West Side Story celebrates its 60th anniversary with an all-new remake of the film this December! This beloved Romeo and Juliet story takes place on the harsh streets of the Upper West Side where two gangs battle for control of the turf. The situation becomes complicated when a gang member falls in love with his rival's sister.
You may not realize it, but the West Side Story remake might be one of the most Jewish films of the year! It's directed by Steven Spielberg (Jewish), written by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner (Jewish), and conducted by the late great Leonard Bernstein (also Jewish!). Furthermore, lead actor Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, The Fault in Our Stars) has a little Jewish side to him too. His maternal grandmother was a member of the Norwegian resistance and helped Jews escape to Sweden during WWII. After a long wait, this celebrated musical finally arrives in theaters, December 10
It's A Wrap!
After canceling the 2020 edition of Lindy CineMondays due to the pandemic, Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival (GPJFF) debuted its seventh annual season virtually this spring! After viewing dozens of films, the Festival's newly expanded Screening Committee selected two narrative films and four documentaries that explore the ways individuals and communities confront their past, navigate the present, and face their future -alone and together.
Nearly 2,000 festival-goers attended Lindy CineMondays this season! We were so pleased to welcome so many new and familiar faces to the Festival. For those of you who missed the series this year, here's a recap of the stories shared at Lindy CineMondays 2021:
Our series of bookends, Love It Was Not and MishMish, demonstrated how coming to terms with the choices we make and the lives we ' ve lived can help us make things right.
Sharing the centerpiece slot, Shtetlers and Outremont and the Hasidim focused on the relationship between neighbors living side-by-side in two specific regions The former examined the height of Eastern European shtetl life pre-WWII to what remains of
these shtetls today. The latter honed in on the key issues troubling an elite neighborhood in Montreal where Francophonians have grown ever more weary of their ultra-Orthodox neighbors.
Our two narratives, Here We Are and If You See My Mother, are, at their core, stories about having a hard time letting go. In Here We Are, a father must learn to let go of his autistic son while in If You See My Mother, a son must find a way to reconcile losing his mother and best friend.
Lindy CineMondays is one of GPJFF's most popular signature programs The pacing of the series and its broad appeal attract Jewish film lovers who do not want to wait an entire year between festival seasons to see and discuss the best Jewish independent cinema currently hitting the festival circuit. Lindy CineMondays truly makes it possible for the Festival to stay current and assure that its audience always has access to the best Jewish international cinema year-round. With selections hand-picked from some of the world's most pre-eminent international film festivals, it has grown to be one of the Festival's most anticipated events of the year!
Thanks again to everyone who attended GPJFF's first-ever virtual Lindy CineMondays! We hope you enjoyed these remarkable stories and learned something new and unexpected. Please check out Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival's YouTube channel HERE to view all of our Lindy CineMondays filmmaker interviews and panel discussions
Olivia Antsis GPJFF Executive Artistic Director
LindyCineMondaysWrap-Up
Audience: 6/10 Female and 4/10 Male
Prior to Lindy CineMondays, have you attended any GPJFF programs in the past?
How did you hear about Lindy CineMondays?
How would you rate your overall Lindy CineMondays experience?
What are people saying?
“I appreciate Gershman's contribution to the film-making community.”
“Great season! In person or virtual, I just love the Gershman! Mazel tov!”
"I am so grateful for the Gershman Film Festival for providing a platform for these types of films to be seen ….. it is films like these that can change society . "
“I loved attending the Jewish film festival live and online equally.”
“I like CineMondays better than festivals where multiple films are screened daily. The films become more meaningful and easier to coordinate with my schedule.”
UPCOMINGEVENTS
JULY 2021
Shared Stories July TBA
JUNE 2021 AUGUST 2021
Pride Month Screening
THURSDAY | June 17 | 7 pm
(Streams for 72 hours until June 20)
Little Girl
Directed by Sébastien Lifshitz
Documentary Feature
France/Denmark | 2020 | 90 min
Little Girl is a moving portrait of 7-year-old Sasha, who has always known that she is a girl, and her family, who have recently accepted and embraced their daughter for who she truly is. Documented with delicacy and intimacy, Little Girl is a compassionate look at the emotional challenges, everyday feats, and small moments in Sasha’s daily life in a community that is not as quick to adapt.
SHARED STORIES returns with new films that explore the intersection of Black and Jewish experiences in America.
Last season, amid America’s reckoning with race, many Jewish organizations and groups have expressed and demonstrated their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, or more broadly speaking, communities of color fighting for racial justice. After all, not only is the pursuit of social justice a Jewish value, but to remain silent at such a critical juncture, would be according to the late Rabbi Joachim Prinz, “the most disgraceful, the most shameful, and the most tragic problem.”
This summer, GPJFF continues its exploration of race in America with new films that promote understanding and social change.
November7-21,2021
Ruth's Reels & Archie's Archives: From the Vaults August TBA
As co-founders of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival and lifelong students of cinema, Ruth and Archie Perlmutter's profound appreciation for cinema continues to transcend generations and inspire Philadelphia's film community. For over three decades, in linking their two greatest passions -"Yiddishkeit and movies,"-Ruth and Archie brought people together to share and celebrate Jewish stories. In this series, Ruth honors the memory of her late husband by sharing one lost gem of repertory cinema (never shown at GPJFF) and one film from GPJFF's 40-year archive.
Be sure to visit PJFF.org for more information on upcoming events and to purchase tickets. See you at the virtual movies!
Things To Do
The Neon Museum of Philadelphia American art and history museum disguised as a Neon Museum 1800 N American Street Philadelphia, PA 19122 (267) 534-3883 Visit WEBSITE
The Neon Museum of Philadelphia was established in 1983, but its foundation was laid in 1950s Philadelphia and the 1970s South.
Len Davidson began to unearth his hometown’s magical neon history. He sought out remaining tube benders who described the city’s spectacular but vanishing neon heritage. He began to design signs and acquire neglected treasures on the street. The die was cast: Davidson Neon Design would produce new neon and the Neon Museum of Philadelphia would preserve the old. Over 40 years the twin initiatives merged, and an amazing cast of characters helped create today’s NMOP.
The Neon Museum of Philadelphia is dedicated to preserving historic signage as an important element of community heritage in Philadelphia and America. The Museum also promotes neon art and appreciation of the 20th century American roadside
Good Eats with Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook
Abe Fisher | Contemporary Jewish Cuisine 1623 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 867-0088
Service options: Dine-in No takeout No delivery Menu HERE
Dizengoff | Casual Israeli-Style Hummusiya 1625 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 867-8181
Service options: Takeout · Delivery Menu HERE
Federal Donuts | Coffee, Donuts and Fried Chicken 540 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 (267) 761-4512
Service options: Takeout · No dine-in · No delivery Menu HERE
Goldie | Vegan Falafel Shop 1526 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 (267) 239-0777
Service options: Takeout · Delivery · No dine-in Menu HERE
Zahav | Modern Israeli Cuisine 237 Saint James Place Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 625-8800
Service options: Dine-in · No takeout · No delivery Menu HERE
NETFLIX
The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch (2018) 93 min
Pressured to marry a nice Orthodox Jewish woman, a young Orthodox Jew is thrown for a loop when he falls for someone who will not meet up to his mother's approval
The Life Ahead (2020) 95 min
A Holocaust survivor running a daycare business forms an unlikely friendship with a bitter young immigrant from Senegal when she takes him in after he robs her
Menashe (2017) 82 min
Menashe follows a kind but hapless grocery store clerk trying to maintain custody of his son Rieven after his wife, Lea, passes away.
The Pianist (2002) 150 min
Famed Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman struggles to survive the onslaught of Nazi tyranny during World War II in this drama based on his memoirs.
The Tenth Man (2016) 82 min
After spending much of his adult life in New York, an affable economist returns home to Buenos Aires and tries to reconnect with his aloof father.
AMAZON PRIME
Felix & Meira (2014) 105 min
A young married woman finds freedom from the Orthodox Jewish community through a relationship with a young man mourning his father's death
In Search of Israeli Cusine (2016) 120 min
Award-winning chef Michael Solmonov goes on a journey in search of Israeli cuisine. Profiling chefs, home cooks, farmers, vintners, and cheese-makers drawn from the multitude of cultures that make up Israel today- Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian, Druze- a rich, complex, and human story emerges.
No Place On Earth (2012) 83 min
In October 1942, Esther Stermer, the matriarch of a Jewish family in Ukraine, leads her family underground to hide from the pursuing Nazis - and stays nearly a year and a half Their harrowing story of survival living in near-total darkness in two cold, damp caves is one like no one ever told.
Shiva Baby (2020) 77 min
While at a Jewish funeral service with her parents, a college student has an awkward encounter with her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend.
($3.99 RENT or $7.99 BUY)
Tel Aviv on Fire (2018) 100 min
Salam, a Palestinian living in Jerusalem, works on a popular soap opera. After getting ideas for the show from the commander at the checkpoint he passes through each day, his career takes off in the most unexpected of ways
HULU
Denial (2016) 109 min
In 1993, Deborah Lipstadt published Denying the Holocaust Two years later, author David Irving sued her for libel on the grounds that her book had ruined his once well-regarded career as a historian by accusing him of deliberately distorting historical facts.
Disobedience (2017) 114 min
New York photographer Ronit Krushka flies to London after learning about the death of her estranged father. She returns to the same Orthodox Jewish community that shunned her decades earlier for her childhood attraction to Esti, a female friend
Jojo Rabbit (2019) 108 min
Jojo is a lonely German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend -- Adolf Hitler -Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II continues to rage on
Resistance (2020) 122 min
Before he became world-famous mime Marcel Marceau, aspiring Jewish actor Marcel Mangel joined the French Resistance to save thousands of orphaned children from the Nazis
The Song of Names (2019) 113 min
A child befriends a Polish violin prodigy whose parents leave him in his family's care. The two boys become like brothers until the musician disappears 40 years later, he gets his first clue as to what happened to his childhood best friend.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971)
Release date: November 3, 1971 (USA)
Director: Norman Jewison
Synopsis:
This iconic, Oscar-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical explores life among the Jewish community of a pre-revolutionary Russian village. A poor milkman, determined to find good husbands for his five daughters, consults the traditional matchmaker - and also has a word with God
This November, Fiddler on the Roof will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary!
NOW STREAMING FOR FREE WITH A SUBSCRIPTION ON: Netflix
Amazon Prime Pluto TV
Shakshuka
Ingredients Directions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
1 cup cubed tofu or feta (optional)
6 eggs
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, roughly diced
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 lbs fresh tomatoes, unpeeled and cut in quarters, or one 28 oz can of tomatoes
Prep Time: 30 MINS
Cook Time: 15 MINS
Servings: 6-8
1.Place the tomatoes, garlic, salt, paprika, tomato paste, and vegetable oil in a small saucepan Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, over low heat until thick, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 Ladle the tomato sauce into a greased 12″ frying pan Bring to a simmer and break the eggs over the tomatoes. Gently break the yolks with a fork.
3. If adding feta, tofu, and parsley, sprinkle them on top. Cover and continue to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs are set
4. Bring the frying pan directly to the table. Set it on a trivet and spoon out the shakshuka.
One of the most popular egg dishes in Israel!
"One of the most popular egg dishes in Israel is shakshuka, one of those onomatopoeic Hebrew and North African words, meaning “all mixed up.” The most famous rendition of this tomato dish, which is sometimes mixed with meat but more often made in Israel with scrambled or poached eggs, is served at the Tripolitana Doktor Shakshuka Restaurant in old Jaffa."
Read the full article HERE.
5. EAT AND ENJOY!!
PhotoCredit:BondiHarvest,SBS Food
PhotoCredit:Johnsonville
Photo Credit: Joan Nathan
JoanNathan, MyJewish Learning
DID YOU KNOW?
DECEMBER 3, 1981 – APRIL 25, 1982, WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL!
This made GPJFF the 1st festival in Philadelphia!
JEWISH FILM/TV NEWS continued...
In other news, Ilana Glazer, the " yas queen " Jewish comedian we adored on Broad City, is back with a horror movie. Yes, you heard that right! A spooky, contemporary take on Rosemary's Baby. In False Positive –premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival – she plays Lucy, a young woman who, after months and months of trying to get pregnant, finally finds the perfect fertility doctor Soon into her pregnancy, however, it doesn't take too long for her to discover that there's something very sinister about this baby... Co-starring Justin Theroux and Pierce Brosnan, False Positive premieres on Hulu June 25.
Watch False Positive Trailer HERE.
y ack. Starring Michael Aloni (Shtisel), this lavish, sexy eries takes place against the backdrop of the ttoman and then British rule, up until that of raeli sovereignty in the still oft-divided city. The how premieres in Israel on June 3. Hopefully, we'll et to stream this here in the US by the end of the year!
Watch The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem Trailer HERE.
Don't forget to check out the West Side Story Trailer HERE
OhMyHaShem! I’mJewish!
By:MattBussy,GPJFFFestivalManager
They say everything happens for a reason Usually, when I hear that, I roll my eyes because it’s like an endless cliché from a cheesy melodrama. It’s true, however, that the universe works in the most unexpected of ways. My journey to Judaism was something I never would have imagined!
Five years ago, when I first joined GPJFF, I had no clue about anything even remotely resembling Judaism I thought Shavuot was a dish you ate at dinner I thought Yom Kippur was a “happy” holiday I thought Jews went to church The only “Jewish” thing I knew about was Hanukkah, even though it was hardly taught in my schools in my heavily Christian hometown. “Christmas is beautiful! Oh, and there’s also Hanukkah, but only Jews celebrate that and you just light candles and that’s it so let’s talk about Christmas!” my elementary school teachers would say.
I wasn’t exactly raised in a religious household My father is a Unitarian Universalist so for a few years, every Sunday morning, we’d go to services and learn about the different types of religions in the world We eventually stopped going though, due to my consistent moaning about getting up early on Sundays because I wanted to watch Nickelodeon instead. By the time I was seven or eight, religion was never brought up in my home. We celebrated the basic Christian holidays, but never took them seriously. One time, I even caught my mother putting the Easter baskets on our backstep “No, Matt The Easter Bunny was here He just left your basket at the wrong house so I was bringing it back ” she told me I originally wanted the job at GPJFF, for one reason only: movies. To say I’m a movie buff is an understatement. This is more than a passion. As a kid, I used to look at the filmographies of directors like Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen, get on Microsoft Word, ty out all their films in descending order, and memorize them. Then I would delete the page and re-type them again THAT is how dorky I was/am To actually get a j at a film festival, let alone one as historic as GPJFF, wa just incredible. For the first year or two, I enjoyed all th films we curated, but I never tried to interpret the Jewishness of them
Cut to 2018 and my life was a total mess. I was living alone in a dingy apartment. More and more of my friends were moving out of the city. My shyness and personal insecurities prevented me from meeting new people and trying new things If you came to my apartment on a Saturday night that summer, you’d see me nestled on my couch, drunk with a glass of pinot grigio, listening to music, trying to hide the tears behind my eyes This was more than unhappiness. This was borderline depression. Growing up was especially hard for me. I literally could not do it. I could not escape this loneliness, no matter how hard I didn’t try. I just couldn’t find myself.
I knew this feeling needed to stop I started going to work and watching new films we got in from distributors, except this time, I was going to educate myself I wasn’t just going to skim through them and decide that they would be strong enough for the audience. The more I took these films seriously, the more I learned about the beauty and richness of Jewish culture and history, something started to change in me. Judaism is a religion about celebration. It’s about loving yourself more. It’s about community. It’s about feeling like an outsider and coming out and enjoying life more ALL of these were the ingredients I needed to improve in my life Judaism, in a way, was the cure I remember going home one day after work and researching as much as I could about Judaism. I wrote the Shabbat prayers in my planner and tried to memorize them for fun. I typed out all the Jewish holidays and why they are observed. I started reading books by acclaimed Jewish authors like Chaim Potok and Philip Roth. I was obsessed! Truly This excitement took over my body and it only grew bigger
2019 was the year that changed everything My growing fascination with Judaism coincided with an alarming confession my father made to me one day. We were home watching TV. I was telling him about the history of Israel or some other topic
"I found myself in Judiasm"
that has “Jewish” in the title.
“Cool. Well, Matt, you do know Granddad was technically Jewish,” he said.
“What?!” I screamed.
“Yeah His father was, your great-grandfather, but they were never close and Granddad didn’t practice Judaism He did love it though ” he replied nonchalantly, totally incognizant of the shock on my face
“Wait, wait what?! This is amazing Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked him.
“Oh, uh….I don’t know.” said my dad, probably distracted by what was on TV.
This was crazy. My dad explained the history. My great-grandfather’s entire family was secular Ashkenazi from Eastern Europe As anti-Semitism worsened and pogroms expanded, they fled to Pennsylvania Unfortunately, the town they moved to was pretty antiSemitic as well To be Jewish or Black in the neighborhood was considered taboo As a result, they erased their religion. The religion in the Bussy family lineage literally stopped.
They soon had a son, my grandfather, who unfortunately was never close with his father, the latter of whom died when he was only 40. My dad took me to the basement and showed me a box with copious letters and notes Granddad had written. A WWII veteran, my Granddad would always discuss the history of the war and the Holocaust to my sister and me, probably when we were too young to hear of such atrocities (he was a little eccentric, let’s say). One discovery amazed me. In 1950, two years after Israel was declared a State, my grandfather was approached by the government and tasked with a special operation. He was to go to Israel, observe the relations between the Jews and Arabs, and try to mediate the two. He wrote pages and pages about the situation, the richness of Israel, and the power Judaism had on so many individuals there.
All this information floored me My grandfather was just as zealous about Judaism as I was! Family is family, and this passion of mine undoubtedly originated from this
In the summer of 2019, I had the amazing opportunity to accompany The Chevra – a super fun group for young Jewish professionals here in Philly – on their annual two-week trip to Israel It was the most unforgettable trip of my life. I made friends with people that I know will last a lifetime. Rabbis and other speakers there taught me so many things about Judaism that only demolished my insecurities. On this trip, I found my community. In a weird way, everything felt perfect and right. It was like I was meant to go to the Holy Land because it helped me find myself. I knew my journey and it was about to begin: I was going to convert to Judaism
After the trip, I began my studies at the amazing Congregation Rodeph Shalom. What was fascinating was getting to hear what other people in the class had to say. Their journey was so similar to mine. Some of them had no Judaism in their family, but they just felt happiest when they were observing it They couldn’t explain it That’s the wonderful thing about Judaism It heals and restores us It has the power to change our lives for the better
On December 9, 2020, after a long and arduous year of studies (and Covid…), under the guidance of Rabbi Eli Freedman of Rodeph Shalom, I immersed myself in the mikveh of Temple Beth Hillel - Beth El. When I stuck my head out of that water, I was reborn, both spiritually and mentally. It’s a moment that will stick with me forever!
"That's the wonderful thing about Judaism. It heals and restores us. It has the power to change our lives for the better."
Matt Bussy, GPJFF Festival Manager
DID YOU KNOW?
Nearly 2 million students are eligible for SNAP aid but aren't receiving it?
This is one reason Challah for Hunger continues educating and expanding campuses with resources
Challah for Hunger (CfH) brings people together to bake and sell challah to raise funds and awareness for social justice causes by addressing food insecurity locally and nationally to ultimately end hunger on college campuses
CfH's mission is to build communities inspired and equipped to take action against hunger. "Through our work, every one of us will discover our own power to spark positive change and work collectively to solve urgent social challenges."
By way of CfH’s national advocacy campaign, the Campus Hunger Project, participants learn about the different ways that college administrations are addressing food insecurity on campus. With the many differences in every campus community, each needs a highly customized approach for supporting students. These students will learn from experts in the field, develop core advocacy skills,
and launch campaigns to tackle hunger on their campuses. With Campus Hunger Project they've found that at least 3 million students are food insecure and support students to develop solutions to end student hunger
Every week, thousands of students across the US, Canada, and Australia continue the centuries-old tradition of baking challah and practicing social justice (Tikkun Olam). While the dough rises, students discuss local and national campus hunger issues and discuss advocacy tactics to address food insecurity on campus. After baking, the students sell the challah on campus to their peers, faculty, and community members. 50% of profits from challah sales go to Swipe Out Hunger to support national antihunger advocacy efforts and 50% to local nonprofits fighting hunger in their community
In 2004, Eli Winkelman, then a student at Scripps College, decided to bake challah with friends and sell the loaves to raise money for hunger relief causes. 17 years later, CfH operates 80+ chapters on campuses across the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Each CfH chapter receives ongoing support via CfH alumni turned mentors, an online resource center, and an annual Leadership Summit for student leaders. Each chapter determines its own identity and expresses Judaism in its unique way.
“I envisioned Challah for Hunger as a network whose participants feel a sense of ownership and positive obligation within an interconnected community.”
-Eli Winkelman, Founder
Get Involved: ChallahForHunger.org
Filmmaker Spotlight: Sébastien Lifshitz
This June, award-winning filmmaker Sébastien Lifshitz shares his newest documentary, Little Girl. For a year, the director followed the daily life of Sasha, a sevenyear-old girl born in a boy’s body Her parents struggle to protect her from transphobia and for institutions (primarily schools) to accept her for what she is. With all the delicacy that characterizes his work, Sébastien delivers an intimate and moving portrait of a close-knit family This documentary is full of charming yet heartbreaking memories on an issue still misunderstood by many.
Sébastien Lifshitz is a French Jewish screenwriter and director. He teaches at La Fémis, a school that focuses on the subject of image and sound He studied at the École du Louvre and has a bachelor's degree from the University of Paris in the history of art. After studying at the École du Louvre, Sébastien scored an international theatrical hit with his debut feature film, Come Undone, in 2000 He went on to direct over eight films and continues to tell great stories.
Sébastien is a two-time winner of the Teddy Award, presented by an independent committee at the Berlin International Film Festival to the year ' s best films with LGBT themes. He won Best Feature Film in 2004 for Wild Side and Best Documentary Film in 2013 for Bambi, a documentary profile of transgender French entertainer Marie-Pierre Pruvot.
"To me, a documentary is always to share the life to be a part of the intimacy and to be very close to them and to find a good distance which is something that you have to improve with time during the shooting."
Sébastien Lifshitz, Teddy Award Interview
tsaL eussI :rewsnA .C ydemoC
We're Looking for Young Friendbers!
This is a photograph from a film shown at the VERY FIRST PJFF FESTIVAL. Which film is this from?
A. Lacombe, Lucien
B. Transport from Paradise
C. David
D. The Street
E. Image Before My Eyes
Since September 2020
Because Of YOU.... We have completed 37 programs this year. 75 filmmakers, actors, and writers participated in GPJFF events.
If you ' re between the ages of 21-39, consider yourself a movie buff, looking to make some new connections, and attend some awesome events, then you'll love our ALL NEW YOUNG FRIENDBERS!
The Young Friendbers will bring young adults together to influence the Jewish film narrative while seeking to elevate young voices by creating a sense of community.
Contact Matt Bussy mbussy@pjff.org or Ainyae Straxkson astratton@pjff org to learn more, become a Young Friendber, and be a part of an influential growing community.
