The American Jewish Story through Cinema

“A superb, thought-provoking analysis tracing the metamorphosis of the image of the Jew as portrayed through 80 years of American cinema.” —Library Journal

Like the haggadah, the traditional story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt read at the Passover seder, cinema offers a valuable text from which to gain an understanding of the social, political, and cultural realities of Jews in America. In an industry strongly influenced by Jewish filmmakers, the complex, evolving nature of the American Jewish condition has had considerable impact on American cinema and, in particular, on how Jews are reflected on the screen.

This groundbreaking study analyzes select mainstream films from the beginning of the sound era to today to provide an understanding of the American Jewish experience over the last century, from the time when Hollywood’s movie moguls, most of whom were Jewish, shied away from asserting a Jewish image on the screen, to a period when Jewish moviemakers became more comfortable with the concept of a Jewish hero and with an overpowered, yet heroic, Israel, and the way that the Holocaust assumed center stage as the single event with the greatest effect on American Jewish identity. Recently, as American Jewish screenwriters, directors, and producers have become increasingly comfortable with their heritage, we are seeing an unprecedented number of movies that spotlight Jewish protagonists, experiences, and challenges. This is “a wonderful book for any lover of American films” (Hadassah Magazine).