H1: Jews in Hollywood

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Hollywood Antisemitism

The overtly Jewish side of Hollywood has led a few people to talk about some kind of "Jewish power conspiracy", but it is important to understand that even though there are a substantial amount of Jews in the film industry, they are just individual people. Most act independently and most are only Jewish in name and choice of charity. With success always comes criticism. Jews in Hollywood is more a historically favourable set of circumstances than anything else.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles has the second largest Jewish population of any city in the world. It is not recorded whether the first Jews came to the City of Angels seeking encounters will the divine. Historical evidence indicates that they trekked eastward in the mid-1800s as suppliers to gold miners and rancheros; the next generation came to the friendly climate around the turn of the century for health reasons i.e. to be cured of tuberculosis; and the post-World War II generation came in search of the open spaces and the sense of personal freedom that the East Coast could no longer provide. Los Angeles is cut almost in half by a mountain range, the Santa Monica Mountains, which divides the San Fernando Valley (generally called "the Valley") on the north from the City to the south. The major Jewish area today is Fairfax near Hollywood, with Fairfax Avenue containing many many Jewish stores. Beverly Hills is a Jewish area more in terms of people than institutions. The city has a very large Jewish population and frequently elects a Jewish mayor.

Film selection with Jewish-related themes:

Zionism - Exodus, Cast a Giant Shadow

Antisemitism - Gentleman's Agreement, Talk Radio, The Nasty Girl, Betrayed

Secularisation - The Jazz Singer, The Chosen, Fiddler on the Roof, Unstrung Heroes, Leon the Pig farmer

Holocaust - Judgement at Nurenberg, Ship of fools, The Pawnbroker, Shoah, Schindler's List, Au Revoir les Enfants, Europa Europa, Sophie's Choice.

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