 he NMJHS will celebrate its Fifteenth Annual Conference
in Taos in November, by examining the growth and development
of Jewish communities in New Mexico in the second half of the
twentieth century. The weekend will feature a variety of presentations,
ranging from films to historical lectures and panel discussions
by participants in the process of building and developing Jewish
communities throughout the state. Conference attendees will also
have the opportunity to visit the recently established Taos Jewish
Center, as well as other sites related to the history of this
fascinating town.
Among the major attractions of the Conference are the screening
of two important films, "One of the Hollywood Ten"
(2000) on Friday evening, and "Salt of the Earth" (1953)
on Saturday evening. The latter film will celebrate the 50th
anniversary of its production. It was produced and directed by
Jewish film- makers blacklisted during the infamous McCarthy
anti-Communist witch hunts of
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the
early 1950s.
The life and work of the film's director, the late Herbert Biberman,
will receive full treatment during the weekend. Biberman is the
subject of a film biography released in 2000 entitled "One
of the Hollywood Ten." Its director, Karl Francis of Wales
(United Kingdom), will speak on Friday evening to introduce the
film. (See film review p. 3.)
Director Herbert Biberman was part of a group labeled "The
Hollywood Ten." They were screenwriters and directors jailed
for their refusal to cooperate with HUAC, the House Un-American
Activities Committee.
Other special guests include Virginia Chacón, a resident
of Fayewood near Silver City, who is the widow of the late Juan
Chacón, who performed as the male lead. Many of the actors
were union members who played themselves in the story about mine
workers during an actual strike. Other members of the cast were
blacklisted from Hollywood at that time. The controversy surrounding
the film and the struggle to release it caused a stir worldwide.
The weekend is intended to provide a fresh look at diverse Jewish
communities of the state during the last part of the twentieth
century. Since 1985 when the NMJHS was founded, the organization
has made a commitment to bring public
attention to the role of Jews in the state's Jewish history.
"One cannot comprehend New Mexico history without developing
an understanding of the contributions of the state's various
ethnic components," according to Stanley Hordes, President
of the NMJHS. Over the years the Society has produced conferences
about Jewish artists, the Crypto-Jews |
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 of New
Mexico, participants in the Manhattan Project, Jewish women and
much more.
This year's conference is intended to reflect the diversity of
the Jewish community, here as elsewhere, and highlight the state
as a place that has embraced people and cultures from all over
the world. Hordes says it is not surprising that a Hollywood
blacklisted director and his associates ended up in New Mexico,
where a wide range of expression was possible. The filming process
had its difficulties, which the conference will address. "Salt
of the Earth" focused on Local 890 of the International
Union of Mine Mill and Smelter Workers that was involved in a
lockout strike against Empire Zinc in Silver City. It addressed
serious issues for its time, including rights for women, and
the right of workers to organize.
Other presentations during the weekend include historian Henry
Tobias, author of "A History of the Jews in New Mexico,"
who will share new research on the state's Jewish history since
World War II. Iris Keltz, author of "Scrapbook of a Taos
Hippie," will reveal another aspect of Jewish involvement--the
formation of the New Buffalo Hippie Commune in Taos.
There is also a tour planned of sites related to Jewish settlement
in Taos. Panel discussions will feature people with a long history
of participation in the growth and development of various Jewish
Taos Conference -continued on p. 2
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