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The second episode covers the early 20th century, when Anti-Semitism is on the rise even as some Jews succeed in mainstream pursuits; in the 1920s, Jewish immigrants come to dominate Hollywood. The episode also outlines the Depression and the reaction to the destruction of European Jewry during WWII. At war’s end, American Jews suddenly find themselves the largest and most powerful Jewish community in the world.
May 2010 (check local listings)
As Jewish Americans tried to enter the mainstream of American life,
they were frustrated by anti-Semitism even as they developed their
own resources, often succeeding in businesses on the margins of
American life. Irving Berlin, an immigrant from Russia, began
writing tunes just as Tin Pan Alley was taking off, transforming
himself into one of America's greatest songwriters with iconic
songs such as "White Christmas" and "God Bless America." But in
1918, the year "God Bless America" was composed, America was
closing its doors to foreigners and anti-Semitism was on the rise.
Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice, faced
anti-Semitism in his confirmation hearings and then on the court
itself. Leo Frank, a Jewish American living in Atlanta, was
unjustly convicted by a Georgia court of murdering a 13-year-old
girl and lynched. Henry Ford, one of the most powerful men in the
country, published strident attacks on Jewish Americans. America's
elite colleges and universities limited the number of Jewish
students they would admit.
Facing a wave of worldwide anti-Semitism and shut out from much of
American life, Jewish Americans developed a parallel universe all
their own - establishing Jewish fraternities and sororities, summer
camps and community centers, hospitals and schools, neighborhoods
and vacation resorts - and venturing into new businesses. The
Catskills resorts provided an opportunity for Jewish comedians such
as Sid Caesar to hone their skills, which they would use one day to
reach Americans throughout the country. In the 1920s, Jewish
immigrants came to dominate Hollywood, creating the Hollywood
studio system and enacting their version of the American dream.
Jewish Americans found opportunities in radio, too, with shows such
as "The Goldbergs," created by Gertrude Berg, which appealed to
Americans all over the country, Jews and gentiles alike.
For Jewish Americans, the Depression in the 1930s was a dual
misery. Not only did tens of thousands face unemployment, other
Americans - from Father Coughlin to Charles Lindbergh - blamed them
for the country's problems while Jewish Americans struggled
desperately to rescue Jews from fascism in Europe.
"The Best of Times, The Worst of Times" also describes the Jewish
response to Hitler and the Holocaust, focusing on the relationship
between Jewish leaders - in particular Secretary of the Treasury
Henry Morgenthau Jr. - and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It details
the reaction of Jewish Americans to the stories of the death camps
that emerged after the war. Nearly all of European Jewry had been
destroyed, and American Jews suddenly found themselves the largest
and most powerful Jewish community in the world.