The Jewish Americans
Documentary
Director David Grubin
Narrated by Liev Schreiber
PBS Home Video
Available Feb. 5, 2008

PBS has always shown thought-provoking documentaries. It used to be that the network was the only place to learn about history in depth and detail, but now, of course, there are several networks on cable dedicated to that programming. But that has not daunted PBS at all — in fact, they’ve pressed ahead like nothing has changed and continued to produce excellent long-form documentaries.

One of the latest ones was a recent series on the history of the Jewish people in the United States, and now it’s available on DVD. The Jewish Americans is a 6-hour film about the Jewish experience in the new world, from the beginning of the settlement of the continent, to the present day.

Filmmaker David Grubin focuses on the accomplishments of Jews throughout the history of this country. That is exactly the right approach to take. It is widely known that the Jewish people have dealt with a lot of struggles and hardships along the way, and continue to be the focus of hatred and misunderstanding among those without the most open of minds.

Indeed, the most moving parts of the documentary deal with the Holocaust, and the anti-Semitic prejudices that were rife in this country. It’s shocking, still, to hear about Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh’s views of Jews.

The compilation of historical photographs and footage is impressive, and the casting is spot on with Liev Schreiber as the narrator. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Carl Reiner, Mandy Patinkin, Sid Caesar, and others help tell the story by recollections, reminisces, and storytelling.

A lot of the focus is on the famous Jews in American culture, mainly because they are most recognizable and help to tell the story of triumph. But this film also captures the day-to-day triumphs and tragedies in the Jewish experience from common everyday folks who emigrated to America to better themselves. Those stories make this film powerful.

This DVD set also has bonus features, including an interview with Grubin and deleted scenes.

Anyone interested in the cultural history of the United States, and those interested in broadening their understanding and knowledge of a sometimes misunderstood group, then definitely check out this DVD set.