The First and Only Jewish
Hollywood Bureau
The Problem: No Representation
Jews do not have a seat at the diversity table in Hollywood when it comes to representation and accommodations, unlike every other marginalized group. That’s because Jews are seen as too white, too rich and too privileged – all ideas based in antisemitism. The result is TV shows and movies with inauthentic, cartoonish Jewish depictions at best and vilified ones at worst. With no framework to prevent tropes and encourage more nuanced, diverse stories to be told, the entertainment industry is fueling antisemitism. Per the 2022 FBI hate crimes report, Jews continue to be the most targeted minority group per capita in the US.
The Solution: A Seat at the table
Following the footsteps of other minority bureaus launched by NAACP and MPAC and more, JITC Hollywood Bureau is the first and only Jewish Hollywood Bureau for Media Outreach and Advocacy. Our services include:
Training Showrunners
Providing Consultants on TV Shows and Movies
Commissioning Entertainment Studies
Media Awards
Participating in DEI Panels
Our Impact: Changing Perceptions
In the first year of our initial launch, we’ve already:
1
Met every major studio in Hollywood, to introduce the idea that Jews belong in DEI conversations and that Jewish representation and accommodations need to change
2
Partnered with Think Tank For Inclusion and Equity to create the first Jewish fact sheet for TV studios
3
Hosted inaugural Sundance panel on Jewish representation to standing room only
4
Named as a changemaker in Hollywood in Variety’s most recent Inclusion Impact Report
5
Held inaugural Jewish Media Awards
6
Launched a study on Jews in television with the Norman Lear Center
Resources: Further Insights
The Marginalized Group Inclusion Spaces Forgot to Include
My family comes from a small, persecuted, indigenous people from the Middle East. We have been refugees for a painfully long time. When my grandfather was a child, he was lined up with his family to see how many people a bullet could go through. His family thankfully got away and fled to the US. My other grandfather experienced [...]
Jew in the City Sundance Panels
2024: Sects, Lies and Videotape: Debunking deadly tropes about Jews and Israel in TV, film and media
2023: #MeJew: Antisemitism, Authentic Representation and Jewish Identity in Hollywood [...]
2023: #MeJew: Antisemitism, Authentic Representation and Jewish Identity in Hollywood [...]
Hollywood’s Orthodox Jew Problem: A JITC Documentary
Since its founding in 2007, Jew in the City has been fighting to change negative perceptions about Orthodox Jews. This past March, we launched JITC Hollywood Bureau to advocate for authentic and human depictions of Jews in Hollywood. This documentary was made in collaboration with PhilmCo Media and is the first part of [...]
The JOSEPHS Test For Accurate Media Portrayals of Orthodox Jews
The JOSEPHS Test For Accurate Media Portrayals of Orthodox Jews by screenwriter Yael Levy. Are there any Orthodox characters who are emotionally and psychologically stable? (Half a point if they occasionally smile. Two points if you’d want to hang out with any of them.) Are there characters who are Orthodox whose religious life [...]
JITC Featured On National ABC Storyteller Spotlight
Allison Josephs is a Jewish American storyteller who created "Jew in the City," a nonprofit with a mission to change negatives perceptions about the Orthodox Jewish community through storytelling. "I was frustrated with the media's depictions of my community. And I knew that I could share a more authentic and nuanced story," said Josephs. [...]
JITC Hollywood Bureau Letter To The Motion Picture Academy Goes Viral!
We have long been frustrated with Jews being left out of inclusion seminars, statements and calls for diversity. It has been painful to see the main depictions of Jews on screen related to the Holocaust, those leaving the Orthodox faith and stereotypical roles that rely on antisemitic tropes. [...]