The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is addressing backlash from Hollywood Jewish figures over an exhibit celebrating Hollywood’s Jewish roots.
“We have heard the concerns from members of the Jewish community regarding some components of our exhibition Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital,” the Academy Museum said in a statement. “We take these concerns seriously and are committed to making changes to the exhibition to address them.”
The museum said the first set of changes would be implemented “immediately,” adding, “They will allow us to tell these important stories without using phrasing that may unintentionally reinforce stereotypes. This will also help to eliminate any ambiguities.”
United Jewish Writers organized an open letter addressed to the museum expressing their “extreme disappointment” and “frustration” with the exhibit. The exhibit had words printed on the wall including, “tyrant,” “oppressive,” “womanizer,” “predator,” “offensive,” “racial oppression,” “nepotism,” and “prejudices.”
“It is the only section of the museum that vilifies those it purports to celebrate,” read the letter. “While we acknowledge the value in confronting Hollywood’s problematic past, the despicable double standard of the Jewish Founders exhibit, blaming only the Jews for that problematic past, is unacceptable and, whether intentional or not, antisemitic.”
The New York Times reported that the letter’s signatories included entertainment executive Casey Wasserman, actor David Schwimmer, and television writer Amy Sherman-Palladino.
Following the outcry, the museum said they “are convening an advisory group of experts from leading museums focused on the Jewish community, civil rights, and the history of other marginalized groups to advise us on complex questions about context and any necessary additions to the exhibition’s narrative.”
“We are deeply committed to telling these important stories in an honest, respectful, and impactful way,” the Academy Museum’s statement concluded.
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