ACED Magazine

Rated: PG
Starring: Various
Directed by: David Grubin

The Jewish Americans is a 3-part, 6-hour documentary mini-series, narrated by Liev Schreiber and written/directed by David Grubin. It begins in 1654, where 23 Jews, forced out of Brazil during the inquisition, arrive in Manhattan to no fanfare.

From then on it focuses on the plight, integration and evolution of a minority who embraced a new and strange land which gave them the opportunity to shine and ascend to new heights, yet often at the resentment and persecution of others.

Overall the series is a well presented, fascinating history lesson which covers a lot of ground. It is rich in detail, compiling a large amount of stock footage, vintage photographs, and a vast range of interviews. Various survival stories of numerous Jewish American pioneers such as Anna Solomon, Abigail Franks, Abraham Cahan, and Levi Strauss are featured as clear examples of how the Jewish people in America were and are an industrious people who overcame constant hardships through faith and hard work.

Also featured are the roles which Jewish Americans had in both factions of the Civil War and their role in the American military during World War II; the role of Jewish Americans in the formation of labor movements and unions brought on by the tragic Triangle Waist Company fire of 1911; the foundation of public nursing in New York City by Nurse Lillian Ward, the Angel of Henry St.; Yiddish theatre and the rise of popular Jewish comedy by Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, and Sid Ceaser; the role of Jewish Americans in the Civil rights movement of the 1960s and their subsequent rift with the African American community; how Jewish Americans tested the limits of their sacred religious traditions; and, of course, the role Jewish America had in helping form the state of Israel in 1948.

Throughout it all, the Jewish people in America held on to their sacred beliefs and customs, whilst assimilating themselves into a pro-Christian country. Their reliance on community and family forged a strong, unbreakable bond and sense of identity that helped them rise above oppression and tragedy. A quintessential American story through and through, The Jewish Americans is an educational and inspirational series.

This Reviewer's Rating: 4 / 5

SPECIAL FEATURES

Interview with Filmmaker David Grubin, Jewish Cooking with Gil Marks, and a Rosh Hashanah Ceremonial Scene.

This Reviewer's Rating: 2 / 5

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