous American Jews and their descendants.
The series answered a lot of questions I had about Jewish American history. Viewers of all faiths and nationalities should find it appealing and educational.
September 13, 2010
#3
Review by Lawrence J. Epstein
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This great series is a Jewish version of a Ken Burns documentary. The images are great and the characters fascinating. But what stood out for me was how all the material was told in story form. It would have been easy just to assemble material without trying to make sense of it as a narrative. This film did tell that story magnificently.
The final episode was especially valuable because it helped viewers not just witness but also make sense of the American Jewish experience.
Lawrence J. Epstein, author of “At the Edge of a Dream: The Story of Jewish Immigrants on New York’s Lower East Side.”
September 13, 2010
#4
Review by Kim K.
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I watched the entire series when it recently ran on PBS. Once I started watching it from the very beginning, when the Sepphardic Jews came to America, I was instantly hooked. I especially enjoyed the commentary by various people that recalled what Jewish life was like during the 1940s, especially during WW2. The insight provided by rabbis was informative as well. Another segment that stands out is the 1950s when Jewish Americans vacationed in the Catskills of upstate New York. Any big name Jewish comedian that you’ve seen in various TV sitcoms, variety shows and movies got their start at the many nightclubs of the Catskills. Sid Cesar himself even said that performing there was like his ‘going to college’. If audiences in those clubs laughed, they knew they were doing their job right. Anyone interested in learning about the Jewish religion, customs and ways of life can’t go wrong with owning this series. Fascinating through and through.
September 13, 2010
#5
Review by P. Duffy
Rating:
I loved it. One of the best documentarys I’ve seen. Educational, informational and insightful. It’s a keeper.