“When I tell people that a Jewish family once owned Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello, their jaws drop,” says director Steven Pressman (50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. And Mrs. Kraus, JFF 2014). But the fact is that when Thomas Jefferson died, he left behind a mountain of personal debt, which forced his heirs to sell his beloved Monticello home and everything in it. Uriah Levy paid $2,700 to become its owner. The Levys of Monticello tells the little-known story of the Levy family, which owned and carefully preserved Monticello for 89 years, far longer than Jefferson or his descendants. This remarkable slice of the American story intersects with the rise of antisemitism that runs through the country’s history.
FREE screening for JBFC members on October 17
