Jewish partisans hit the big screen at S.F. premiere A film narrated by actor Liev Schreiber and produced by the S.F.-based Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation had its West Coast premiere in San Francisco last week. The Nov. 13 benefit showing of “The Reunion” packed the house in the 150seat Delancey Street screening room. It was the film’s second-ever public showing after its debut in New York City last month. The 25-minute documentary details the stories of Allen Small and Leon Bakst, two 80-year-olds who were reunited last year in New York after last seeing each other in
1946. The two men grew up close friends in Poland, fought against the Nazis in armed resistance groups and lost their families during the Holocaust. Mira Shelub, 87, is also featured in the film. The native of Poland fought the Germans with her husband before moving to San Francisco in the 1950s. The inspiration for the documentary, written and produced by JPEF’s founder and executive director, Mitch Braff, was a 2011 event in New York City: a JPEFhosted reunion for 55 surviving Jewish resistance fighters, known as Actor Liev Schreiber takes a break during the recording session for “The Reunion.” partisans. One of JPEF’s goals is to get out four to 25 minutes and all of them “PBS the word to the public about the quality,” according to Braff. Some have been narrated by celebrities 30,000 Jewish partisans who fought against the Nazis — and one major such as Larry King and Tovah Feldshuh. way it does so is by making films that Braff said they were thrilled to have are used by teachers in classrooms in Schreiber (who played a Jewish resistance photos/courtesy jpef the United States, Israel, Poland and fighter, Zus Bielski, in the 2008 HollyThe crowd includes Chabad of San South Africa. “The Reunion” was its wood movie “Defiance”) participate in Francisco Rabbi Yosef Langer. 11th such film, each ranging from this project.
Allen Small at the San Francisco premiere of the film
Schreiber wasn’t at the West Coast premiere, but Small, 84, came all the way from Florida, and Shelub also attended. She was said to be a big hit during the Q&A session. The trailer for “The Reunion” can be seen at www.jewishpartisans.org/reuniontrailer, and all of the JPEF’s other films can be seen on the website, as well. — andy altman-ohr ■
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| November 23, 2012