Agenda

Jewishwood

The Jewish contribution to the birth of Hollywood

From May 23, 2025 to February 1, 2026

Museu d'Història dels Jueus

The fathers of the Hollywood industrial production system were the sons of Jewish families from central and eastern Europe. At the end of the 19th century, many Jewish immigrants from central and eastern Europe arrived in the United States. Some were fleeing pogroms and discrimination, while others were escaping poverty and looking for a new way of life.

The pioneers of the world's largest entertainment industry were Ashkenazi Jews who landed in New York and struggled to make a living. Before dedicating themselves to film, they had other jobs. Carl Laemmle worked in a garment factory, William Fox worked as a dry cleaner, Marcus Loew ran a slot machine shop, the Warner brothers were bicycle repairmen, and Adolf Zukor was a fur trader. Years later, they entered the film exhibition business and later created the big business in Hollywood of bringing great entertainment stories to life on the screen that the public demanded.

Their rise is a very striking example of the American dream and a fact that enhances the mythology of this dream that they themselves helped to universalize with their films.

Free admission.

Curator: Jordi Dorca Costa. Organized by: Patronat Call de Girona. In collaboration with: Fundació Museu del Cinema-Col·lecció Tomàs Mallol