Jews of the Wild West

This is a fascinating and fabulous documentary. I learned a tremendous amount about several notable persons that engaged in or moved to the West, shaping the community, writ large. The Levi's story was particularly of interest to me, as a lifelong wearer of Levis, I was excited to see the story of jeans being created. I also thoroughly enjoyed the story of Max Aronson, the first western film star. He and his wife's love story and the way in which they managed their careers was the tale of an early power couple. Finally, I am grateful to the documentarian for telling a story about the West that has yet to be highlighted -- i.e., the Jewish population and its influence on this special part of America!

The making of this film is as inspiring as the film itself, IMO. You can feel it's heart and soul come through. I was touched by what felt like a real labor of love to compile the stories about a largely unkown area of Jewish history. We always think of New York when we think of the immigration of Jews to the US but there is so much more to the story. Incentivized to find freedoms both religious and secular, these people were pioneers in so many ways and getting a glimpse into their lives is full of surprises. I came away delighted and having learned a ton about this fascinating slice of our American legacy.

A historical standpoint this is like the encyclopedia britannica on jews living in america...at least the rich and wealthy ones...out in the wild west pre 1900. Its tucked full of historical documents, pictures, filmrolls in black and white, and extremely eager tellers of the history.

From a documentarymaking standpoint its to much, at a far to breathtaking pace, all switches of theme and person comes without a warning...no break or musical introduction, its just bang on telltelltell, and thats a breathtaking method of killing a good subject, so whether levi strauss was a shipping container or mr guggenheimer a fabrics maker just blend into that oratorium of words...give the viewer a chance to swallow the theme is my tip to you ms.kinsey.

But interesting stuff for sure for the ultimate history freak, allthough just a 6 / 10 from the grumpy old man.

This documentary is such a gem! The filmmaker, Amanda Kinsey, was so dedicated to delving into the worlds of each person/family she featured in the film. Her appreciation for the details, in addition to the overall story of each person featured, really shows. This documentary is greatly informative, filled with fascinating history, and has some truly beautiful cinematography, as well. The authentic representation of both Jewish immigrants, and modern-day Jews, in a non-stereotypical context, was refreshing and much-needed. It is an in-depth documentary that brings history to life, and is sure to be enjoyed many times over.

I have seen many films about Jews in my life, this was one of the best. The film viscerally portrays the Jews that escaped the virile anti-Semitism in Europe, Russia and the New York City, and found relative acceptance in the American West. As a Jew myself, I was proud to hear of their indomitable spirit. This film personifies that courage and does not forget about the contributions of Jewish women. I was particularly impressed with the eloquence of the individual speakers, members of the lineage that was so instrumental in forging those communities. There are so many stories of which I had never heard before: the origins of Samsonite, the large cattle stockyards and the mercantile businesses that supported and supplied the hordes coming West to dig for gold.

This film makes me proud of our heritage and brave forebears, and all they were able to accomplish in the face of hardship. With anti-Semitism on the rise again, seeing a film like this renews my hope and lifts my spirit.