After the October 7 attacks, artists Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid launched the “Kidnapped from Israel” grassroots poster campaign in NY to raise awareness about the hostages taken by Hamas. Torn explores the motivations of activists putting up and tearing down the posters, revealing the complexities of the war through intense debates and personal stories.
Talk-back with director Nim Shapira and the artists following the screening, moderated by Prof. Yael Aronoff, Director of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel at Michigan State University.
This program is proudly sponsored by the Israel Engagement Fund: A JCC Association of North America Program Accelerator and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.
Diamond Film Sponsor: Israel Engagement Fund: A JCC Association of North America Program Accelerator and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs
Gold Film Sponsor: Jewish Federation of Detroit
On January 15, 2022, an ordinary Shabbat morning at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, turned into a harrowing hostage crisis involving Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three others. Colleyville is a gripping real-life drama showcasing the resilience of the hostages and community while highlighting the complexities of antisemitism.
Talk-back with Ophir award-winning filmmaker Dani Menkin and Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker following the screening, moderated by Rabbi Paul Yedwab, Temple Israel.
Bronze Film Sponsor: Temple Israel; ADL Michigan
This beautifully restored 1923 silent masterpiece tells the poignant story of a rabbi’s son who leaves his Polish shtetl to pursue acting in Vienna. The film is accompanied by a live musical score composed and performed by klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals and silent film pianist Donald Sosin, adding a unique, immersive dimension to this CineConcert experience.
The live performance is made possible by The Sunrise Foundation for Education and the Arts.
Diamond Film Sponsor: Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
Gold Film Sponsor: Burton A. Zipser & Sandra D. Zipser Foundation; SAJE
Israel’s biggest box office hit of the year, Matchmaking 2, is the feel-good, long-awaited sequel to the beloved 2022 rom-com starring some of Israel’s brightest young talents. This tender, side-splitting celebration of clashing traditions and big-hearted characters follows a love-struck bachelor in a Jerusalem yeshiva, pressured to find his soulmate before it’s too late.
Bronze Film Sponsor: Adat Shalom Synagogue Sisterhood; Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit; National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan; The Women of Temple Israel
In 1945, 10-year-old Holocaust survivor Marcel Zielinski made a 60-mile journey by foot from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Krakow in search of his family. Decades later, 250 cyclists retrace his path in a mission called Ride for the Living. This powerful documentary draws parallels between his experience and the cyclists’ journey to spark a conversation about the struggle between dehumanization and empathy.
Talk-back with co-director Tim Roper and producer Lisa Effress following the screening.
Silver Film Sponsor: Team Alex
Bronze Film Sponsor: Jewish Federation of Detroit; Temple Israel Brotherhood; The Zekelman Holocaust Center
A coming-of-age tale from one of the most successful American producers of our time, Jeffrey Seller, a mastermind behind the Tony Award-winning musicals Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, and Hamilton. Theater Kid is a gripping memoir about chasing a dream against many odds and finding acceptance and community. Jeffrey is a suburban Detroit native and a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.
“I loved reading the wonderful, inspiring adventures of Jeffrey Seller’s life and career. If you feel like an outsider from the poorest part of town, take heart, your dreams can come true.”
— Bernadette Peters
Bronze Film Sponsor: Henry & Delia Meyers Library
Before Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street, there was Shari Lewis and her beloved puppets including Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy, and Charlie Horse. This heartwarming bio-doc blends archival footage, TV clips, and interviews, celebrating Shari Lewis’s visionary spirit and offering a nostalgic journey that reconnects us with our inner child.
Virtual appearance by daughter Mallory Lewis before the 1 p.m. screening. Talk-back with director Lisa D’Apolito following both screenings.
1 p.m. screening:
Designated as a Dementia Friendly Movie. Everyone is welcome, with special accommodations for individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s. This program is funded in part by the Exhale Project: the Ralph C. Wilson Jr., Foundation, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, BCBS of Michigan, BCBS of Michigan Foundation, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, and Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.
7 p.m. screening:
Gold Film Sponsor: The Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program
Arnon Noble, a devout man with a strong bond to his mother, a Holocaust survivor, embarks on a journey to Hungary with his estranged daughter to seek a legendary ring that once saved her life. Written by and starring Ophir Award-winning actor and beloved stand-up comedian Adir Miller, The Ring is based on his own family’s story of Holocaust survival.
Bronze Film Sponsor: CHAIM-Children of Holocaust Survivors Association in Michigan; The Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive
This mockumentary follows Dave Roffman, a schlub from New York, on his quest to win the World Sauna Championships in Detroit. Watch for a brief appearance by local actor David Shevrin, who shows up in a towel, though his lines were left on the cutting room floor!
Festival Co-Sponsor: The Schvitz
David and his fiancée Meg attend a Shabbat dinner at his mother’s house to introduce her Catholic parents to his Jewish family. When a turn of events leads to a frantic cover-up, the evening spirals into darkly comedic chaos. Uproariously funny with a cast featuring Emmy-winner Kyra Sedgwick, Method Man, and David Paymer, Bad Shabbos is filled with twists, turns, and laughs you won’t see coming!
Talk-back with Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch, Adat Shalom Synagogue, and Rabbi Yonatan Dahlen, Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
Bronze Film Sponsor: ORT America Michigan Region
Sponsors: TBD
Witness the rise of Brian Epstein, the visionary manager who catapulted The Beatles from a scrappy Liverpool band into global rock legends. The film details Epstein’s belief in The Beatles and the sacrifices he made to help them achieve fame. Midas Man features a star-making turn by Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (The Queen’s Gambit), alongside dynamic performances by Emily Watson, Jay Leno, and Eddie Izzard.
Gold Film Sponsor: Burton A. Zipser & Sandra D. Zipser Foundation; Hampton Inn Southfield/West Bloomfield; Home 2 Suites West Bloomfield
Producer: Ellen and Jerold Minkin*
Director: Renee and Earl Ishbia*, Cis Maisel*, George M. and Jo Elyn Nyman
Charitable Trust, Elaine and Michael Serling*, Esther and Neal Zalenko*
Screenwriter: Dale and Bruce Frankel, Manat Foundation*, Carol and Ron Fogel*, Art and Helene Indianer*, Bradley Cooper, Terry Hollander, Barbara and Michael Horowitz, Eileen Hyman, Bluma Schechter*, Andi and Larry Wolfe*
Film Fan (Double): Bobbie and Don Blitz, Rhonda and Morris Brown, Heidi and Jeff Budaj, Sandra and Earle Endelman, Doreen Hermelin, Henry and Caryn Hirsch, Miriam and Larry Imerman, Sheri and David Jaffa*, Lawrence and Wendy Kohlenberg, Anna and Yale Levin, Rochelle and Arthur Lieberman, Jody and Shelly Mendelson, Gary and Sharon Oppenheim, Arlene and Mark Rubinstein, Susan and David Shevrin, Jacalyn Newman Simon and James L. Simon, Suzanne and Sheldon Simon
Film Fan (Single): Judith Adelman, Elaine L Brickman, Richard Cavaler, Lorry Beresh Cooper, Janice Cutler, Sharon Gadoth, Sherri Gregory, Allan Gurvitz, Sharon Kaplan, Gail Katz, Judy Loebl, Stan Meretsky, Karen Keidan Myerson, Barbara Jo Safran and Murray Cohen (z”l), Ellie Slovis, Jeffrey Solway, Henrietta Hermelin Weinberg
*Indicates Pillar of Light
Diamond Film Sponsor: Israel Engagement Fund: A JCC Association of North America Program Accelerator and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring
Platinum Film Sponsor: American Technion Society
Gold Film Sponsor: Burton A. Zipser & Sandra D. Zipser Foundation, The Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program, Hampton Inn Southfield/West Bloomfield and Home 2 Suites West Bloomfield, Jewish Federation of Detroit, SAJE
Silver Film Sponsor: The Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement, Team Alex
Bronze Film Sponsor: Adat Shalom Synagogue Sisterhood, ADL Michigan, CHAIM-Children of Holocaust Survivors Association in Michigan, Henry & Delia Meyers Library, Jewish Federation of Detroit, Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit, National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan, ORT America Michigan Region, Temple Israel, Temple Israel Brotherhood, The Voice/Vision
Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive, The Women of Temple Israel, The Zekelman Holocaust Center
Festival Co-Sponsor: The Schvitz
Sponsors: Ageless and Active, The Berman, Janice Charach Gallery, JFamily, JKids and Family, JLearn, Jlive, JRec, JTraveler, The J’s Opening the Doors, The Women of The J
Patrons and Sponsors as of March 14, 2025
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus 6600 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield MI 48322
Panel discussion with special guest Prof. Peretz Lavie, Past President, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
Platinum Film Sponsor: American Technion Society
Gold Film Sponsor: SAJE
Silver Film Sponsor: The Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement
