Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Jews of the Wild West

Jews of the Wild West is a feature length documentary about resilience and identity in an unexpected place. The film tells a positive immigration story and highlights the dynamic contributions Jewish Americans made to shaping the Western United States. With today's rise in antisemitism, these stories are more important now than ever.

The documentary includes the story of Josephine Marcus Earp, the Jewish wife of Wyatt Earp, American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp was involved in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which lawmen killed three outlaw Cochise County Cowboys.

Also profiled are the immigrant families that created Levi's jeans and Samsonite luggage and Ray Frank, the first woman to preach from a synagogue pulpit.

The film is available to watch on Kanopy, a free service provided by most public libraries and academic institutions.

Here's a preview. Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.