Jewish Community Center Film Festival

Thirteen-year-old Ethan Bloom is supposed to be preparing for his bar mitzvah — but despite his Jewish family, Ethan is convinced his spiritual calling is with the Catholic Church, where he secretly finds solace under the guidance of Father Diaz (Carlos Ponce). Through the wisdom of an unconventional rabbi (Rachelle Lefevre), the love of his complicated father (Joshua Malina), and his first romance with a cowboy-boot-wearing girl who can put him in a headlock, Ethan must confront his lies and grief to discover that faith isn’t about choosing sides — it’s about honoring all the messy, beautiful pieces of who we are.

A visionary yet often overlooked leader, Henrietta Szold transformed the 20th century by founding Hadassah, building a modern health-care system in Palestine rooted in equality for Arabs and Jews, and later rescuing 11,000 children from Nazi Europe through Youth Aliyah. This heartfelt documentary, directed by Peabody award-winner Abby Ginzberg, brings long-overdue recognition to Szold, offering a thought-provoking look at a woman who reshaped history through compassion and an unwavering belief in the power of humanity.

Dayton Hadassah Centennial Celebration to follow movie.

Guest Speaker • Sharon Star
Following the events of October 7, Hadassah Great Plains Region President Sharon Star guided 39 chapters covering 13 states in the Midwest to play an active part in hope and resilience for medical care and the return of the hostages. She recently returned from Israel where she had a chance to witness Henrietta Szold’s impact and her legacy. Presentation includes Q & A, followed by Dayton Hadassah’s Centennial Celebration Reception.

(USA, 2019, 7 minutes, English) • Comedy/Film Short
1 – a non-Jew who performs certain tasks which religious law prohibits a Jew from doing on the Sabbath.
2 – a human loophole.

God literally forbids she turn off an appliance gone rogue, so an Orthodox Jew sets out on a quest to find someone who can.

(Uganda, 2025, 8 minutes, Luganda with English subtitles) • Documentary/Film Short

The Cave Synagogue follows Ugandan Abayudaya elder J.J. Keki as he and his sons journey to a hidden cave where Jews worshipped in secret under Idi Amin. After Judaism was outlawed in 1972, a small group persisted. Today, J.J. returns to sing, pray, and remember.

(France, 2023, 18 minutes, French with English subtitles) • Fiction/Film Short

Mila, who gave birth a week ago, is preparing with her partner Joaquim for a fateful moment: today is their son’s circumcision. Although she had never questioned the practice, the arrival of her baby and the imminence of the ceremony shatters her certainties.

(Germany, 2025, 30 minutes, German with English subtitles) • Documentary/Film Short

At 88, Gary Sternberg revisits his past by contacting the current residents of his childhood home in Germany. Born to a Jewish father in Nazi Germany, he fled to Shanghai, survived wartime hardship, and later settled in the U.S. His return sparks a journey of remembrance and reconciliation.

(USA, 2024, 22 minutes, English) • Documentary/Film Short

JewCE: The Jewish Comics Experience traces a century of Jewish influence on comics, from 1930s superhero origins to today’s global graphic storytelling. Featuring original art, rare issues, and cultural artifacts, the exhibit explores satire, identity, and fandom — culminating in an interactive space for reading, creating, and striking a superhero pose.

In an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem, Bati has a seemingly perfect life. She is happily married to Lazer and the young couple have three children. But their world starts to crumble when Lazer is blackmailed and Bati discovers his secret affair with his male study partner. Desperate to protect her family and keep the man she loves, she supports Lazer as he attempts to “cure” his homosexuality, while uncovering her true desires.

In 1963, Esther gives birth to Roland, the youngest of a large family. Roland is born with a clubfoot that prevents him from standing. Against everyone’s advice, she promises her son that he will walk like everyone else and will have an extraordinary life. From that moment on, Esther would stop at nothing to keep that promise. Spanning decades of trials and life’s miracles, this film tells a true story, funny and moving, about an incredible destiny and the greatest love of all: a mother’s love for her child.

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue tells the inspiring real-life story of retired Israeli General Noam Tibon, who on October 7, 2023 received a desperate message from his son: terrorists had stormed his home, and his family feared for their lives. With no time to spare, Noam and his wife, Gali, set out on a 10-hour journey across a country under siege to rescue them.

Eva (Rotem Sela), a beautiful seamstress, arrives with her daughter in an Israeli working-class neighborhood in 1954. Shalom Gottlieb (Lior Raz), a former partisan leader and current factory foreman, falls for Eva, who offers him a chance at happiness and a life filled with beauty and laughter. But rumors of Eva’s past as a Kapo during the Holocaust shake the community. Shalom’s choice to be with Eva now means not only betraying his family, but also his fellow partisans and his duty to uncover her secret.

Arnon Noble is a religious man with a strong bond to his mother, a Holocaust survivor. He usually drives her to school lectures where she tells the students how she saved the lives of her baby boy and herself with the help of a thin gold ring. When the mother’s health deteriorates, he and his estranged daughter travel to her old hometown, Budapest, to search for the mythological ring that saved her life in the past.

This insightful documentary delves into the life and work of Art Spiegelman, the Queens-raised artist who revolutionized comics by exploring dark, complex themes. Shaped by his Holocaust-survivor parents and inspired by MAD magazine’s irreverent satire, Spiegelman’s most famous work, MAUS, is a poignant Holocaust narrative that redefined the medium. The film showcases his resistance to fascism and features rich illustrations from his comics, highlighting his significant impact as an artist and cultural critic. Featuring Robert Crumb among many others.

As World War II looms over Central Europe, Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler arrive in Finland seeking safety. But Finland’s alliance with Nazi Germany soon threatens that refuge. In Helsinki, Jewish leader and philanthropist Abraham Stiller reassures them, saying, “This is Finland, not Germany.” When refugees are sent to labor camps near German forces, Stiller appeals to State Police Chief Arno Anthoni, only to receive a warning that endangers the entire Finnish Jewish community. Never Alone tells a story of resilience and defiance as Stiller struggles to protect his community against overwhelming odds.

With more than 250,000 cinema viewers since launch, and counting, Matchmaking 2 is matching up to its prequel, Matchmaking, which was the 2022 Israeli box office hit of the year. A sweet story and relatable characters, with love, laughter, and high stakes in the Haredi dating world, the movie features many of Israel’s most appealing young actors and actresses.

Germany, 1978. Hans Rosenthal is the country’s most popular TV presenter, and, what few people know: He is Jewish and a Holocaust survivor. The 75th edition of his beloved live game show is about to be broadcast, but the celebratory mood is dampened by the air date, November 9. Exactly 40 years after Kristallnacht, the Nazi pogrom against the Jewish population, Hans is expected to entertain and distract an audience of millions with his harmless TV show, rather than attend the first official German memorial for the victims. Has the Jewish showman become himself a henchman of repression? Or will he find the strength to address his family trauma?