{"id":6961,"date":"2022-10-25T20:15:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T20:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lsa.umich.edu\/liberatinglens\/?page_id=6961"},"modified":"2022-12-11T22:12:43","modified_gmt":"2022-12-11T22:12:43","slug":"rosenthal-adam-j","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/courses.lsa.umich.edu\/liberatinglens\/rosenthal-adam-j\/","title":{"rendered":"Rosenthal, Adam J"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Thesis & Background<\/h2>\n
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The Jews Of Wyoming<\/em><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

For my final project I intend to explore the impact Jewish immigrants had on the American western frontier, specifically in Wyoming, during the 1800s and 1900s. My goal in this project will be to understand and uncover aspects of Jewish westward expansion and how their lives were affected by living in such isolated territory. Additionally, I will dive deeper into the question of how Jewish people kept their Jewish identities alive in the absence of a truly Jewish lifestyle and populous Jewish communities. Similar to the Jewish struggle throughout history, their experiences in Wyoming represent the effort to keep Jewish customs alive when they are living in communities where they are most definitely the minority.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penny Wolin<\/mark><\/a> is a Jewish American photographer who was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1953. She began her career in photography by capturing the largest rodeo in the world, the Cheyenne Frontier Days, when she was only 16 years old. She trained in both anthropology as well as photography at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. I have chosen to analyze her work for my final project as her unique upbringing in rural Wyoming has given her a unique perspective on Jewish life in America. This perspective has allowed her photo book to become extremely influential as it combines two very important viewpoints to showcase her unique identity. In parallel with her attempts to showcase how the Jewish tradition has stayed alive in a rural community, I will use my Jewish American background to show how prevalent Judaism is in Ann Arbor, Michigan.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pictured below are three images from <\/span>The Jews of Wyoming<\/span><\/i> that I plan on exploring further in my final project.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201dSingle\u201d, Penny Wolin, Page 123<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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“Independent”, Adam Rosenthal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>

Methodology<\/h2>\n
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Throughout Penny Wolin\u2019s<\/mark><\/a> extensive photographic career, she constantly altered her methodology and strategy for every photo project she created. Specifically, in <\/span>The Jews of Wyoming<\/span><\/i>, Wolin spent countless hours diving deeply into the subjects of her photos as well as the context she placed them in. She conducted interviews, researched, and spent time with each of her subjects in order to truly capture them in respect to her viewpoint. This viewpoint<\/mark><\/a>, of showcasing Jewish assimilation in a seemingly absent Jewish community is represented through her chosen methodology for this photo book. By photographing her subjects with the hope of transmitting a deeper symbolic meaning, instead of simply photographing for beauty, Wolin was able to shed light upon the Jewish community in Wyoming. Along with this, Wolin used this platform to showcase the various challenges the Jewish community faced by living in a remote and predominantly Christian area.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the video attached below, Penny discusses how her photography has helped to uplift the Jewish community in comparison to an ever-modernizing society. She explains that “Jewish artists who use cameras are the touchpoint, the interface, between the icons and iconic events of our time and the very culture itself (Judaism).” (DEVELOPPhoto). In addition, Wolin discusses how many Jewish photographers escaped anti-semitic European nations and were able to blossom through artistic outlets such as photography. With such a strong connection to her own Jewish heritage, Wolin emphasizes the importance of showcasing Jewish photography during “the golden age of Jewish life in America”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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