A Home on the Range shows old photographs, archival color footage of the idealistic society that once existed in Petaluma and features interviews of former residents. The film reconstructs the daily life in Petaluma and highlights the daily mix of farm work and intellectual activities. United by their culture, the Jews of Petaluma cared for one another as extended family and survived antisemitism pre-World War II and anticommunist sentiments of the McCarthy era. With time, the community dwindled, and today their chicken ranches have been replaced by telecommunication facilities, dairy farms and vineyards.
The film demonstrates that for many of the Jews living in Petaluma, Judaism was more of a culture than a religion. It includes an account of a former resident saying that people kept the holidays for the social attachment, and another stating: “Judaism—there wasn't any!” Burt and Montell show that, for the farmers of Petaluma, Judaism meant less about God and more about speaking Yiddish, eating matzah, and forming a kibbutz. But most of all, it meant they were outsiders to American society because they were often called rude names, discriminated against, and even attacked. As one woman in the film remembers, “they used to call us dirty Jew.” Another woman remembers a particularly frightening night when an antisemitic neighbor threw a barn party and the drunk and rowdy crowd terrified her parents so much that they couldn't sleep that night. There is also an incident when non-Jewish leaders of a neighboring community acted out their antisemitism and anti-communist by attacking some of the men of Petaluma.
The film shows that, after several generations of life in Petaluma, Jewish Americans were no longer persecuted. They assimilated into society, and the vibrant community of chicken ranchers in Petaluma dwindled. One former resident who grew up on a ranch and raised her children on a ranch expresses her mixed feelings about assimilation in the film. She pines for “the core” sense of community attachment that she used to feel, but in exchange admits that she and her neighbors “were accepted as Americans.”
Production
For the past twenty years, Bonnie Burt has been making documentaries about Jewish life. Her films have screened at the Museum of Modern Art and at Lincoln Center in New York.[1] In 1992, she teamed up with Judy Montell to produce A Home on the Range.
Reception
The San Diego Jewish Film Festival called A Home on the Range a modest film that "reads almost like an epic myth."[2]
^ . Bonnie Burt and Judith Montell. Archived from the original on 2007-07-04. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
^ . San Diego Center for Jewish Culture. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
References
Fishkoff, Sue (7 May 1999). "When left-wingers and chicken wings populated Petaluma". The Jewish News Weekly. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
. Bonnie Burt and Judith Montell. Archived from the original on 2007-07-04. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
. San Diego Center for Jewish Culture. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
. New England Film. November 2002. Archived from the original on 2014-07-23. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
External links
A Home on the Range: The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma
The Petaluma Museum
75th Anniversary of the Jewish Community Center in Petaluma
January 28, 2023
home, range, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, relies, excessively, references, primary, sources, please, improve, this, article, adding, s. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources A Home on the Range news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article s tone or style may not reflect the encyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia See Wikipedia s guide to writing better articles for suggestions July 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message A Home on the Range The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma is a 2002 documentary by Bonnie Burt and Judith Montell about a group of Jews who fled pogroms in Eastern Europe and prejudice in America They organised a socialist society in the rural Northern California town of Petaluma and raised chickens to support themselves A Home on the Range The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of PetalumaDirected byBonnie Burt and Judith MontellProduced byBonnie Burt and Judith MontellRelease date2002 2002 Running time52 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish Contents 1 Summary 2 Production 3 Reception 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksSummary EditA Home on the Range shows old photographs archival color footage of the idealistic society that once existed in Petaluma and features interviews of former residents The film reconstructs the daily life in Petaluma and highlights the daily mix of farm work and intellectual activities United by their culture the Jews of Petaluma cared for one another as extended family and survived antisemitism pre World War II and anticommunist sentiments of the McCarthy era With time the community dwindled and today their chicken ranches have been replaced by telecommunication facilities dairy farms and vineyards The film demonstrates that for many of the Jews living in Petaluma Judaism was more of a culture than a religion It includes an account of a former resident saying that people kept the holidays for the social attachment and another stating Judaism there wasn t any Burt and Montell show that for the farmers of Petaluma Judaism meant less about God and more about speaking Yiddish eating matzah and forming a kibbutz But most of all it meant they were outsiders to American society because they were often called rude names discriminated against and even attacked As one woman in the film remembers they used to call us dirty Jew Another woman remembers a particularly frightening night when an antisemitic neighbor threw a barn party and the drunk and rowdy crowd terrified her parents so much that they couldn t sleep that night There is also an incident when non Jewish leaders of a neighboring community acted out their antisemitism and anti communist by attacking some of the men of Petaluma The film shows that after several generations of life in Petaluma Jewish Americans were no longer persecuted They assimilated into society and the vibrant community of chicken ranchers in Petaluma dwindled One former resident who grew up on a ranch and raised her children on a ranch expresses her mixed feelings about assimilation in the film She pines for the core sense of community attachment that she used to feel but in exchange admits that she and her neighbors were accepted as Americans Production EditFor the past twenty years Bonnie Burt has been making documentaries about Jewish life Her films have screened at the Museum of Modern Art and at Lincoln Center in New York 1 In 1992 she teamed up with Judy Montell to produce A Home on the Range Reception EditThe San Diego Jewish Film Festival called A Home on the Range a modest film that reads almost like an epic myth 2 See also EditOther Documentaries about Jews in America My Yiddish Momme McCoy Awake Zion From Swastika to Jim Crow Professional Revolutionary Song of a Jewish CowboyMore information on Jewish communes Kibbutz Moshav Socialism IsraelNotes Edit A Home on the Range The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma Bonnie Burt and Judith Montell Archived from the original on 2007 07 04 Retrieved August 6 2007 San Diego Jewish Film Festival San Diego Center for Jewish Culture Archived from the original on 2007 09 27 Retrieved August 6 2007 References EditFishkoff Sue 7 May 1999 When left wingers and chicken wings populated Petaluma The Jewish News Weekly Retrieved August 6 2007 A Home on the Range The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma Bonnie Burt and Judith Montell Archived from the original on 2007 07 04 Retrieved August 6 2007 San Diego Jewish Film Festival San Diego Center for Jewish Culture Archived from the original on 2007 09 27 Retrieved August 6 2007 A Home on the Range The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma New England Film November 2002 Archived from the original on 2014 07 23 Retrieved August 6 2007 External links EditA Home on the Range The Jewish Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma A Home on the Range s official website The Petaluma Museum 75th Anniversary of the Jewish Community Center in Petaluma Petaluma Chamber of Commerce Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title A Home on the Range amp oldid 1119471870, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
