Strange Fruit

Not many people know that “Strange Fruit”, the controversial song about the shameful lynching of blacks in the United States, made famous by the late Billie Holiday, was, in fact, written by a Jewish schoolteacher from the Bronx named Abel Meeropol. That’s one of the many fascinating facts revealed in Joel Katz’s illuminating look at one of the most controversial, disquieting and impactful songs ever to emerge from popular culture. But Strange Fruit is more than just the story of a tune. Black-Jewish relations, McCarthyism - and a surprising connection to Ethel and Julius Rosenberg—plus the whole backdrop of protest movements and committed artists are also part of this historic tale. It’s a fitting tribute to a song, a man and an era.