The Levys of Monticello Documentary Movie

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The Levys of Monticello Documentary Movie Trailer HD - Plot synopsis: When Thomas Jefferson died in 1826, he left behind a mountain of personal debt, which forced his heirs to sell his beloved Monticello home and all of its possessions. The Levys of Monticello is a documentary film that tells the little-known story of the Levy family, which owned and carefully preserved Monticello for nearly a century – far longer than Jefferson or his descendants. The remarkable story of the Levy family also intersects with the rise of antisemitism that runs throughout the course of American history.

A Film by Steven Pressman - Coming Soon from Menemsha Films! - On Digital & VOD November 24th, 2023
Transcript
00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 Monticello is a way to encounter American history.
00:12 And there has been a history of Jewish involvement
00:16 at Monticello for decades.
00:19 Things were falling apart at Monticello
00:21 when Thomas Jefferson died.
00:23 Who buys it but this most unlikely person?
00:27 People could not believe that a Jew owned Monticello
00:30 and that the mother of the owner was buried there.
00:35 The Levy family, they venerate Jefferson for his views
00:39 on religious toleration.
00:41 And they know that they personally
00:43 have been subject in various ways to anti-Semitism.
00:49 Monticello's survival is due to the dedication of the Levy
00:54 family over 89 years.
00:57 The story of the Levy's is one of the great stories
01:00 in American history.
01:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:05 [MUSIC PLAYING]
01:08 (gentle music)
01:10 [music]