Academy Museum to Showcase Hollywood’s Jewish Heritage

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has announced a new permanent exhibition that will finally give credit to the Jewish immigrants who played a crucial role in creating Hollywood and the film industry. The exhibition, titled “Hollywoodland,” is set to open on May 19 and will highlight the impact of Jewish filmmakers who established the American film studio system, turning Los Angeles into a global cinema hub.

This announcement comes after the museum faced criticism for failing to acknowledge the contributions of Jewish pioneers like Samuel Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, and the Warner brothers when it first opened in 2021. The omission sparked backlash from Jewish leaders and supporters, who saw it as a troubling erasure of Hollywood’s Jewish history.

In response to the outcry, the museum decided to create a permanent gallery dedicated to the Jewish story of Hollywood. The exhibition will be divided into three parts, exploring the founding of Hollywood studios, the evolution of Los Angeles alongside the film industry, and the journey of Jewish immigrants and first-generation Americans who built the studio system.

The exhibition was organized by curator Dara Jaffe, with input from industry experts like Neal Gabler, author of “An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood.” According to Jaffe, the pioneering Jewish filmmakers were drawn to the film industry because they were excluded from many other professions.

With “Hollywoodland,” the Academy Museum aims to set the record straight and honor the legacy of Jewish immigrants who shaped the entertainment industry as we know it today.