Many have visited Monticello near Charlottesville, VA and have been introduced to the property as the impressive residence of Thomas Jefferson. Few realize, however, that when Jefferson died in 1826, he left behind millions in debts which forced his heirs to sell the Monticello mansion in 1836 to raise money to pay his debts. One owner bought the property and then quickly sold it after two years. Another owner then bought the property, and he and his heirs held it until 1923 when the private nonprofit Thomas Jefferson Foundation purchased it. The recently-released documentary The Levys of Monticello tells the story of the Levy family, a Jewish family living in the American South who not only purchased the property from the Jefferson family but invested heavily over almost a century to restore and maintain it prior to selling it in 1923.This fascinating documentary tells us the fascinating backstory on preserving Monticello, but also much about the Levy family’s experience as Jews in the American South during the 19th century forced to confront ongoing antisemitism as well as their own conflicted relationships with slave-holding in the antebellum South. This film is a masterfully directed documentary that feels like a detective story. Directed by Steven Pressman 70 minutes 2023