“Jews of the Wild West,” a new feature-length documentary about Jewish American pioneers, will air on Kansas City PBS in May.
The film, which is also available on Amazon and iTunes, focuses on the largely forgotten Jewish figures and roles in the days of the Wild West.
Created by director Amanda Kinsey and Electric Yolk Media, “Jews of the Wild West” is an independent, not-for-profit film funded by individual donors, grants and crowdsourcing. The film centers on telling the narrative of both the tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants who headed west after reaching the United States, and the Wild West itself.
Director Amanda Kinsey has won five Emmy Awards for production, several Edward R. Murrow Awards, National Headliner Awards and a Gracie Allen Award. She wrote and produced for NBC News before founding her own production company, Electric Yolk Media, in 2013.
“I moved from Brooklyn to Denver four years ago and began looking for untold stories of the Wild West,” Kinsey said. “There is an archive at the University of Denver that’s focused on Jewish history of Colorado. I spent time there and was impressed by the stories I found. I soon realized there were equally impressive stories of Jewish immigrants in California, Texas, New Mexico and throughout the West. I felt these stories were important and needed to be shared. I am not Jewish and see this project as an act of allyship.”
Various notable Jews of the Wild West are highlighted, including Broncho Billy Anderson (originally named Max Aronson) of “The Great Train Robbery” film fame, Levi Strauss, Jesse Shwayder (founder of Samsonite luggage), the Guggenheim family, and Wyatt Earp’s wife, Josephine Marcus Earp.
“I hope viewers take away an appreciation for the contributions Jewish immigrants made to the building of modern America and that the film encourages us all to dig a little deeper when it comes to history,” Kinsey said. “The United States is, and has always been, a diverse place and immigration has long played an important role. Once we understand that better, I believe we better understand each other and ourselves.
“Jews of the Wild West” will air on Kansas City PBS on Thursday, May 25, at 9 p.m. and Monday, May 29, at 12 a.m., and on Kansas City PBS 2 on Wednesday, May 31, at 11:30 p.m. More information about the film is available at jewsofthewildwest.com.
