In the early 1920s, a Jewish filmmaker set out to create a movie that would counter the rising antisemitism of the time.
The result was “Breaking Home Ties,” a silent film about Russian Jewish immigrants in the Lower East Side that depicts Jews and Jewish practice in a sensitive light.
“Breaking Home Ties” premiered at the Astor Hotel near Times Square in 1922. For its time, it was seen as a rare, well-rounded depiction of Jewish characters, and a glimpse into the lives of struggling immigrants…