Over eight enlightening weeks, we delve into the tapestry of Jewish representation, both overt and subtle, in Hollywood’s history. From the pioneering Jewish visionaries who shaped global cinema to the enduring fascination with biblical narratives and the layers they hold, we uncover the intersections of culture and storytelling. We also confront and deconstruct stereotypes through the lens of Jewish gangsters and explore how cinema has exposed and healed societal ills. As we transition to adaptations of literature and the works of renowned directors like Steven Spielberg, we question the Jewish elements that lie beneath the surface. At the end of the series, we spotlight the roles of Jewish women in the industry and explore both the visible and invisible aspects of Jewishness in film, from unspoken identities to bold declarations.

Tuesday January 9, 2024
Entrepreneurs with a Vision
I. Jews a Motion Pictures: a Global Perspective
II. Immigrants and Emigres
III. Directors as Social Activists: Leo Hurvitz and George Cukor

Tuesday January 16, 2024
The “Heston Effect”: Bible Stories for a Hollywood Audience
I. The American Obsession with the Hebrew Bible
II. Biblical Melodrama: Samson and Delilah and Solomon and Sheba
III. From Heston’s Moses to Prince of Egypt
IV. Ben-Hur: Christian and Jewish Layers

Tuesday January 23, 2024
Unmaking/Remaking Stereotypes: Jewish Gangsters as Heroes and Villains
I. Hyman Rothstein (aka Meyer Lansky) and The Godfather
II. Tough Jews in Once Upon a Time in America
III. Bugsy Siegal as Jewish Anti-Hero

Tuesday January 30, 2024
Exposing and Healing the Ills of Society
I. Gentlemen’s Agreement: How Jewish is too Jewish?
II. The Last Angry Man: The Challenge of Being Principled
III. School Ties: David Green and Elite Society
IV. Erik Lehnsherr (aka Magneto) and the Imperfectability of Humanity

Tuesday February 6, 2024
Dumbing Down Literature: The Chosen as Novel and Movie
I. Potok’s Jewish New York
II. Explaining Hasidic Spirituality
III. Rod Steiger’s Rebbe

Tuesday February 13, 2024
Spielberg before Schindler: How Jewish?
I. ET: A Story of Exile and Return?
II. The Twilight Zone: A Jewish View of Aging
III. The Lost Ark and the Battle between Good and Evil

Tuesday February 20, 2024
Jewish Women in Movies
I. Marjorie Morningstar
II. Izzy Grossman and the Escape from Delancey Street
III. Woody Allen’s Jewish Mothers
IV. Baby Houseman and the World of the Catskills

Tuesday February 27, 2024
Visible and Invisible Jewishness
I. What’s Up Doc: Barbara Streisand’s Unstated Jewishness
II. Avalon and the Melting Pot
III. Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller: Masters of Chutzpah
IV. Cher Horowitz — Jewish American Princess