Students from Stuyvesant’s Jewish History elective recently visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage for a special screening of Sapiro v. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford, an acclaimed documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker Gaylen Ross.
The film tells the remarkable David-and-Goliath story of Aaron Sapiro, a Jewish attorney who sued automobile magnate Henry Ford for libel in 1927 after Ford’s newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, published vicious antisemitic attacks against him. The lawsuit ultimately helped force Ford to issue a public apology and shut down his newspaper.
The screening complemented our classroom exploration of antisemitism in America during the 1920s and 1930s, including the spread of conspiracy theories, discrimination, and the efforts of American Jews to challenge prejudice.
Following the film, students attended a fascinating panel discussion and talkback, gaining additional insights into this little-known chapter of American Jewish history. It was a terrific opportunity to connect our classroom studies with the larger historical questions of free speech, intolerance, and the courage to confront powerful figures!!
