The special Centerpiece Event of the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival’s 19th annual event is the recognition and honoring of Theodore Bikel in person as the first recipient of the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award. Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane will be on hand to present the city’s official proclamation of “Theodore Bikel Day” on Feb. 15 at Harkins Theatre Camelview 5 in Scottsdale.
Theo (as he insists on being called) has had a long relationship with Arizona, having appeared here several times in his iconic role as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof ” as well as for special events and concerts. GPJFF is bringing him to Scottsdale
to honor him in conjunction with the showing of his film, “Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem.”
Sholom Aleichem is the author of the Tevye the Dairyman stories, which serve as the basis for “Fiddler on the Roof.” Theo seems to have a nearly symbiotic relationship with Aleichem, having portrayed Tevye more than 2,000 times, in addition to recording the Tevye stories, and creating and starring in two other celebrated musical plays based on Aleichem’s life and works. As the National Center for Jewish Film website points out, these two men “have much in common: wit, wisdom and talent, all shot through with deep humanity and Yiddishkeit.”
Born in Vienna in 1924, Theo’s family moved to Palestine in 1936, where he helped start the Israeli Chamber Theatre. He entered London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1946, graduating with honors two years later. He began his career on both the London and Broadway stages.
Though he’s often identified as Tevye, Theo’s long and varied career encompasses much more. He was the original Baron Von Trapp in Broadway’s “Sound of Music” and helped found the Newport Folk Festival.
Theo also has had a notable film career, beginning with “The African Queen” in 1951 and encompassing more than 40 films, including “The Defiant Ones,” for which he received an Academy Award nomination. Leaving no medium unturned, Theo’s Emmy-winning television career spans some 60 years and 80 TV shows, movies and specials.
The 90-minute documentary film being shown by GPJFF “combines Bikel's charismatic storytelling and masterful performances with a broader exploration of Aleichem's remarkable life and work, and in the process, immortalizes both men,” according to the festival’s press release. Narrated by Alan Alda, it explores the various characters that Aleichem immortalized in the Yiddish language: “…shtetl Jews for whom humor and pathos were two sides of the same Yiddish coin; (and who) remain invaluable windows into pre-war Eastern European Jewish life, real and imagined.” The film is distributed by the National Center for Jewish Film (jewishfilm.org).
In addition to his extensive performance career, Theo is known as a mensch. Active for many years in the civil rights movement, he was an elected delegate to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. He is a former senior vice president of the American Jewish Congress as well as president of the Actors' Equity Association. He received a presidential appointment to the National Council on the Arts, on which he served from 1977 to 1982. Now 90 years old, Bikel is the president of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (4As).
Bob Segelbaum, executive director of the volunteer-run festival, shares the board’s sentiments: “We are very excited to bring Theodore Bikel to our festival and especially to bestow upon him our first Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing his enormous contributions to the preservation and enhancement of Jewish culture and the arts. It is a unique opportunity for our community to thank him for entertaining us for 65 years with his memorable performances.”
Mayor Lane declared Feb. 15 as “a joyous day to honor a man who is a great example of dedication to his community, state and country as well as for his enhancement of Jewish culture through film, theater and song."
Tickets for the special event are $18 and on sale through GPJFF’s website: gpjff.org.
The film showing is at 3 pm at Harkins Camelview 5, 7001 E Highland Ave. in Scottsdale. Theo will also participate in a Q&A at the conclusion of the film.
Phoenix film festival turns 19
This year marks the 19th year of the Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival, which offers international films of Jewish interest in three Valley locations: Scottsdale, Chandler and Peoria over a two-week period from Feb. 8 to 22. Films are chosen through a screening process that began in March of 2014 and includes weekly viewings by three separate panels of 8-10 volunteers each.
“Having screening committees in each of our geographic areas gives us a broad range of opinions and tastes,” states Walter Berkey, who, along with Jules Rossman, is the artistic director of the festival. The two men scour all resources available to bring in the best of contemporary Jewish comedies, dramas and documentaries to make sure the festival is both intriguing and diverse. The Chandler location has moved this year to Harkins Chandler Fashion 20, 3159 W Chandler Blvd., in an effort to be more centrally located for East Valley patrons. "The quality of our film slate is very strong this year," says GPJFF Executive Director Bob Segelbaum. "I'm very excited that during this time of heightened tension in the Middle East, we can present films reflective of the rich and diverse Jewish people, culture and faith to so many people of all beliefs throughout the Valley. Our intention is threefold: to entertain, to foster meaningful discourse and to provide a cinematic experience that affects both heart and mind."
Festival passes and individual show tickets are available at gpjff.org or by calling 602-753-9366.
10thAnnual West Valley Jewish Film Festival 2015
The 10th Annual West Valley Jewish Film Festival will be held Jan. 24-26 at Beth Emeth Congregation, 13702 W Meeker Blvd. in Sun City West. The three films to be shown are “Hava Nagilah,” “Sturgeon Queens” and “I Shall Not Be Silent – The Story of Rabbi Joachim Prinz.”
Festival Chair Carol Loewith invites the community to attend. “These films promise to evoke a melody, an aroma and a call to action. Each one confronts culture and traditions in ways that are moving and memorable,” she says. A brief commentary of each film will precede its screening, and complimentary refreshments will be served afterward. Tickets for each film are $10 if purchased at the door. Tickets bought in advance are $9 per film or three films for $25. For additional information, call Lori at Beth Emeth Congregation, 623-584-7210.
HAVA NAGILAH
Jan. 24 at 6:30 pm Anyone who’s ever been to a Jewish wedding or bar/bat mitzvah has heard the lively melody of “Hava Nagilah.” It encourages us to hum, to snap our fingers, to dance. It taps into a universal theme of joy, and it identifies the resilient spirit of a people. But why are two families quarreling over its origin? How has it become the music that accompanies life events? Why does it reso
nate with performers of all religions? Here is a film that answers these questions while leaving yoU hopeful and uplifted.
STURGEON QUEENS
Jan. 25 at 6:30 pm Four generations of a Jewish immigrant family created Russ & Daughters, a New York City Lower East Side emporium. Think about ethnic foods. If bagels, lox, sturgeon, herring and ruggalach come to mind, this tribute to a venerable New York City appetizing market completes the picture. This film has been produced to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the store. Two of the daughters, aged 100 and 92, reflect on their
lives behind the counter to present a delicious documentary.
I SHALL NOT BE SILENT – The story of rabbi Joachim Prinz
Jan. 26 at 7 pm In 1930s’ Berlin, the civil rights of Jews were being systematically stripped away. A young rabbi named Joachim Prinz saved many lives by encouraging Jews to emigrate from Germany. Thus began his lifelong fight against racism and bigotry. Expelled from his homeland, Rabbi Prinz arrived in the United States in 1937 and began an inspiring career as a leader of the civil rights movement. He worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to organize the 1964 March on Washington, and his address that day was eloquent and powerful. Throughout his career, he spoke out for justice, whether from the rabbi’s pulpit or at a rally or march. He
simply would not “be silent.”
