1. Jewish American Heritage Month
May 2012
“Jewish Americans in the Performing Arts”
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Division of Social Sciences and Life Skills

2. THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA
Ms. Perla Tabares Hantman, Chair
Dr. Lawrence S. Feldman, Vice-Chair
Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall
Mr. Carlos L. Curbelo
Mr. Renier Diaz de la Portilla
Dr. Wilbert “Tee” Holloway
Dr. Martin S. Karp
Dr. Marta Pérez
Ms. Raquel A. Regalado
Ms. Hope Wilcox
Student Advisor
Alberto M. Carvalho
Superintendent of Schools
Ms. Milagros R. Fornell
Associate Superintendent
Curriculum and Instruction
Dr. Maria P. de Armas
Assistant Superintendent
Curriculum and Instruction, K-12 Core Curriculum
Mr. John R. Doyle
Administrative Director
Division of Social Sciences and Life Skills

3. JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH 2012
2012 THEME: Jewish Americans in the Performing Arts
Background Information
In 1654, 23 Jews arrived on the shores of New Amsterdam (today New York
City), marking the arrival of the first Jewish immigrants who came to settle in
North America. In 2004, the 350th anniversary of Jewish history in North America
was celebrated. Following this historic celebration, an effort to commemorate a
national month in honor of Jewish history was envisioned by U.S.
Representatives Deborah Wasserman Schultz (D, FL) and Henry Hyde (R-IL).
They introduced a resolution to the United States House of Representatives
calling for creation of Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). This resolution
won strong support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and
President George W. Bush issued a Proclamation on April 20, 2006 calling on
the nation to commemorate JAHM.
In April 2011, Jewish American Heritage Month was once again proclaimed by
President Barack Obama. His proclamation stated:
“Since before our Nation's founding, America's shores have been a safe harbor
for people seeking shelter, hope, and new lives free from persecution. Here,
people of all faiths have broken bread, come together, and built a better future for
their families. The Jewish story is intertwined with the American story one of
overcoming great hardship, and one of commitment to building a more just
world. This month, we embrace and celebrate the vast contributions Jewish
Americans have made to our country.
Seeking a brighter future, a small band of Jewish refugees came to this land
more than three centuries ago, to a place called New Amsterdam. Hundreds of
years later, as Holocaust survivors and families caught behind the Iron Curtain
made their way to America, their perseverance in the face of unimaginable
tragedy inspired the world and proved that the Jewish people will not be
defeated. Many endured bigotry even here, reminding us that we must continue
to fight prejudice and violence at home and around the globe. In this spirit,
President Truman recognized the small, fledgling nation of Israel within minutes
of its creation. To this day, we continue to foster an unbreakable partnership with
Israel, and we remain committed to pursuing peace in the region and ensuring
Israel's security.
From those first days in New Amsterdam, Jewish Americans have dedicated their
innovation, creativity, and hearts to the greater good contributing scientific
accomplishments, pioneering works of literature and musical genius, and
performing distinguished service in our Nation's military. Jewish Americans have
defended our country since the days of the American Revolution as devoted
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4. service members and chaplains, and they continue to serve with distinction in our
Armed Forces.
Nearly 70 years ago, during World War II, the U.S.A.T. Dorchester suffered an
explosion at sea while carrying almost a thousand soldiers and civilian
workers. On board were four Army chaplains two Protestant, one Catholic, and
one Jewish. While the ship sank, the four chaplains gave their own life jackets to
four men without any, calmed the wounded, and preached strength to the
survivors, linking arms and praying together as the ship submerged. In a time of
great need, these chaplains showed that their shared commitment to the lives of
others was stronger than any division of faith or background.
This same spirit is found in the countless Jewish Americans who, through their
every day actions, work to provide a better life for future generations by joining
hands with all who seek equality and progress. This month, we remember that
the history and unique identity of Jewish Americans is part of the grand narrative
of our country, forged in the friendships and shared wisdom between people of
different faiths.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2011 as Jewish American Heritage
Month. I call upon all Americans to visit www.JewishHeritageMonth.gov to learn
more about the heritage and contributions of Jewish Americans and to observe
this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of
April, in the year two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.
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5. JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH 2012
RESEARCH
Using the Internet and other resources in your classroom and media
center, research and respond to the following:
1. More than ever in the 21st century in America, Jewish American playwrights,
music composers and film producers are winning awards for exemplary work
in the field of the Performing Arts. Research the Academy Awards and the
Tony awards of the past 5 years, noting the various awards given to movies
and plays produced and directed by Jewish Americans. Keep a list of these
awardees and research their biographies to find information on how their
Jewish cultural background influenced their artistic endeavors. Present this
information to your school in the library on a bulletin board to celebrate and
highlight these talents for Jewish American History Month.
2. Today, television programs are watched by almost every household in
America. Many of the documentaries, musicals and comedy sitcoms are
written, produced and directed by Jewish Americans who often use their
Jewish cultural backgrounds as a focus of their work. An example would be
Jerry Seinfeld the Jewish American comedian who starred in and directed the
T.V. series Seinfeld, which was a long-running hit for many years. Research
other television shows of the past 10 years to find more examples of
television productions – they may be from any genre that involved the talents
of Jewish Americans. Note these contributions in a paper you present to your
classroom, perhaps as an "infomercial" for Jewish American History Month
2012.
3. Jewish Americans have long been heavily involved in the arts and literature,
particularly the performing arts, in areas such as: theatre, film and filmmaking,
symphony, television, comedy, radio, playwriting, opera, magicians and even
as circus performers. Research three of these areas of interest and gather as
much information as you can on how Jewish Americans have made their
mark in these areas. Then use your research to write an essay paper of 3-5
pages, outlining the importance of Jewish Americans in the dramatic arts.
4. Research Yiddish and Yiddish theatre. What is Yiddish? Where did it
originate? How was Yiddish a part of Jewish culture? What about Yiddish
theatre? How did (and does) Yiddish theatre reflect the lives of Jewish
immigrants and the Jewish community in America? Why was the theatre so
important to the Jewish community here?
5. Many theatre musicals have been written and or produced by American
Jewish composers; for example, Mary Poppins, Pal Joey, and Hello Dolly.
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6. Research and find ten other musicals and be prepared to discuss their impact
on the Broadway theatre scene. Also in your research, you will discover that
in many of the songs written for these musicals, Jewish Americans were able
to express their moral values as in the play South Pacific through the song
”Carefully Taught.”
6. Choose one of the following Jewish Americans and do an in-depth research
profile of the person’s life and work in the field of Performing Arts: Harry
Houdini, Roberta Peters, Irving Berlin, Barbara Streisand, Michael Tilson
Thomas, David Copperfield, Lauren Bacall, Oscar Hammerstein, Itzhak
Perlman, Mel Blanc, George Gershwin, Judith Raskin, Eddy Cantor, Jack
Benny, Jerry Lewis, Victor Borge, Marcus Loew, Louis B. Mayer, and Beverly
Sills.
7. Research the movie, “The Jazz Singer.” What was its significance? Who
made it? Why is it important as a contribution by a Jewish American actor to
film history?
8. Comedy, like many of the performing arts, has a power to communicate ideas
in new and unusual ways. However, comedy can also be a powerful tool to
confront biases and belief systems – such as racism, exclusion, ethics, and
moral dilemmas that other mediums cannot. A number of American Jewish
men and women have devoted their lives to comedy and comedic pursuits.
Some examples are Groucho Marx, Adam Sandler, the Three Stooges, Judy
Holliday, Don Rickles, Mel Blanc, Joan Rivers, Jerry Lewis, Gene Wilder,
Sarah Silverman and Billy Crystal. Research to discover more about the lives
of some of these comedians, and how they have used the medium of
comedic performance to perhaps, change the way people think. Present your
research and conclusions to the class.
9. Reality television, news radio and television, political television and radio, talk
radio particularly are all areas in which Jewish Americans have been active.
Research to discover 3-5 Jewish American radio and television personalities,
such as: Larry King, Mike Wallace, Rod Serling, Wolf Blitzer, Jerry Springer,
Sherri Lewis, and Laura Schlessinger. Why is their work important? Learn as
much as you can about their lives and how they identify as Jewish.
10. The events of the Nazi Holocaust from 1933-1945 had a tremendous and
long-lasting impact on the Jewish population of the United States. Research
to discover how American Jewish life in the performing arts has changed
since the years of the Holocaust. Are Jewish Americans in the arts community
different from those of the early 20th century in light of the events of the
Holocaust? How has American Jewish performance and art been transformed
by the Holocaust? Present your findings to the class.
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7. 11. Who was Stella Adler? What important work did she do? How has her work
affected many of the major actors and actresses in the filmmaking industry?
12. How has filmmaking changed over the years, from silent films to today?
Research early American Jewish filmmakers, such as Sigmund Lubin, and
modern filmmakers, such as Steven Spielberg and Mel Brooks. How have
these American Jewish artists changed the landscape of filmmaking?
13. Research the role of American Jewish women in the performing arts. Some
areas of interest might be: opera, comedy, television, screen-and-playwriting,
and film. Write a 3-page essay outlining your research.
REFLECT, WRITE, CREATE
The following activities are based on the research completed concerning
the contributions of the Jewish people in America.
1. In small groups, discuss the performing arts as a whole. How and why is this
type of artistic expression important? Why do you think it is important for
Jewish Americans to be involved in the arts in some way? Why are the arts ,
music, drama, poetry, dance, painting, literature, and acting, important at all?
And particularly, why might the arts, especially the performing arts, be
important to immigrants? How did Jewish American immigrants use the arts
to assimilate into American culture?
2. Using your research, create a mixed-media collage reflecting on the idea of
assimilation, particularly in regard to American Jewish immigrants in the
performing arts. Create a poster board and incorporate poetry, film or
television stills, your own art pieces, and other items to reflect what the idea
of assimilating really means. Present your collage to the class and explain its
significance.
3. Imagine that the year is somewhere around 1920 and you are a newspaper
columnist from a newspaper in New York City, sent to write a column on the
Yiddish theatre there. Who would you interview? What would be your focus?
Write the column and provide images if available, then present it to the class.
4. Consider the various contributions of the American Jewish community to the
performing arts. What one contribution to the arts do you feel is most vital to
you personally? Write a persuasive paper to express your beliefs about the
importance of this individual’s work. Create a class “Hall of Fame,” and place
it on display in your school’s hallway or common area where everyone can
learn about American Jewish contributions to the performing arts.
5. Watch several films by Jewish filmmakers, writers, producers, or directors
over the last 20 years of filmmaking. Then choose one to write an essay
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8. paper on, explaining why you feel that it is a noteworthy film and what
characteristics make it important to you. Be as in-depth and specific as
possible. Then, present a clip from the movie and your paper to the class
emphasizing the importance of Jewish film creators to America’s performing
arts community.
6. In your research about Jewish American women in the performing arts, what
did you find? The last several decades have granted opportunities to Jewish
women and women in general that are unlike any other period in history. Did
what you discover in your research reflect these “new” freedoms for Jewish
American women? Have a round-table class discussion of the importance of
these women in the performing arts, and how they have influenced not only
the artists that they worked with, but also the world around them. Each person
should choose one American Jewish woman in the performing arts to present
a mini-biography alongside their greatest contribution(s) to the arts, then after
the presentations have a class discussion about all the women and their
contributions to the performing arts. Be specific!
7. After researching the history of the Jewish community in American performing
arts, choose five artistic endeavors which were pioneered by Jewish
Americans that you feel had an impact on the United States culturally. Then,
using your research, write a dramatic script describing each event. Choose
five students to then each read one of the scripts aloud and choose other
students to perform the scripts to the class in a dramatization.
8. Spread the word! Along with your Media Specialist, Art and Drama teachers,
create a unique, mixed-media dramatic event based on your research of
Jewish Americans’ contributions to the performing arts that your class will
then present to the school in a school-wide assembly. Consider a blend of
music, PowerPoint, film clips, and dramatic performances using painted
backdrops and specifically selected artistic pieces representing the theme of
American Jewry in performing arts.
9. Choose one American Jewish actor, singer, theatre performer, magician,
television personality, radio show host, or other performing artist that you
researched and create a short film or PowerPoint presentation inspired by
their life’s work and contributions to the arts. Present your work to the class,
along with a short history of the artist’s life and work.
10. Organize a class trip to a local theatre where there is a themed Jewish play,
movie or concert to see a performance, if there is one playing. Find out if the
theatre will let your class take a backstage tour and discover more about the
vibrant dramatic arts community within the greater Jewish community. If
there are no performances showing, invite a local Jewish theatre actor or
actress or several to come to your class and discuss their work and its impact
on their life and the world around them. Perhaps even ask if they would be
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9. willing to put on a small dramatization for your class. Have specific questions
for this person prepared beforehand.
11. In Hebrew, the term tikkun olam means, “to repair the world,” and in Judaism,
one is responsible and commanded to “repair the world” in some way, by
promoting peace and working to make the world a better place. How have
Jewish American performing artists carried out this command of tikkun olam
in their lives? Are they active in humanitarian efforts? Do they give money or
time to specific aid organizations? Research to discover the answers. How
does the commandment to do good in the world influence the lives of these
Jewish American artists? How might it influence your own life? Have your
class create a school-wide event based on the idea of tikkun olam, where
each of your classmates and schoolmates performs one good deed to “repair
the world” within your school, and one in the larger community outside of the
school. If you raise money for an organization, choose one that supports the
performing arts in honor of Jewish American History Month. Then report on
and discuss your act(s) and why you feel it was important, not only for
yourself, but for those who you were serving, and the world.
12. From your research, on Stella Adler, what was her strength in teaching acting
students? As a class, watch some clips of her, and some of her most famous
students: Marlon Brando, Judy Garland, Harvey Keitel, Melanie Griffith, and
Robert De Niro, among others, acting in emotionally powerful scenes. What
made them such great actors and actresses? Do you think Stella’s work was
responsible, at least in part, for their successes? After watching 5-10 short
clips, and reading some quotes from and about Stella Adler, have a class
discussion about her work, and why it was, and still is, very important.
13. In your research of these American Jewish performing artists, did anything
stand out to you as a common characteristic? Some strength, or weakness,
or personality trait that they all seemed to have? Did their personal histories
come into their work at all? What about the fact that they are all Jewish? What
do you think drew many of these Jewish American artists into their chosen
field? In small groups, discuss your answers to these questions.
14. After researching in-depth the life of one American Jewish performing artist,
write a poem or perform a spoken-word piece about them and why their work
is important to you and to the world. Present your writing to the class.
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10. Websites
www.ajhs.org: American Jewish Historical Society. Includes a variety of
resource items including American Jewish History in images, and portraits of
American Jews.
www.amuseum.org/jahf: Jewish-American Hall of Fame. Includes short
biographies and video clips of many prominent American Jewish people such as
those Jews who helped Columbus, a Revolutionary War patriot, and Houdini. A
quiz and virtual tour introduce visitors to American Jews in areas ranging from
science to sports, from medicine to music.
www.350th.org: This website celebrates 350 years of Jewish Life in America. It
includes a timeline of American Jewish History and “This Month in Jewish
History” where visitors can select a month and see what happened in that month
in years past. Also included are special exhibits and documents.
www.americanjewisharchives: The history of American Jewry through
illustrations and documents.
http://www.jewsinamerica.org: The American Jewish experience as seen
through photographs, documents and other artifacts. Visitors can view these
materials by selecting various periods of time.
www.jewishheritage.us: Includes timelines from 1585 as well as chapters in
American Jewish history.
www.jwa.org: Jewish Women’s Archives. Includes exhibits based upon
American Jewish women who have made significant contributions to this country.
www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org: Includes information about Jewish life, including
the American Jewish winners of the Nobel Prizes.
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11. The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida, adheres to a policy of
nondiscrimination in employment and educational programs/activities and
programs/activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department of
Education, and strives affirmatively to provide equal opportunity for all as required by:
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race,
color, religion, or national origin.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended - prohibits discrimination in
employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of
gender.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), as amended - prohibits
discrimination on the basis of age with respect to individuals who are at least 40.
The Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended - prohibits sex discrimination in payment of
wages to women and men performing substantially equal work in the same
establishment.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - prohibits discrimination against the
disabled.
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) - prohibits discrimination against
individuals with disabilities in employment, public service, public accommodations and
telecommunications.
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) - requires covered employers to
provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to "eligible" employees for certain
family and medical reasons.
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 - prohibits discrimination in employment on
the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Florida Educational
Equity Act (FEEA) - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin,
marital status, or handicap against a student or employee.
Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 - secures for all individuals within the state freedom from
discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or
marital status.
School Board Rules 6Gx13- 4A-1.01, 6Gx13- 4A-1.32, and 6Gx13- 5D-1.10 - prohibit
harassment and/or discrimination against a student or employee on the basis of gender,
race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, political beliefs, marital status, age, sexual
orientation, social and family background, linguistic preference, pregnancy, or disability.
Veterans are provided re-employment rights in accordance with P.L. 93-508 (Federal
Law) and Section 295.07 (Florida Statutes), which stipulate categorical preferences for
employment.
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