Dramas, short films, documentaries and classic television will be screened all week at the Regal Commerce Center 18 on Route 1 South for the 10th annual New Jersey Jewish Film Festival.
Sponsored by the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, the films screened from now until Nov. 10 will touch on topics ranging from the Holocaust to current conflicts between Israel and Palestine. Other issues include the portrayal of Jewish people in American television and exotic Jewish communities around the world.
“People are always surprised when they come,” said Karen Small, the festival’s director. “It’s very relevant to our time and I think the films open a lot of eyes.”
The first screenings yesterday were preceded by a celebratory 10th anniversary buffet dinner, followed by dessert reception for those in attendance.
The festival is the largest event of the year for the department of Jewish Studies, Small said. This could be because many of the films being shown are either New Jersey or American premieres.
Ticket sales topped $5,500 last year and are expected to exceed that amount this year, Small said.
“I think it’s a primarily Jewish audience, so everyone feels connected. People smile and look at each other understandingly. It’s very fun,” said Lila Rose Nadelmann, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences junior.
The event promises a myriad of guest speakers and performers, according to the Jewish Studies Web site.
The screening of “Amnon’s Journey,” a film following a violinmaker’s quest to restore Holocaust-era violins, will be followed by live performances by Israeli violinists Guy Figer and Shir Levy, according to the site. The film’s director Jean-Marie Hosatte will also make an appearance.
Aviva Kempner, director of the documentary “Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg,” attended yesterday’s screening of her film. The film follows Gertrude Berg’s role in the ’50s sitcom “The Goldbergs,” according to the site.
For the first time in its 10-year history, the festival will include animated films, according to the site. These include Oscar-nominated “Waltz with Bashir” and the 2005 British short film “The Holocaust Tourist.”
“Waltz with Bashir” considers an Israeli soldier’s memories of Israel’s war with Lebanon, while “The Holocaust Tourist” looks at the negative aspects of tourism at concentration camps, according to the site.
Numerous University classes are planning to attend because professors incorporate some of the films into the syllabus, Small said.
Bildner Center director Yael Zerubavel and German department professor Michael Levine are expected to speak, according to the site.
The screenings will take place on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays until Nov. 10. Tickets range from $5 to $10, but several shows are already sold out.
Purchasing tickets in advanced is recommended and can be made at jewishstudies.rutgers.edu, according to the site. Tickets can also be purchased at the Bildner Center, Trio Gifts at 246 Raritan Ave. in Highland Park and at the theater an hour prior to the first screenings of the day.
Jewish Studies features variety of films in 10th annual festival
Published: Sunday, November 1, 2009
Updated: Sunday, November 1, 2009
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