Jews of the Wild West

LIVE, In-Person Screenings on two days:
February 12, 2024 and February 13, 2024 at 7PM (MST Arizona)

At AZJHS - 122 E Culver Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Sponsors: Marlene and Gene Shapiro

There will be no online screening of this documentary film.

This documentary focuses on an under-explored aspect of Jewish history: the role that Jews played in Western American expansion, both in real life and in the movies. Through a tapestry of archival footage, photographs, and interviews, this pioneering film entertainingly excavates the past through the stories of an array of people, from known names like Max Aronson (the real “Bronco Billy Anderson” of early Hollywood) and Levi Strauss, to some you may not have heard about, like the Prussian immigrant who became a tribal leader in New Mexico and the Sephardic painter and photographer who documented the Kansas, Colorado, and Utah territories in the 1800s. The documentary also surveys the experiences of those persecuted European Jews who picked up stakes and left the American Northeast, forging westward for better opportunities. Through the narratives of such trailblazers, and interviews with contemporary Jewish Westerners, the film tells a tale of American resilience and determination too often left out of the official history books.

To register for the LIVE, IN-PERSON documentary film screening, please fill out the form below including the date and how many people will be attending with you and submit. When you register for the LIVE screening of the film, you will be immediately transferred to another page within our website for your confirmation.

Please note that this is a free event.  However, donations in support of our many arts and culture activities are always welcome. 

Learn more and become involved while helping to preserve the history of our Jewish Community.

ADDRESS:

122 E. Culver Street, Phoenix, Arizona

We are located right next to Burton Barr Phoenix Public Library. To find us, take 2nd Street south from McDowell.