The Levys of Monticello

A fascinating story about a Jewish family that owned Thomas Jefferson’s beloved home and saved it from ruin.

The Story

For nearly 90 years after Thomas Jefferson’s death in 1826, a Jewish family owned Monticello and saved it from ruin on two different occasions. Along the way, the family endured the hostility of antisemitism while also perpetuating the bitter legacy of slavery at Jefferson’s cherished home.

Telling a story that stretches from the earliest years of the United States to the gut-wrenching events that took place at a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, The Levys of Monticello is an entertaining and eye-opening film about a family that personifies both American history and the American dream.