Pushcarts and Plantations

Blackened gefilte fish, anyone? Pushcarts and Plantations is an interesting and unique little discourse on the history and current status of Jews in Louisiana's "three states" (Northern, Southern, and New Orleans). And a venerable history it is: Although their numbers have never been substantial, Jews have played a disproportionately large role in Louisiana's cultural, political, and commercial life since the late 18th century. Filled with undeniably tasty historical bites of history about these communities (the role of Jews on the Confederate side of the Civil War is particularly interesting), the program also features such winning segments as a short piece on two bubbly bubbes--grandmas, who run a kosher cajun deli in the Big Easy. Overall, however, the video tends to be an unsatisfying tsimmes (that's a big stewy mixture made from disparate ingredients), with its talking heads and bland archival photos that do fairly little to hold the attention or spice up the narrative. Too, there are big stretches, such as the separate segments about David Duke and anti-Semitism, that disrupt rather than contribute to the flow of the story being told, while the discussion about the challenges to Southern Jewry seems tacked on and rather gratuitous: loss of traditions, assimilation and intermarriage are issues that are in no way unique to the South. All this is a shame; a more thoughtfully produced video would have been a great compliment to the earlier and infinitely better made West of Hester Street ($79.95, avail. from Media Projects). Aud: H, C, P. (G. Handman)