This is a thematic survey of American films with significant Jewish content that made an important statement about America. Both familiar and lesser known films are included. An introduction discusses why American Jews were attracted to films as audiences, performers … Continued
The Land of Eighteen Dreams is a novel about Lily Siegel and her grandfather, Benjamin. Lily narrates eighteen incidents describing their relationship as she grows from age eight to adulthood. As Benjamin tells her the story of his long and … Continued
Having entered the world in 1896 as a poverty-stricken child named Naftaly (Nathan) Birnbaum, George Burns rose from New York’s Lower East Side to the uppermost heights of celebrity in the entertainment industry. His storied romance with Gracie Allen led … Continued
Many American folk singers have tried to leave their world a better place by writing songs of social protest. Musicians like Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez sang with fierce moral voices to transform what they … Continued
From nineteenth-century vaudeville to contemporary sitcoms, comedy teams have made people laugh. Those teams were masters of the comic craft and gave to the world a particularly American art form. And, more than that, they were funny. Lawrence J. Epstein … Continued
This beautiful book tells the nostalgic tale of how millions of Jewish immigrants entered America through the portal of the Lower East Side. There in New York City they struggled and ultimately flourished in a neighborhood that was the center … Continued
Lawrence Epstein’s The Haunted Smile tackles a subject both poignant and delightful: the story of Jewish comedians in America. For the past century and more, American comedy has drawn its strength and soul from the comic genius of Jewish performers … Continued
The easy-to-read format invites readers to explore some of the most sensitive and troubling questions about becoming part of the Jewish community. Plenty of inspirational anecdotes and true stories about converts illustrate the vibrant and exciting spiritual path of conversion … Continued
A collection of humorous, sentimental and instructive stories about both prominent and relatively unknown Jewish personalities from biblical times to the present. The anecdotes were selected to reveal characteristics of Jewish life and Jewish history. Arranged alphabetically by personality, the … Continued
In his third book about the conversion to Judaism, Lawrence J. Epstein collects essays and memoirs that frame the debate around conversion. These essays cover a wide-range of topics to sharpen the focus around the many disputes about conversion to … Continued