Jews and Jewish life have often been depicted in American television and film. But how do these depictions compare to the historical reality? Do the differences help inform our understanding or create a biased impression?
In this class Prof. Matt Goldish will discuss the historical backdrop for two award-winning films, Hester Street and The Chosen, and explore how these films reflect or distort the periods in which they are set. In the process, we will learn about two periods in American Jewish history in which tradition and change clashed, upending the old order in the age of modernity.
THE CLASS
The class consists of online viewing of the films on your own schedule, selected readings that provide historical context, and two Zoom classes with Prof. Goldish to explore the ideas and themes against the historical backdrop. The films can be streamed on Amazon. Reading material will be provided as PDF files. The class is limited to 15 participants.
THE INSTRUCTOR
Matt Goldish holds the Samuel M. and Esther Melton Professor of History Chair at The Ohio State University, where he is also the director of the Melton Center for Jewish Studies. Goldish has published numerous articles on Jewish history and is a frequently invited guest lecturer. This class, “Tradition and Change: American Jewish Stories in Film”, is a modified version of a class Goldish teaches on Jews in American film.