On May 16, 1948, tens of thousands of Jewish people packed Chicago
Stadium to celebrate the birth of Israel. It was a singularly joyous
moment in the history of a community that had seen many triumphs and
tragedies over more than a hundred years in Chicago.
Part of the Emmy-winning Chicago Stories series, Jewish Chicago:1833
to 1948 chronicles the joys and sorrows of Chicago's Jewish community
from the arrival of the first German Jews in frontier Chicago through
the founding of Israel.
Narrated by distinguished stage and film actor Mike Nussbaum, (who
was raised in Chicago's once heavily Jewish Albany Park neighborhood),
Jewish Chicago: 1833 to 1948 tells the story of Chicago's Jewish
community through archival footage and rare photos. Also included in
the program are interviews with numerous Chicago residents, including
comedian and film director Harold Ramis, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky,
former Alderman Leon Despres, former Yiddish actor and community leader
Maynard Wishner, historians Irving Cutler and June Sochen, Steve Nasatir,
President of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago…and
many, many more.
Jewish Chicago: 1833 to 1948 is the story of immigrants who overcame
great obstacles to flourish in a new land, beginning with the German
Jews who settled in this muddy frontier town in the 1830s. As they
prospered and expanded to the South Side, they established such congregations
as KAM and Sinai and became community and business leaders, forming
outstanding charitable and social service organizations.
The program also traces the history of Jewish immigrants who came
from Eastern Europe around the turn of the 20th Century, recreating
a shtetl in the historic Maxwell Street district. The output of their
lively Yiddish culture included newspapers, literature, theater and
music. We trace their movement to the West Side as they thrived
in Chicago. The program looks at early conflicts between German and
Eastern European Jews, including labor struggles,
and the way the community sought to heal itself through the Jewish
obligation to offer a helping hand to those in need.
It is the story of a very diverse community—German and Russian,
Reform and Orthodox, Socialist and Capitalist. The differences among
Chicago's Jews have, at times, been greater than the similarities.
Ultimately, though, this is the story of the larger forces that have
bound Chicago's Jews together.
In the course of this program, viewers will:
Chicago Stories: Jewish Chicago is written and produced by Geoffrey Baer and Dan Protess. Original music is by Chris Ussery, whose previous work at WTTW11 includes the music for Chicago's North Shore. He also composed the music for the Jewish television series The Magic Door. Collaborating with Ussery is Russian violinist Alex Koffman, a member of the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. Series Producer of Chicago Stories is Mary Field and the Executive Producer is VJ McAleer.
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