Jewish Culture and Entertainment - Essay Example

Jewish Culture and Entertainment Introduction The origins Jewish culture is known on a global basis and celebrates specific traditions and rituals touphold the common practices within the social standing. However, the entertainment of Hollywood and the movie industry has taken the concept of Jewish culture and has changed the way in which Judaism is looked into. The concept of jewifying the culture is the main prospect that has been noted. This led to a popular concept of what it meant to be Jewish as well as how the social and cultural functions of family and community worked within the Jewish culture. The participation of Jews in the 20th century entertainment industry contributed to this concept and has led into assertions that continue to create a sense of popularity over specific Jewish cultural stereotypes. The stereotypes that have been created in entertainment began with the third generation of Jews from the immigration that took place. After this time, there was an alteration in how Jews were looked at, specifically which combined the Americanization of Jews and the traditional identity that has been added into the identity of how Jews are looked at within popular culture today. Stereotypes of Jewish Culture The concept of Jewish culture before the entertainment began to be a part of mainstream America was one that was separate from other parts of America. The first and second generation Jews came from Eastern Europe and other areas that had different traditions and concepts of lifestyle. More important, most of the immigrants that were a part of the melting pot were restricted to ghettos and had difficulty in basic earnings and the ability to reach the American dream. Stereotypes were created from this developed from contrasts within America specifically because of the expectations and assumptions of how Jews lived within American culture. There were different aspects that were associated with what it meant to be Jewish as well as the inability to accept Jews into the American culture because of the contrasting traditions, cultures, festivities and language (Gold, 12, 1996). The problem with Jews in America was based on the marginalization of the minority, specifically because there was a belonging of being in the ghettos and having traditions that were not American. Many looked at this as a separate idea of what it meant to be American, which created boundaries and barriers with the American identity. The stereotypes that were created were first based around the economic situation of Jews. Living in the ghetto and taking jobs that were mediocre because of the change into immigration led many into believing that there was an alteration in how to live. More important, there were different beliefs that were based around the stereotypes from the families and households. Most were based on the segregation that was a part of the early 1920s and 1930s with immigrants, specifically because of the large amount of migration that was occurring in America. Most Americans responded to this negatively without the desire to be more inclusive of those that were coming into the nation and which were a part of the melting pot. The result was a sense of segregation with Jews and the expectation that there was a separate lifestyle that belonged to a minority population outside of the mainstream of American culture. History of Jewish Culture and Entertainment The rise of Jewish culture in Hollywood began with the migrants which were coming to America and trying to find a place within society. The struggles which Jews were faced with were based on belonging to an identity that was outside of their home while trying to find a new place within America. The Jewish settlements were related specifically to the time of the melting pot during World War 1 and World War 2. The large number of migrants that were coming to America and the dislike that was associated with this by American citizens created an alternative understanding of what it meant to be Jewish. The culture was not accepted at the beginnings and led to divisions with identity and community. The first and second generations of Jews that came were forced to go through parts of the war and the Great Depression, which created a specific type of atmosphere related to the culture and the main lifestyles which they led (Sachar, 483, 1993). The concept of becoming Jewish in America transformed into the 20th century entertainment sector. The third generation of Jews were known to be neither Jewish nor American, which led to a cross culture of what it meant to belong to a specific society. The Americanization of Jews created cultural gaps between the immigrants that had come from different areas as well as the Jews which were from Eastern or Western Europe or Israel. The sense of removal that was a part of the Jewish identity led the third generation into the ideology of trying to belong to the American identity, while still being a part of the Jewish culture. At the same time, new Jews were coming into America under the aristocratic identity, which included those who claimed to have large amounts of talent and which were aristocratic in nature. This was attributed to the Nobel Laureate Albert Sabin as a Jew, as well as those that began to associate with the identity of being Jewish. The result was that the concept of being Jewish included a culture and identity that wanted to be kept, as well as third generation Jews that were Americanized, creating a sense of popular identity toward the culture (Sachar, 909, 1993). The building into the American – Jewish identity then became an icon that many looked forward to in entertainment as well as with specific expectations about what it meant to be Jewish. Building Public Culture with Jewish Identity The concept of identity that was a part of the Jewish culture began to expand with many who made a statement about their personal identity and beliefs in the Jewish traditions. The third generation immigrants began to have a specific identity at the same time that was related to the culture of Americanism while identifying with the attributes of the Jewish identity. The public culture was furthered because of the Civil Rights Movements in the 1950s and 1960s. Other minority populations were creating a different sense of identity that was outside of the popular culture while marginalization began to rise with the expectations of the time. African – Americans, Hispanics and women all began to create stereotypes that were demanding rights as well as diversity within various areas. Jews began to contribute to this by noting that there was a difference in the identity of those who were a part of immigration and the melting pot. Creating ethnic boundaries, democratic ideologies of identity and the desire to both be Americanized and to be a part of the minority population was the central attitude of third generation Jews (Goren, 183, 1999). It was the two main focuses of the Jews that led to a sense of popular culture and the identity of Jewish Americans in entertainment. The conflict that was noted with the third generation led to the popular reinvention of the Jewish culture in America. The concept was to move among the majority without losing the minority identity. American Jews began to follow the ideals of Harris and other philosophers, who were interested in keeping the Jewish history by emerging a new identity that was Jewish at heart. Jewish holidays, cuisine, language and characteristics were kept while other aspects became less popularized. The social construct of keeping Jewishness then led to a loss of many believing in the traditions of immigrants and the belief that the concept of American identity could be combined with the same sense of identity with being Jewish. To do this, entertainment worked on highlighting the festive qualities of Jewish rituals while accenting more popular and contemporary concepts that were incorporated into the rituals. The result was that entertainment began to create a different sense of identity that allowed the culture to become more popularized (Joselit, 231, 1994). Entertainment and the Jewish Identity The concept of building a cultural identity that was both American as well as a part of the marginalized popularity of the Civil Rights movement led several into the main stream of popular culture and entertainment. The identity that was created was one that was based on the noticed identity from third generation immigrants from the past generations. Living in the ghettos of New York, comedic episodes of not belonging in America and the desire to be a part of Americanization were all a part of the main concepts of Jewish culture. The entertainment arena began to notice this by bringing a sense of Jewishness into the films. By the 1980s and 1990s, the concept of Jewishness developed an identity that was marginalized within the entertainment segment. Adam Sandler, for instance, contributed to different Christmas programs by singing a Chanukah song. Jerry Seinfeld, another claimed Jew in entertainment, added into this by consistently separating his identity as a Jew in America. The Seinfeld show through the 1990s led into the characters of George and Jerry, both who were third or fourth generation Jews. The parents still had the concept of the old country and traditions, while the newer generations were not able to understand the traditions associated with this. Making fun of the tradition and creating a sense of lost identity then created a specific sense of popularity for American Jews (Goldstein, 209, 2006). The concept of popularity with the foods, language, family and traditional celebrations in TV, such as emphasized earlier, than became a part of the expected Jewishness of popular culture. The entertainment and the contributions by Jews continued with several actors and actresses who claimed to be Jewish and who began to build their reputation and sense of identity on the concept of Jewity as a popular concept. More important than the smaller concepts that were a part of the festivities and language, were different actors and actresses who immediately claimed to be a part of the minority in the entertainment arena. The first part of this was in the music industry, with contributions from Ira and George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Isaac Stern. These individuals were known to bring smaller components of culture and tradition into the music; however, the popularity of the songs and the approach to the culture created an American experience. Other identities included Beverly Sills, Bob Dylan, Benny Goodman, Barry Mannilow and Barbara Streisand. These earlier entertainers were all known as third generation Jews, who kept an identity of belonging to the minority with characteristics, traditions and celebrations, while taking a part in the mainstream of American culture. The split identity of culture in which each held added into the overall popularity of the Jewish identity, specifically because of the lifestyle and overall attitude that each carried. More important, the concept of being Jewish led into a sense of acceptance into popular culture, specifically because so many Jews began to contribute to the large arenas of entertainment while combining the American and Jewish ideologies into the acting and performances that were a part of the areas of performance (Sorin, 220, 1997). By the late 1980s, the negative image of Jews as suffering from the World Wars and the problem with the minority population had disappeared. The concept of belonging to the ghettos as Jews and the inability to be a part of the American population also began to disperse as more Jews grew into the entertainment arena as Jewish – Americans. However, the minority identity and concepts of being Jewish weren’t lost and allowed those in entertainment to change the way in which Jews were looked at. The effects of this began to move Jewish culture into the popular mainstream. At the same time, changes with the political realm, such as reforms from Rabbis and the unity of the Jewish identity continued to add into the concept of popularity. Most that looked at the Jewish identity not only noted the minority population of belonging to the ghetto. More important, were Jewish stories from political leaders and those in entertainment that focused on the identity of the Jew as being progressive and one that was able to move outside of the concept of immigration into a better lifestyle (Sorin, 222, 1997). The entertainment arenas that were a part of this not only led into different approaches to the Jewish culture, but also created popular stereotypes that were associated with this. For instance, many Jews began to highlight on the experiences of being an immigrant in America and how this led to specific ideologies and lifestyle thoughts. Coming out of the ghettos, having no money and building into the rules and regulations of being both Jewish and American became attributes that were highlighted in entertainment as a part of the festivities and Jewish lifestyle in America. Literary works, for instance, emphasized the Jewish mothers, third generation immigrants and the melting pot that were associated with this. At the same time, the entertainers added in the American dream and how the parents of the past generations added into the concept of keeping Jewishness alive while being American with the concepts of materialism, capitalism and integrating into the larger society (Gold, 236, 1996). The ability to create a sense of well – being through the American lifestyle led the entertainers and Jews to create a different identity that was popularized. However, keeping the Jewish identity alive led to specific concepts that were associated with the way in which Jews had lived as immigrants and how specific associations with tradition led to concepts about being a specific way. Building into the entertainment arena as both American and Jewish then led into specific concepts that were used with those that were in entertainment to express the idea of popular jewity. The popularity of TVs and the part of suburban America led into popularity that was associated with the lifestyle and desires of Americans. Since there were several individuals who were a part of the entertainment arena and expressing the concepts of being Jewish, the popularity went into the mainstream of America. The barriers that were a part of immigration began to break down and led into more options with how Jewishness in the community could be expressed. The entertainers that were a part of the 20th century were then able to break down barriers that had arisen from the melting pot and immigration that led most into the ghetto. Instead, there was the ability to create a different set of concepts that were related to the popularity of being a minority and belonging to the mainstream of America instead. The entertainers became an icon of the minority population that could integrate into the majority while keeping a sense of identity through the traditions as well as through the American lifestyle that each had been incorporated into as third generation Jews (Heilman, 12, 1995). Jewish Entertainment Today The entertainers that contributed to the concept of American Jews have led into a continuous icon that is still a part of popular American culture. The concept of being Jewish as a minority has allowed the Jews from the 1950s and to the present day to create a specific identity that is specifically related to Jews in America. Many now see Jews as a second American icon, specifically as one of the largest minorities that are a part of the US. The concept of Uncle Sam being Jewish and the banner of Jews belonging to America as a part of the melting pot that integrated into America are some of the largest concepts that are a part of the culture. The entertainment of adding in Jewish holidays to the Christian ones on TV and the integration of different music and entertainment was also known to contribute to this concept (Rogin, 4, 1996). The main emphasis that has been kept with the Jewish culture is to take away the melting pot culture that was stereotyped outside of the main cultural arena. Americanizing immigrants in the 1960s, using intermarriages in entertainment and identifying the Jew as American all continued to change the way that the Jews were looked at. The miscegenation of the melting pot and the ability to create a different relationship to the concept of being the same as Americans but different allowed a unique label to be placed on those of Jewish origin. The Jews were able to take the concept of their heritage and create a sense of celebration based on the different characteristics of festivities and applications to stereotypes. Instead of rejecting the minority stereotypes and marginalization that was placed on the Jews, there was an embracing of the marginalization and the stereotypes that were presented to the race. Using the entertainment as a commodity that could be expanded on then allowed the Jewish Americans to create an outside identity that was embraced by staying on the outside and respecting the American ideals at the same time (Rogin, 10, 1996). Conclusion The entertainment that was used through third generation Jews was able to move into the American mainstream and into popular icons. Some of these were based on the idolization of the concept of being a Jew and being a stereotype that was marginalized in a specific arena. Others were based on embracing the Americanization and the culture of belonging more as an American while remaining a Jew. The entertainers that were a part of the growth of Jewish identity through the 20th century were able to combine the concepts of growing as a Jew and stereotype while becoming a part of the majority population that was strictly American. The combination of these two aspects from the time of the melting pot was then able to provide a popular concept of what it meant to be Jewish. The entertainers contributed to the popular stereotypes of what it meant to be Jew while adding into the different aspects of how one was able to overcome the American boundaries that had been created. References Gold, Michael. (1996). Jews Without Money. New York: Carroll and Graf Publishers. Goldstein, Eric. (2006). The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Goren, Arthur. (1999). The Politics and Public Culture of American Jews. Indiana: Indiana University Press. Heilman, Samuel. (1995). Portrait of American Jews: The Last Half of the 20th Century. Washington: University of Washington Press. Joselit, Jenna. (1994). The Wonders of America: Reinventing Jewish Culture 1880 – 1950. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Rogin, Michael. (1996). Blackface, White Noise: Jewish Immigrants in the Hollywood Melting Pot. California: University of California Press. Sachar, Howard. (1993). A History of the Jews in America. New York: Vintage Books. Sorin, Gerald. (1997) Tradition Transformed: The Jewish Experience in America. London: the John Hopkins University. Read More