EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Connect Magazine
Houston Jewish Film Festival
ECT N N CO H US!st MARCH 21–APRIL 1, 2020 WIT FilmFe ou
#JH
It Must Scwhing! The Blue Note Story Photo credit: NDR/Studio Hamburg Enterprises
Celebrating 16 Years of the Best Jewish and Israeli Films
erjcchouston.org/filmfest
Houston Jewish Film Festival | At a Glance COMEDY
FAMILY
9 | Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles
5 | SNEAK PREVIEW NIGHT: Douze Points 4 | OPENING NIGHT: Tel Aviv on Fire 12 | CLOSING NIGHT: Standing Up, Falling Down
DOCUMENTARY
6 | Golda
7 | Aulcie 8 | CHAIR’S CHOICE: It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story 9 | Black Honey: The Life and Poetry of Avraham Sutzkever
10 | Picture of His Life
5 | It’s Passover, Grover!
10 | What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael
SHORTS
13 | Short Film Night
DRAMA
THRILLER
6 | The Keeper 7 | Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog
11 | Incitement
7 | Those Who Remained
CONNECT WITH US!
8 | WOMEN’S NIGHT Leona 10 | Crescendo 11 | Mr. Klein
Follow #JHouFilmFest on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to join the conversation!
TICKET INFORMATION
DON’T MISS OUT! FILMS SELL OUT.
Buy individual tickets early to guarantee a seat. INDIVIDUAL TICKETS
See page 14 for individual ticket prices. Advance ticket purchase recommended.
FESTIVAL PASS
Buy a Full Film Festival Subscription to have access to all Film Festival programs.**
**Festival and Patron Passes provide entry for films only at the J. Ticket reservations required for each event. There will not be a pass for automatic entrance.
Full Festival Subscription
Pick 3 Subscription
$86 Member $117 Public
$29 Member $44 Public
$10 Discount for Seniors 65+
RESERVED SEATING EVENTS
All our events in the Kaplan Theatre will be reserved seating. Reserve or purchase your tickets early to ensure a seat. Seats will be released five minutes prior to the start of each program.
RUSH TICKETS
Last-minute tickets known as rush tickets may become available for purchase just before showtime when advance tickets have sold out. A rush line will form outside the venue one hour before showtime. Approximately five minutes prior to the screening, empty seats are counted and will be sold on a first come, first served basis to those in line. Rush tickets will only be sold to those actually waiting in line at the time of sale.
To purchase tickets and subscriptions, visit erjcchouston.org/filmfest, or call 713.551.7215 or visit the Information Desk or the Box Office 30 minutes prior to the start of a program.
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Leona
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR Welcome to the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center’s 16th Houston Jewish Film Festival. Like each one of its predecessors, this year’s Festival will be entertaining, exciting, stimulating, and perhaps even, controversial. For 16 years, this festival has brought Jewish and Israeli films to Houston; films that we might not otherwise have the opportunity to see in our home city. Continuing in the legacy of our founding chairs, Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan, this year’s committee has screened, evaluated, and discussed a host of films to find those that deserved to be shown. Whether it is comedy or tragedy or social commentary that inspires you, you will have to come to each and every screening to get your fill. There will be laughter, Tel Aviv on Fire; there will be history, Golda; there will be drama, Those Who Remained, and there will be music, It Must Schwing! There will be 18 different films shown during the festival at three different venues including our wonderful partners, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Holocaust Museum Houston. Most of our films will be in our home, the J, where we continue to enjoy our state of the art equipment. I want to thank our incredible (and patient) staff, Andrea Wolfe, Amy Rahmani, Barbara Lindenberg, and Jasmine Mueller for their support. And, of course, thanks and appreciation to the dedicated members of the film committee, who not only watched a lot of films and were willing to participate in the selection process, but who also work to promote the Festival throughout our community. Our Festival would not be possible without the support of our Patrons of the Arts, Underwriters, and Community Partners; their participation in so many ways makes our Festival successful. It has been a privilege to serve as Chair of this Film Festival, which has earned a stellar reputation among the Jewish Film Festivals. A special thank you to Jody Sweed, who worked closely with all of this, and will be chairing next year’s festival. See you at the movies! Nada Chandler Chair, Houston Jewish Film Festival
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OPENING NIGHT Tel Aviv on Fire
Saturday, March 21 | 8:30 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Salam, who works on the popular soap opera “Tel Aviv on Fire,” is stopped at the checkpoint between his home in Jerusalem and the show’s studio in Ramallah where he meets Assi, an Israeli commander. Assi’s wife is a huge fan of “Tel Aviv on Fire” and he jumps on the opportunity to get Salam to write new plots into the show. Salam finds himself caught between Assi and the show’s execs. Salam can only solve his problems with a final master stroke in this sly comedy. See page 11 for additional film screening. Opening Night festivities begin at 7:45 PM. Sponsored by June and Leonard Goldberg
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FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Tel Aviv Al Haesh DIRECTED BY SAMEH ZOABI Israel, 2019, 97 minutes LANGUAGE Arabic and Hebrew with English Subtitles GENRE Comedy
SNEAK PREVIEW NIGHT Douze Points
Thursday, March 12 | 7:30 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Years after his excommunication from his French Muslim community for being gay, TJ is about to represent France in Europe’s biggest singing contest. The issue? His childhood friend, Rasoul, who outed TJ years earlier, wants to reconnect. Unbeknownst to TJ, Rasoul and his father have joined ISIS and want him to detonate a bomb during the event in Israel; Douze Points is both funny and emotional, featuring Mossad agents hot on the trail of a talented kid caught between his past and his future. DIRECTED BY DANIEL SIRKIN Israel/France, 2019, 90 minutes LANGUAGE Hebrew, French and English with English subtitles
GENRE Comedy
It’s Passover, Grover!
Presented by Mishpacha & Me and the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston’s PJ Library Sunday, March 22 | 10:00 AM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Snack and craft activities to follow the screening. In It’s Passover, Grover!, all is well until Anneliese, Grover, and Avigail realize there is no LANGUAGE horseradish to be found—just English as Passover is about to GENRE Family begin! Can Anneliese and her furry friends find the missing horseradish in time or will a tricky Oofnik get in their way? It’s Passover, Grover! will engage and entertain while highlighting Jewish cultural traditions and values. DIRECTED BY AARON KAPLAN USA, Israel, 2011, 26 minutes
FREE | Registration required
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The Keeper
Sunday, March 22 | 1:00 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston The Keeper tells the incredible true story of Bert Trautmann, a German soldier and prisoner of war who, against a backdrop of British post-war protest and prejudice, secures the position of goalkeeper on the Manchester City football (soccer) team. His signing causes outrage to thousands of fans, many of them Jewish. Bert receives support from an unexpected direction; Rabbi Alexander Altmann, who had fled the Nazis. Through his love for Margaret, a young English woman, he overcomes prejudice, public hostility, and personal tragedy.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Trautmann DIRECTED BY MARCUS H. ROSENMĂœLLER United Kingdom/Germany, 2019, 120 minutes LANGUAGE English and German with English subtitles GENRE Drama
Patron Sponsors: Joanne and Bruce Levy
Golda
Sunday, March 22 | 4:00 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston
Photo credit: Israeli Government Press Office Eldan David
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As Prime Minister of Israel, was Golda Meir DIRECTED BY SAGI BORNSTEIN, UDI NIR, SHANI ROZANES good or bad for the country? In this multiIsrael/Germany, 2019, 88 minutes layered documentary, the answer is both. LANGUAGE Her supporters and detractors offer their Hebrew with English subtitles opinions about her accomplishments and GENRE failures. She was a strong defender of Israel, Documentary and a hero to Jews worldwide. But she also ignored overtures that might have earlier established peace with Egypt, was dismissive of Mizrahi Jews and their difficulties, and embraced policies that resulted in many deaths. All is laid bare in this fascinating film.
Sponsored by The Lillian Kaiser Lewis Foundation in honor of Dolores Wilkenfeld
Aulcie
Sunday, March 22 | 7:00 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Aulcie Perry was signed by the New York DIRECTED BY DANI MENKIN Knicks then released a short time later. Israel, 2019, 120 minutes His life took a turn when a scout for LANGUAGE Maccabi Tel Aviv spotted him on a English and Hebrew with English subtitles Harlem court. Aulcie led Maccabi Tel GENRE Documentary Aviv to two European championships, became an Israeli basketball rock star, a darling of the press and the crowd, and a convert to Judaism. This inspiring film by Dani Menkin (On the Map, Dolphin Boy, Picture of his Life) tells the story of this remarkable athlete who captured the spirit of a nation, triumphant and victorious against all odds, and who helped put Israel on the map.
Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog Monday, March 23 | 6:00 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Based on the bestselling novel DIRECTED BY LYNN ROTH by Asher Kravitz, Shepherd is a USA, 2019, 90 minutes compelling and heartfelt film LANGUAGE English about the love shared GENRE between families and pets. Drama Following the adoption of the Nuremberg Laws, a Jewish boy named Joshua loses his German Shepherd, Kaleb, to the Reich. Kaleb is retrained to help round up Jews, and eventually ends up at the same concentration camp to which Joshua will be sent. The dog’s retraining is ultimately shattered by the boy’s arrival, leaving the two no choice but to attempt a daring escape.
Patron Sponsors: Laurie and Milton Boniuk
Those Who Remained Monday, March 23 | 8:00 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston This lyrical story about the FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE power of love in the midst Akik Maradtak of conflict, loss, and DIRECTED BY BARNABÁS TÓTH Hungary, 2019, 83 minutes trauma is one of the few LANGUAGE Holocaust films to center GENRE Hungarian with Drama on the healing process English Subtitles and fate of those who survived. Taking place in post-Holocaust Hungary during the purges initiated by the Communist regime, Aldo, silent and withdrawn, is a middle-aged doctor whose wife and children died in the camps; Clara is an unhappy teenager who believes she is responsible for her sister’s death. Aldo becomes a foster father to Clara and as their friendship blossoms, the joy in their lives slowly returns.
Patron Sponsors: Doreen and Basil Joffe, Ellen and Daniel Trachtenberg & Helen Wils and Leonard Goldstein 7
WOMEN’S NIGHT
| Join us for Women’s Night at the J!
Enjoy dinner and a movie with friends! Bring your dinner or buy from Laykie’s Gourmet Café at the J, and we will provide the wine. Food can be pre-ordered with Laykie: • Salmon on garden salad with quinoa and roasted vegetables • Grilled chicken on garden salad with quinoa and roasted vegetables Both options are $15 and should be ordered in advance with Laykie by email at laykiesgourmet@yahoo.com or by text at 713.283.4030. Additional meal options will be available to purchase from the cafe.
For groups: RSVP to reserve a table and seats for the film (first come, first served) by Friday, March 6 to Jasmine Mueller jmueller@erjcchouston.org or call 713.551.7215. Film tickets must be reserved by Patron of the Arts and Festival Subscribers or purchased in advance. Individual tickets to the film will open on March 10.
Leona
Director Isaac Cherem in attendance to introduce the film and lead a Q&A Tuesday, March 24 | 7:30 PM Dinner | 6:30 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Ariela, a fiercely independent Mexican muralist of Syrian-Jewish descent is DIRECTED BY ISAAC CHEREM introduced to us in this beautifully rendered and touching coming-of-age story. Mexico, 2018, 95 minutes She is part of a closed society whose standards are strictly upheld. Already far LANGUAGE afield due to her work and the fact that at twenty-five she is unmarried, Ariela Spanish with English Subtitles is further alienated when she falls in love with a non-Jewish young man. Unable to introduce him to her family, the relationship disintegrates as does a subsequent relationship with an acceptable man. Ultimately, Ariela discovers her own way forward.
GENRE Drama
See page 10 for additional film screening.
Supported by the Rosita and Albert Gaon Sephardic Heritage Program Endowment Fund
CHAIR’S CHOICE
Join us for It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story, a favorite of our Film Chair, Nada Chandler.
It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story Wednesday, March 25 | 7:30 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston
Photo credit: NDR/Studio Hamburg Enterprises 8
Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff bonded as DIRECTED BY ERIC FRIEDLER teenagers in Berlin over their love of black Germany, 2018, 115 minutes jazz. After their escape from Nazi Germany and LANGUAGE arrival in New York, they founded the jazz label English and German with English Subtitles Blue Note Records. They were dismayed to GENRE discover that the musicians they revered were Documentary ostracized and subject to prejudice and racism. Some of the jazz greats they recorded who are still living make their appearance in the film. Elaborate animation also serves to memorialize the history of the label and makes the times and the label’s history come alive.
Patron Sponsors: Lynn and Armand Shapiro
Black Honey: The Life and Poetry of Avraham Sutzkever* Thursday, March 26 | 7:30 PM Holocaust Museum Houston
“If I didn’t write, I wouldn’t live,” Sutzkever told an interviewer in 1985. “When I was in the Vilna ghetto, I believed that as long as I was able to be a poet, I would have a weapon against death.” He rescued manuscripts, artworks, diaries and drawings from the Nazis. After the war, he immigrated to Israel. At a time when Yiddish was discouraged, Sutzkever started a Yiddish literary journal and was ultimately awarded the coveted Israel Prize. He died in 2010 at 96 leaving behind a vast body of work. FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE Dvash Shachor, Shirat Chayav Shel Avraham Sutskever DIRECTED BY URI BARBASH Israel, 2018, 76 minutes LANGUAGE Hebrew, English, Yiddish with English Subtitles Photo credit: Nachshon Ari Kaplan
GENRE Documentary
Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles Friday, March 27 | 1:00 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Fiddler chronicles the life, themes, and origin story behind one of Broadway's most beloved musicals, Fiddler on the Roof, and its creative roots in early 1960s New York, when "tradition" was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations and religion were evolving. For the first time, intimate interviews with the show's creators reveal how the tremendous success and worldwide impact of Fiddler and its subsequent film adaptation is most appropriately viewed through the lens of the social upheaval and change in mid-20th century America. DIRECTED BY MAX LEWKOWICZ USA, 2019, 90 minutes LANGUAGE English GENRE Documentary *Not included in the Patron of the Arts offering or Film Festival subscriptions 9
MAKE IT A DATE NIGHT WITH THESE TWO MOVIES! Enjoy live music between the films.
Leona
Saturday, March 28 | 6:00 PM Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston
Crescendo
COMING TO BOTH FILMS?
Use code DOUBLE20 for 10% off.
Saturday, March 28 | 8:30 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Can the power of music bring about understanding between Israeli and Palestinian youth? In this Romeo and Juliet-like story, reluctant German conductor Eduard Sporck is asked to organize a youth orchestra to prepare a concert to accompany peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Mutual resentments and verbal and physical conflicts occur between the two groups. Civil discourse appears to be impossible and the music they make is as discordant as their voices. Despite this, a boy and girl on either side of the conflict manage to fall in love.
Photo credit: Christian Luedeke
DIRECTED BY DROR ZAHAVI Germany, 2019, 106 minutes LANGUAGE English and German with English Subtitles
GENRE Drama
What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael* Post-film discussion with Houston Film Critics Society members
Picture of His Life* Sunday, March 29 | 1:00 PM The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Israeli photographer Amos Nachoum is one of the greatest large animal photographers of all time and winner of numerous photography prizes. An explorer and leader of wildlife expeditions, Nachoum is a master of close-up underwater photography, having photographed blue whales, orcas, crocodiles, the great white shark and the leopard seal. But his dream was to swim alongside a polar bear and photograph the event. This Dani Menkin (On the Map, Dolphin Boy, Aulcie) film tells not only the story of Amos’ quest; it also tells the painful story of his life, sacrifices, and dedication. DIRECTED BY DANI MENKIN AND YONATAN NIR Israel/USA, 2019, 72 minutes LANGUAGE Hebrew, English and Inuit with English Subtitles GENRE Documentary 10
Sunday, March 29 | 3:00 PM The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston A portrait of film critic Pauline Kael (1919-2001), the daughter of Jewish Polish immigrants. Kael wrote for the New Yorker and transformed film appreciation into an art form. Her influence is detailed in anecdotes from her peers and film industry greats. As a result of her writing, the pastime of movie-going suddenly became a must-see, do-or-die, high-stakes experience. One of the first women to become established in the profession, her spirit, instincts, and withering wisecracks leapt off the page and made readers laugh. DIRECTED BY ROB GARVER USA, 2018, 95 minutes LANGUAGE English
GENRE Documentary
Mr. Klein (Restored)* Sunday, March 29 | 6:00 PM The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
This riveting mystery FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE about mistaken Monsieur Klein identity is set in DIRECTED BY JOSEPH LOSEY France/Italy, 1976, 123 minutes Nazi-occupied Paris. Robert Klein (Alain LANGUAGE GENRE French with English Subtitles Drama Delon), a Catholic, lives a life of luxury as an art dealer who doesn’t hesitate to exploit Jewish collectors. When a mysterious Jewish man of the same name surfaces, Klein’s life is disrupted by harassment and police scrutiny. His fervent quest to find the man who shares his name takes him all over a Paris immersed in the harrowing realities of the Occupation. A gripping political drama by noted director Joseph Losey, Mr. Klein has been much celebrated in its new restoration.
Tel Aviv on Fire*
Monday, March 30 | 7:00 PM The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Incitement
Director Yaron Zilberman in attendance to introduce the film and lead a Q&A Tuesday, March 31 | 7:30 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston One of the most FOREIGN LANGUAGE TITLE talked-about Yamim Noraim Israeli films in DIRECTED BY YARON ZILBERMAN years, Incitement Israel, 2019, 123 minutes won the 2019 LANGUAGE GENRE Ophir Award Hebrew with English Subtitles Thriller (Israel’s Academy Awards) for Best Feature Film and was an Official Selection at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Incitement is presented as a psychological thriller, profiling Yigal Amir in the year leading up to his assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Told from the point of view of Amir, who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder, it is a cautionary tale of violence, hate and politics.
Underwritten by The Maurice Amado Foundation Yaron Zilberman’s visit is underwritten by the Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan Founders Fund *Not included in the Patron of the Arts offering or Film Festival subscriptions
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CLOSING NIGHT Standing Up, Falling Down Wednesday, April 1 | 7:30 PM
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston After four years as a failed stand-up comedian in Los Angeles, Scott (Ben Schwartz) returns home to live with his parents. His career has stalled; his girlfriend has married someone else. Shortly after his return home, Scott encounters Marty (Billy Crystal) at a bar. Marty is drunk, guilt-ridden, and estranged from his family. Suffering from a rash, Scott makes an appointment with a dermatologist who turns out to be Marty. The two, bound by regrets and the choices they have made, form an unlikely friendship, both comedic and touching. Closing Night reception follows the film.
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DIRECTED BY MATT RATNER USA, 2019, 90 minutes LANGUAGE English GENRE Comedy
...and more
Short Film Night Saturday, April 25 | 7:30 PM
Holocaust Museum Houston | 5401 Caroline Street Join us after Film Festival for this Short Film Night! Enjoy a date night and experience this selection of contemporary and thought provoking Jewish and Israeli films. In addition to others, the short films will include:
YidLife Crisis: Autoneurotic Created by Eli Batalion & Jamie Elman Canada, 2019, 8 min
As the sundown on the Sabbath approaches, Leizer races to drive Chaimie home, while construction drives Chaimie and Leizer crazy.
Gefilte
Directed by Rachel Fleit USA, 2018, 11 min
Each year, the Hermelin family of Detroit come together to celebrate Passover by eating gefilte fish, an activity through which they project all of their feelings about family, identity, tradition, struggle, loss and love.
Optimistic Realist Directed by Brandon Ravet USA, 2018, 10 min
Fed up with an endless series of dead-end Hollywood casting calls, a struggling young actress takes career advice from her sage fifth-grade Hebrew school students.
Jaffa Road
JEWISH CULTUREFEST Music, Art, Food, and Fun! Sunday, April 5 | 1:00 PM–5:00 PM Evelyn’s Park | Bellaire FREE and Open to the Public Join us for an afternoon celebrating Jewish culture. Featuring live music, local vendors and Judaica, specialty foods, art and mitzvah projects and super fun activities!
Houston Jewish Film Festival | March 21–April 1, 2020
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY 21
SNEAK PREVIEW NIGHT
Douze Points Thursday, March 12 | 7:30 PM $13 | $18
OPENING NIGHT
8:30 PM Tel Aviv on Fire $15 | $21
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23
24
25
26
27
28
10:00 AM It’s Passover, Grover! FREE
6:00 PM Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog $13 | $18
WOMEN’S NIGHT
CHAIR’S CHOICE
7:30 PM Black Honey: The Life and Poetry of Avraham Sutzkever $8 | $10
1:00 PM Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles $8 | $12
6:00 PM Leona $13 | $18
1:00 PM The Keeper $13 | $18 4:00 PM Golda $13 | $18
6:30 PM | Dinner 7:30 PM Leona $13 | $18
7:30 PM It Must Schwing! The Blue Note Story $13 | $18
8:00 PM Those Who Remained $13 | $18
8:30 PM Crescendo $13 | $18 See page 10 for double header promo code.
7:00 PM Aulcie $13 | $18
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30
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1:00 PM Picture of His Life $8 | $10
7:00 PM Tel Aviv on Fire $8 | $10
7:30 PM Incitement $13 | $18
CLOSING NIGHT
3:00 PM What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael $8 | $10 6:00 PM Mr. Klein $8 | $10
7:30 PM Standing up, Falling Down $13 | $18
VENUES LEGEND Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston 5601 South Braeswood, Houston, TX 77096 713.729.3200 | erjcchouston.org/filmfest The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston 1001 Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX 77005 713.639.7515 | mfah.org/films Holocaust Museum Houston Lester and Sue Smith Campus 5401 Caroline, Houston, TX 77004 713.942.8000 | hmh.org
Price: Member | Public
Member price includes Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Member/Patron of the Arts/MFAH Film Buff/HMH Member Discounts for students and seniors 65+ available at time of purchase | All prices include applicable service fees.
Every movie ticket from the J gets you 5% off at Laykie’s Gourmet Café at the J! Hours During Film Festival
Mon-Thurs: 9:00 AM–7:30 PM* Friday: 9:00 AM–2:00 PM Sunday (March 22 only): 9:00 AM–7:00 PM *Monday March 23 only: 9:00 AM-8:00 PM
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COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF 2019–2020 Film Committee Nada Chandler
Jody Sweed
Chair
Co-Chair
Doreen Joffe and Sharon Kagan Founding Chairs
Marian Luntz
Tamara Savage
Curator, Film and Video The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Joyce Cramer John Dreyfus Beverly Fanarof
Managing Director/Director of Public Programs Holocaust Museum Houston
Silvia Goldstein Sue Goott Todd Green Michelle Greenberg
Leah Gross Diane Kaplan Lori Lazard Elena Levy
Noreen Lewitton Miriam Pacht Yvette Pintar Tammy Plumb
Lisa Sheinbaum Larry Weinstein Helen Wils
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Lauren Blachman
Joel Dinkin
Andrea Wolfe
Program Coordinator, Arts & Culture
Rabbi Erin Mason
CEO
President
Amy Rahmani
Chief Program Officer
Barbara Lindenberg
Arts & Culture Coordinator
Jasmine Mueller
Director, Arts & Culture
House Manager & Artist Liaison
Jerry Lynch
Technical Director
SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS The Houston Jewish Film Festival is supported by the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Patron of the Arts, The Maurice Amado Foundation, and a grant from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
Supporters Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston Patron of the Arts Official Hotel of the ERJCC
Media Sponsor
The Lillian Kaiser Lewis Foundation
In-Kind
Roby Fleischer
Community Partners ADL Southwest
Hebrew Order of David Lodge Galil
Jewish Family Service
CBS Women – Congregation Brith Shalom
Hebrew Speakers Professional Organization
Jewish War Veterans – Post 574
Congregation Beth Israel
Holocaust Museum Houston
Congregation Beth Yeshurun
Holocaust Museum Houston Guild
National Council of Jewish Women Greater Houston Section
Congregation Beth Yeshurun Sisterhood
Houston Chapter and Greater Southwest Region of Hadassah
United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston
Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest
Houston Yiddish Vinkel
J Street
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ar ts&ideas | UPCOMING EVENTS THEATRE
STAGED READING Belfast Kind Tuesday, March 3 | 7:30 PM Zippy is going to be a Bat Mitzvah, and everyone is excited! What could go wrong? Well, Zippy lives in Belfast, where Jewish girls her age are rare. And while her three friends totally accept her, the Catholic families resist their daughters even going to a dance with a Protestant girl, much less to a Bat Mitzvah! Zippy doesn’t even know if she wants to become a Bat Mitzvah. And then there’s her parents. Will she go through with it? Will her friends remain close with each other? With Zippy? Oy vey!
Ido Tadmor Photo by: Ashkan Roayee
DANCE
An Evening of Dance with Ido Tadmor and Open Dance Project Saturday, March 7 | 8:00 PM
FILM
DocuJews | From Slavery to Freedom Thursday, March 5 | 1:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Directed by Arkady Kogan | Israel | 2019 | 84 minutes In 1977, Natan Sharansky, a famous human rights activist, was arrested on charges of spying for the USA, treason and anti-Soviet agitation. Revisit a Soviet era where there was an overwhelming sense of fear and insecurity in the face of the system. Sharansky defied this system in his fight for freedom and national identification and, after spending years in prison, ultimately won the struggle, paving the way for all of Soviet Jewry.
Fresh and original innovative showcase of exhilarating works when Ido Tadmor, choreographer/dancer, and Annie Arnoult’s Open Dance Project, a Houston based contemporary dance theater company, share the stage in a public concert. A highlight of the evening will be a piece commissioned by Dance at the J for Ido Tadmor to set on Open Dance Project.
Great Tappers from the Golden Age of Hollywood: Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Ann Miller Lecture and video presented by Debra Dickinson
Sunday, March 15 | 4:00 PM
The Golden Age of Hollywood was the era of extraordinary tap dancing. Suave Fred Astaire, athletic Gene Kelly and rapid-fire Ann Miller were among the pantheon of stars that made tap an audience favorite. This lecture will explore the work and lives of these famous stars, complete with videos of their most exciting performances. Patron Sponsors: Vicky and Michael Richker
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SPA at the J | Dance Master Classes Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Thursday, April 23 | 7:30 PM In addition to presenting performances by renowned companies, Dance at the J, in partnership with Society for the Performing Arts, presents one of the Tudor Family Dance Series dance master classes. This year Dance at the J will host a master class Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Now more than ever, the world needs the power of dance to bring people together and connect us all by our common humanity. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to push the art form into fascinating new territory while still honoring signature classics like Ailey’s masterpiece of hope and redemption, Revelations.
FAMILY PERFORMING ARTS SERIES
Mario the Maker Magician Sunday, April 19 | 1:30 PM For ages 3-10
Mario "the Maker Magician" Marchese is a touring children's performer known for his DIY robotic creations, handmade props, and signature slapstick character. He has been touted “the best kids magician in the world!!” by David Blaine. Mario’s show is an upbeat, hilarious, and very interactive experience that leaves children and families inspired to nurture their own creative paths.
To reserve a spot email education@spahouston.org.
LITERATURE
Jaffa Road
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Friday, April 3 | 7:00 PM Artisans | Midtown
Experience Shabbat in a sophisticated setting along with the music of Jaffa Road. Menus will be kosher style with fish and vegetarian options, but not under the supervision of HKA.
MUSIC
Jaffa Road Sunday, April 5 | 4:00 PM
Judith Viorst Nearing Ninety: And Other Comedies of Late Life Monday, May 4 | 1:00 PM The newest illustrated poetry collection in bestselling author Judith Viorst’s “decade” series, explores with wisdom and humor, what it means to be an impending nonagenarian. Accompanied by Laura Gibson’s whimsical illustrations, Nearing Ninety’s amusing and touching reflections make this collection relatable to readers of all ages. Viorst is the author of the beloved Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; the Lulu books; The New York Times bestseller Necessary Losses; four musicals; and poetry for children and young adults.
Patron Sponsors: Bunny and Perry Radoff & Leah Stolar and Bruce Kessler
Jewish Book Council
Creating a union between acoustic and electronic, secular and sacred, ancient and modern, this awardwinning group has created a unique sonic landscape from the worlds of sacred and secular Jewish songs, Arabic and Indian music, modern jazz, rock and dub. Jaffa Road is the headliner for Jewish CultureFest.
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A Membership for Every Budget Join and get member rates on Film Festival events and more for an entire year!
Visit erjcchouston.org/membership for more information.
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32nd Annual
J GOLF
TOURNAMENT Presented by
Monday, April 27 | 11:00 AM BlackHorse Golf Club
BERTHA ALYCE & ELLEN BONIUK EARLY CHILDHOOD SCHOOLS For information or to reserve your spot,
visit erjcchouston.org/golf
Meyerland & West Houston Locations Emergent Curriculum | Jewish Values
REGISTRATION FOR 2020-2021 IS NOW OPEN
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC OF HOUSTON
84th Annual Meeting Tuesday, May 12 | 7:00 PM Kaplan Theatre
June 1 – August 14
Try out one of our new camps: Jr. #BIGIDEA at J Camps, Jr. Ivrit B’Kef, and more!
Limited Spaces Available | Register Today! 19
EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON 5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096–3907 713.729.3200 | erjcchouston.org
CT E N CONTH USe!st WI FilmF ou
#JH
Crescendo Photo credit: Christian Luedeke
Non–Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 6217 Houston, Texas
Houston Jewish Film Festival MARCH 21–APRIL 1, 2020
erjcchouston.org/filmfest