THE BOY IN THE WOODS
Sunday, April 27, 3pm
The Boy in the Woods follows the true story of Max, a Jewish boy, escaping Nazi persecution in Eastern Europe. After he is separated from his family, Max finds refuge with a Christian peasant Jasko who hides him in plain sight until a tense stand – off with Nazi police. Afraid for his own family’s life, Jasko sends Max to live in the woods where he learns to survive alone. With echoes of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, Max’s experience is both terrifying and magical. He inhabits a landscape crawling with Jew – hunters, partisans and haunted by ghosts. Then everything changes when he meets another boy in hiding, Yanek. Their extraordinary adventure culminates in the heroic rescue of a baby girl, but it comes at a tragic price. Based on the best – selling memoir by Canadian Holocaust survivor Maxwell Smart and inspired by the award – winning documentary Cheating Hitler: Surviving the Holocaust.
Followed by Bites & Bubbles Cocktail Reception catered by Spoonfed
Film Sponsor: Howard Stein
Reception Sponsors: Roberta & Harold Eichenholz
Director: Rebecca Snow / Year: 2023 / Run Time: 96 Minutes
Country: Canada / Language: English / Genre: Drama
OCTOBER 8
Monday, April 28, 7pm
October 8 is a documentary about the explosion of anti-Semitism on college campuses, in social media and on the streets of America starting on October 8th, 2023, the day after Hamas terrorists massacred over 1,200 Israelis. The film shows intense and widespread public support for the Palestinians and their mass murders in Israel, and open hatred of Jews. Very public Palestinian demonstrations began even before the Israeli military responded to the invasion and have incessantly been in the news since then, while accounts of the Hamas atrocities have nearly faded out. Vilification of Jews and Israel in public events and the media continue. The film is a detailed and factual account of the sobering realities facing Jews in America post October 7th.
Followed by Kreamium Frozen Custard
Film Sponsor: Deb & Martin Meyerson
Dessert Reception Sponsor: Debbie Smith
Director: Wendy Sachs / Year: 2024 / Run Time: 100 Minutes
Country: USA / Language: English / Genre: Documentary
BAD SHABBOS
Tuesday, April 29, 7pm
An engaged interfaith couple, David and his fiancé Meg, gather for David’s family’s traditional Shabbat dinner on New York’s Upper West Side. Things spiral faster than you can say “hamotzi” when an accidental death (or…murder?) derails the evening entirely. With Meg’s devoutly Catholic parents due any moment to meet David’s very Jewish family, soon Shabbat becomes a comedy of biblical proportions. Kyra Sedgwick, David Paymer and Cliff “Method Man” Smith lead a hilarious ensemble cast. Bad Shabbos won awards in 2024 at the Tribeca Film Festival, Sedona International Film Festival, Miami Jewish Film Festival and Boston Jewish Film Festival. Special appearance by Director, Daniel Robbins.
Followed by Dessert Reception
Film Sponsor: Mark Alper and Janet Epstein
Dessert Reception Sponsors: Leslie & Alan Weiskopf
Director: Daniel Robbins / Year: 2024 / Run Time: 84 Minutes
Country: USA / Language: English / Genre: Comedy
MIDAS MAN
Sunday, May 4, 3pm
Meet Brian Epstein, a visionary who transformed popular music history, and a man who lived a thousand lives in a few short years and is often referred to as the 5th Beatle. From running a Liverpool record store to shaping the sound of a generation, Epstein’s journey is a rollercoaster of ambition, passion, and relentless pursuit of greatness. Jacob Fortune-Lloyd stars as the mastermind behind The Beatles’ meteoric rise, navigating a whirlwind of unprecedented fame, cultural revolution, and personal demons. But behind the glitz and glamour lies a man seeking acceptance and love in a world not ready. Midas Man pulls back the curtain on the swinging ’60s, revealing the triumphs, heartbreaks, and secrets of the man who changed the face of popular music forever. Step into Brian’s world, where every touch turns to gold, but the most precious treasure remains just out of reach.
Followed by Mocktail Slushes from Kona Ice
Film Sponsor: Rita Reibman
Director: Joe Stephenson / Year: 2025 / Run Time: 112 Minutes
Country: UK / Language: English / Genre: Drama
ELIE WIESEL: SOUL ON FIRE
Monday, May 5, 7pm
Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire is a documentary that explores the life and legacy of Elie Wiesel, the prominent Holocaust survivor, writer, and human rights advocate who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. The film combines Wiesel’s own eloquent voice with access to personal archives, compelling original interviews and the use of hand-painted animation. From his childhood in Sighet, Romania and his experiences in Nazi concentration camps, the film chronicles Wiesel’s struggles with his Jewish faith and his tireless advocacy of human dignity. The film asks what can be learned from the Holocaust; through discussion of Wiesel’s works, including the famous Night, it underscores his passionate message of speaking out against indifference, and of the need to learn from history and to remember.
Followed by Dessert Reception
Film Sponsor: Alfred and Anita Schnog Family Foundation
Director: Oren Rudavsky / Year: 2024 / Run Time: 87 Minutes
Country: USA / Language: English / Genre: Biography
THE GLORY OF LIFE
Tuesday, May 6, 7pm
Franz Kafka was the sometimes-tortured German writer who became famous for The Metamorphosis. Because of the power of love, the last year of Franz Kafka’s life becomes his happiest. He has never before been able to allow himself to experience intimacy, he suffers from tuberculosis and is dependent on his overbearing family. But the worldly-wise Dora Diamant accepts him as he is. And he accepts her. The two meet in 1923 on the Baltic Sea coast, where he is convalescing, and she is working in a Jewish Volksheim. Together they go to Berlin and, when Franz’s health deteriorates rapidly, to a sanatorium in Austria. The memory of their time together will shape Dora for the rest of her life.
Followed by Dessert Reception
Film Sponsor: Betty and Hugh Taylor
Director: George Mass & Judith Kaufman / Year: 2024 / Run Time: 98 Minutes
Country: Germany / Language: German with English subtitles / Genre: Drama