| March of the Living 2011 |
| On Monday, May 2, 2011 Jewish Life Foundation will broadcast live from Poland for the second year in a row. |
Pioneers of Israel
For centuries, spiritual leaders, scholars, and Bible purists have been studying and teaching the intricacies of the Bible and the origins and history of the Land of Israel, Eretz Yisrael. Deeply embedded in this history and tradition was the creation of the new nation of Israel, born from the blood and resilience and invincible will of a few thousand early pioneers.
Pioneers in Eretz Yisrael struggled and persevered to lay the foundation for their new country. The State of Israel has been reborn in the modern era to provide a refuge for millions of persecuted Jews determined to reclaim their homeland. In their fight for independence these early settlers gained the respect and awe of millions of people worldwide who witnessed the pioneers’ commitment to establish a safe and secure country in which Jews could cherish their freedom and their heritage.
Pioneers of Israel reveals the stories of many of the well-known figures that assumed leadership in the development of the new nation. These few are meant to represent the thousands, later the tens of thousands of pioneers who participated in the building of the country—many of whom remain anonymous. Some of these unnamed pioneers are included in photographs in the book and archival film throughout the documentary. They are the people who worked the soil, developed business and industry, educated young people, raised families, provided innovation in scientific research and technology, and brought culture and socialization to the fledgling nation. This project is a tribute to these unheralded modern-day heroes.
To purchase, please call 818-786-4000 or click here.
Wrestling with the Angels: A History of Jewish Los Angeles
From the time of the arrival of the earliest Jewish immigrants from Poland and Germany to Los Angeles in 1850, the seeds were planted for the future growth and evolution of Los Angeles as a society and culture. It is in these pioneer beginnings that we can trace the first charitable organization in the city, the Hebrew Benevolent Society. As early as 1854 Los Angeles had its first ordained rabbi, Joseph Newmark, and by 1870 Polish born Emil Harris became the first Jewish Chief of Police. We learn that in these early days anti-Semitism was virtually non-existent and we can trace the influence of the Jewish population on the evolving and developing “City of Angels.”
We follow the progress from the very first eight Jewish bachelors arriving in 1850, forging ahead to 1900 when the Jewish population expanded to 2,500, and then to 1920 when the number of Jewish residents exploded to 20,000.
We continue to trace the biggest increase in population and social growth which occurred between 1920 and 1950 with waves of Jewish immigrants coming to America and settling in Los Angeles. During this time, the Jewish community flourished and its members became prominent in the motion picture and apparel industries, consumer retail and wholesale trades, the building industry and the medical and legal professions. The Jewish population in Los Angeles climbed to 70,000 in 1930. By 1940, as a result of immigrants leaving Europe to escape Hitler, the Jewish community reached 150,000 and the wave of survivors continued following the Holocaust.
The thriving metropolis of Los Angeles provides an exciting, glamorous and golden backdrop against which to tell the story of a people who came here speaking different languages and engaging in foreign customs, and brought with them a culture that had been developed thousands of years ago. Jewish newcomers came from all over the globe. They somehow found their way to California, where they discovered the land of milk and honey in Los Angeles. The Jewish community became fundamental to the development of the city—equal to any group that comprised the city’s uniquely ethnic makeup.
To purchase, please call 818-786-4000 or click here.