The United States is unique in the history of the diaspora. In no other place has such a small minority been able to participate so prominently and for so long in the cultural life of the nation. Some took advantage of the unprecedented opportunities available to them as Americans to create artistic and literary forms of a distinctly Jewish nature. Others sought to create a synthesis between their American and Jewish identities. In every facet of the arts, and in every aspect of the entertainment industry, the American Jew has thrived.