Shabbot Salon
The Jazz Age and the Creation of American Jewish Culture
Ted Merwin, Professor of Religion and Judaic Studies at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and chief theater critic at The Jewish Week, speaks about his new book, In Their Own Image: New York Jews in Jazz Age Popular Culture (2006). Merwin explains how he became interested in the culture of the Jazz Age and reflects on his experience growing up in a secular Jewish home. He explains the progression of Jewish-American culture, starting with immigrant communities on the Lower East Side of New York. Merwin also shares slides and explains the uniquely Jewish contributions to vaudeville, Broadway productions, Art Deco theater architecture, and the burgeoning contemporary entertainment business of the 1920s. The lecture is followed with questions from the audience.
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