Embodied Judaism IV: Jews Out West

A collaborative exhibit by the Program in Jewish Students and the University Libraries, as part of the Fourth Biannual Embodied Judaism Symposium & Exhibit. Support comes from the Bender Foundation, the Rose Community Foundation and co-sponsors include the Center for the American West, CU Boulder History and Religious Studies Department. Lead author is Rebecca Wartell, Jewish Studies, with graphic design by Andrew Violet from the University Libraries. The exhibit includes Sanctuary II, an art installation, by graduate research assistant Danielle Garrison

Confronted by the reality of the Holocaust and the call of Zionism, Jews in the post-WWII years found new ways to conceive of themselves as Jewish Americans. Summer camps founded in the post-war years played a significant role in forming this new identity through outdoor western-themed activities such as horseback riding, archery, shooting practice, and arts and crafts. As in other summer camps in the US, playing cowboy and ‘Indian’ had a role in establishing postwar norms.