WE HELPED BUILD AMERICA TOO:

Biographies of Great – Though Not Necessarily Famous – American Jews

 

In September 1654, 23 Jewish refugees—men, women and children—fled Recife, Brazil, and arrived in New Amsterdam. With time, Jewish men and women began making significant contributions to the growth, wealth and creativity of this great land. For more than 350 years, these contributions have come in the arts and sciences, politics and finance – in virtually every endeavor from athletics to zoology. Far too often though, their names and accomplishments have been consigned to history's dustbin.

These eight standalone lectures examine the lives and accomplishments of eight Jewish individuals who can really be said to have “helped build America too.”

Lectures (eight):

  1. Mordecai Manuel Noah (1785-1851): A journalist with a flair for politics and diplomacy Noah tried to create a Jewish homeland on Grand Island in the Niagara River.

  2. August Belmont (1816-1890): Originally the Rothschild family's “man in America,” Belmont became both the arbiter of good taste and chair of the Democratic National Committee.

  3. Louis Dembitz Brandeis (1856-1941): “The People's Lawyer,” Brandeis became the first Jew appointed to the United States Supreme Court.

  4. Bernard Baruch (1870-1965): A legendary financier who became the most trusted and long-lived presidential advisor in American history.

  5. Meyer London (1871-1926): Elected to Congress as a Socialist, London was the have-nots best friend in America.

  6. Belle Linder Moskowitz (1877-1933): Governor Al Smith's closest political advisor and the mother of all female political powerhouses, Moskowitz was a major force in creating the social welfare programs of the New Deal.

  7. Adolph Zukor (1873-1976): More than anyone, Zukor can claim title to being the real father of the motion picture industry.

  8. Florence Prag Kahn (1866-1948): The first Jewish woman to serve in Congress, Kahn was often referred to by J. Edgar Hoover as “The Mother of the F.B.I.”