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.
The Local Side of Above and Beyond:
Despite having an extensive Jewish background, Jeffrey Weiss had to learn academic-level Hebrew in a hurry when he attended Hebrew University for his junior year in college and again for law school. When he came back to the states to finish law school at Arizona State University, he wanted to maintain his fluency in Hebrew.
So he read books in Hebrew. One of these books was about Israel’s War for Independence, where he learned that the official language for the Israeli Air Force at that time was actually English, because so many of the pilots were American and Canadian. Jeffrey was surprised to hear this and thought more attention should be paid to these men and their brave and valiant efforts.
He recruited one of his younger brothers, Craig, to work on a book with him. Together they interviewed hundreds of participants and chronicled their findings in the book I am My Brother’s Keeper, which was published in 1998 to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the State of Israel. About two years ago, Craig received a call from Nancy Spielberg. Nancy was doing research for a documentary she wanted to make on the topic of the North Americans who served Israel during the war and asked if she could interview Craig and Jeffrey. They were only too happy to help.
Their families had known each other somewhat in Phoenix – in fact, Nancy was the “yenta” who introduced the oldest Weiss brother, Farley, to his wife Jessica. “We went over to Chino, CA, to an old airplane hangar with vintage World War II airplanes all around,” says Craig. “She interviewed us for four hours.” Craig adds one of the best things about this whole project was getting to know Nancy better. “She is an incredibly wonderful human being – a real sweetheart – and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this project,” he says. “This is the story of remarkable human beings doing incredible things – and nobody knows about
them.”
Craig and Jeffrey will be speakers after each of the “Above and Beyond” showings during the film festival.
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 resonate 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 – Jan 26 at 7 pm
The Story of Rabbi Joachim Prinz. 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.”
