F

ALAN & NAOMI  (1992)

Ala

Brooklyn born 14-year-old Alan is asked by his parents to befriend Naomi, a French girl who was emotionally traumatized by the Holocaust. Based on the award-winning children's book Alan & Naomi by Myron Levoy.

1 hr. 35 min. Rated PG.  AGE: 12 to Adult

791.43

ALMONDS AND RAISINS: A HISTORY OF THE YIDDISH CINEMA  (1983)

Alm

Presents the history of Yiddish cinema, told through film excerpts and through interviews with the actors, directors and producers who created the films. The motion picture, The Jazz Singer, a 1927 Hollywood Jewish release in English, brought immigrant Jews to the cinema and encouraged the growth of a new genre: The Yiddish Film. Between 1927 and 1940, over 300 Yiddish films were produced in America. This documentary lovingly recalls these films, and through them, the period of the Jewish immigrant in America, struggling between tradition and assimilation. Includes interviews with Herschel Bernardi, Leo Fuchs, Joseph Green, Miriam Kressyn, David Opatoshu, Seymour Rechtzeit, and Zvee Schooler. Note: May be used with the book, Visions, Images and Dreams: Yiddish Film Past and Present, by Eric Goldman.

B&W. 1 hr. 30 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

JHVC

F

An American Tail  (1986)

Ame

Steven Spielberg presents An American Tail, a warm and delightful animated feature about a Jewish mouse who immigrates to America from Russia in the late nineteenth century. Fievel Mouskewitz and his family leave behind the evil cats of their homeland and move to America, where there is "a mouse hole in every wall" and "bread crumbs on every floor." But just as they are about to land in New York, Fievel becomes separated from his family. Will Fievel escape the cats and rats of the great big city and find his mama and papa?

1 hr. 21 min.  AGE: 4 to 10

JHVC

F

AN AMERICAN TAIL: FIEVEL GOES WEST  (1991)

Ame

Steven Spielberg’s Jewish immigrant mouse Fievel Mousekewitz travels to the Wild West in this high-spirited animated feature.

Fievel and his family have reached America, “where the streets are paved with cheese.” But New York’s slums and evil cats make their new homeland less than paradise. “Go West Young Mouse!” comes the cry, and so the Mousekewitz family boards the train for the frontier. But on the long journey through the desert, Fievel overhears some cats scheming to make mouseburgers out of the new arrivals. Will Fievel be able to save the mice of Green River? Rated G.

1 hr. 15 min.  AGE:  4 to 10

JHVC

F

Americaner Shadchen (An American Matchmaker)  (1940)

Ame

This musical film offers a hilarious picture of second-generation Jews in New York City and their search for love. Broadly contrasting rabbinic ways with modern notions in a country where the rules for romance are very different, Americaner Shadchen portrays the dilemma of attempting to live between two worlds. The film's hero, a model son and successful businessman named Nathan Gold, has been a failure in his pursuit of a bride. The film opens with a bachelor party, Gold's eighth. His weddings have never worked out, and this one too is aborted. Gold then decides to become an advisor in human relations, a shadchen, as a way of finding a wife. With his servant Morris as his foil, Gold proceeds to solve the mysteries of modern relationships by setting up an office where human affairs can be approached scientifically.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 27 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

F

THE ANGEL LEVINE (1970)

Zero Mostel, Ida Kaminska and Harry Belafonte star in this unusual tale, based on a short story by Bernard Malamud. Mostel plays Morris Mishkin, an elderly Jew who has just lost faith in God, as well as his own will to live. Morris’s tailor shop was destroyed in a fire, leaving him in financial difficulty; his daughter intermarried (so he cut her off); his back is failing him, and his wife has been seriously ill for two years. When the film opens, Morris witnesses a theft and sees the African American thief killed before his eyes as he flees the crime. This is the last straw for Morris, who loses faith and blames God for his troubles, claiming that God has cursed him. Then into Morris’s kitchen appears Belafonte, who proclaims that his name is Alexander Levine, and that he is an angel sent by God to help Morris. This “angel” remarkably resembles the thief who just died. Levine says that he is on probation in heaven and needs Mishkin to believe in him. Mishkin, the stereotypical Jewish pessimist, longs for a miracle to save his wife’s life – but can he believe Levine, who both says he is Jewish and sent by the Divine? A thought-provoking and discussable film, with especially fine performances by Mostel and Kaminska. Note: Groups or classes may wish to first read the short story and compare/contrast. Rated PG-13.

1 hr. 46 min.  AGE:  13 to Adult

JHVC

F

Annie Hall  (1977)

Ann

Woody Allen brilliantly captures the classic neurotic, paranoid, cynical, morbid, guilt-ridden New York Jewish male in his Academy Award-winning masterpiece. Co-starring Diane Keaton as transplanted midwesterner Annie Hall, Allen's story hilariously depicts their interfaith relationship—one that is doomed to failure by vast cultural and emotional differences. Allen plays Alvy Singer, a comedy writer who reflects on his childhood, career, ex-wives and girlfriends, and, especially, his romance with Hall. Through freewheeling flashbacks—some based in reality and others in fantasy—Singer recalls where he went wrong, and where he went right. The chemistry between Allen and Keaton is sublime, making this film an absolute gem.

1 hr. 34 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

Television-made documentary which examines what it means to be a Jew in America in the 20^th century. Through vintage film footage, family photos and individual experiences, the film explores many different ways American Jews understand and practice their Judaism. A wide variety of Jews are interviewed and share their experiences as American Jews. These include entertainer Alan King; author Erija Jong; and singer, Marilyn Michaels. Current issues are addressed such as the challenges of assimilation and the changing role of women in Judaism. Above all, the film shows the great strength many Jews find in their Judaism today relative to family, Torah, a quest for truth and a shared history. This video was created as a companion piece to the film “A Laugh, A Tear, A Mitzvah” which focused more on the Jewish immigrant experience and how it has influenced American Judaism today.

1 hr. 30 min.  AGE:  12 to Adult

F

THE ASSISTANT  (1997)

Ass

Based on the novel by Bernard Malamud, the story deals with anti-Semitism, ethics and romance, and takes place during the Depression. Frank is a young man who assists his friend in robbing the grocery store of an elderly Jewish man. Both robbers wore masks. Horrified by the anti-Semitic outburst of his friend, who beats the old man, Frank looks for a way to repent. He decides to go to work for the grocer and dedicates all his time and energy to the job. While working, he falls in love with the grocer’s beautiful daughter—doubly problematic since Frank is not Jewish and since he has never revealed his part in the crime. Stars Armin Mueller-Stahl and Joan Plowright. Note: Includes a few disturbing scenes with violent acts. This film does not include public performance rights and may only be used for home or classroom.

1 hr. 45 min.  AGE: Adult

F

AVALON  (1990)

Ava

The story of immigrant Sam Krinsky and his extended family in Baltimore, filled with touching moments as we watch the old ways change to new. Written and directed by Barry Levinson.

2 hrs. 6 min.  AGE: 11 to Adult

808.87

AVI HOFFMAN’S TOO JEWISH?

Avi

One-man musical comedy revue starring comedian Avi Hoffman, filmed live at the Westside Theatre in New York. Hoffman sings Yiddish and Jewish songs, tells jokes and stories, and reminisces about a Yiddish culture that once was. In a particularly nice segment, he sings a long medley which includes a few bars of well-known Yiddish songs - with English translations presented onscreen for the audience. Note: Of particular interest to Yiddish enthusiasts.

F

AWAKE AND SING! (1972)

Awa

(DVD)

Television broadcast of the classic 1935 Jewish Depression play by Clifford Odets, starring Walter Matthau, Ruth Storey and Leo Fuchs. This tense drama follows the Bergers, a Jewish family living in the Bronx under the financial restraints of the Depression. The family consists of an overbearing and manipulative mother; an ineffectual father who is out of work; an intellectual grandfather who spouts Marx; a grown daughter and son; and Moe Axelrod, a cynical boarder who lost a leg in World War II. The family struggles to survive on $16.00 a week, and most of its members have grown to accept the conditions and defeat of their lives. The play recreates an atmosphere of an era past – as well as of a family where life’s disappointments result in controversy and discontent. “Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust,” urges the grandfather, quoting from the Bible. By the end of the play, viewers have some hope that at least one character may break from the confines of this family’s stifled existence and “act” versus “accept.”

1 hr. 40 min.  AGE:  14 to Adult

323.2  

THE BELIEVER (2001)

Highly controversial film based on a true story. Danny Balint, a 22-year-old ex-Yeshiva student, becomes a neo-Nazi skinhead and rises in the ranks of a neo-Fascist political movement. Danny becomes an articulate speaker for the movement, spewing violent anti-Semitism and calling for the destruction of the Jewish people. He becomes involved with the daughter of the leaders of the neo-Fascist group, who convinces him to teach her about Judaism and the Hebrew language (Danny claims he knows about Judaism as one must understand his enemy). Throughout, Danny is both repelled and drawn to his Jewish roots. The plot takes a series of unexpected twists and Danny must ultimately find a resolution for the many contradictions raging within him. The film is based on the true story of Daniel Burros, a 28-year-old Ku Klux Klan member who threatened murder or suicide if his Jewish origins were publicly revealed. He committed suicide after the NY Times printed an article stating his roots. Note: This is an extremely disturbing film which will be offensive to many, particularly due to the intense Jewish self-hatred of its protagonist. Particularly disturbing are scenes of Danny beating up a passive Yeshiva student and a scene in which he accuses Holocaust survivors of not fighting back when atrocities were committed against them and their families. Some film reviews rave about its merits – others caution that Danny becomes a hero and that viewers may be drawn to the hatred he spews rather than being repelled by it. Highly charged discussions will follow a viewing of the film. Discussion leaders must preview “The Believer” and be well prepared for the questions that will follow.

1 hr. 40 min.  AGE:  Adult

973

THE BIGGEST JEWISH CITY IN THE WORLD  (1992)

Big

Documentary style video covers the influx of Jewish immigrants to New York. Contains many interviews and live footage of immigrant life in America, including sweatshops and tenements. The film also touches on how American Jewish life today has been shaped by the immigrant experience.

52 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

Biloxi Blues is the second of Neil Simon’s trilogy of autobiographical plays which appeared on Broadway and the big screen (the first was Brighton Beach Memoirs). This wry comedy follows the continuing story of Simon’s alter ego, a young Jew from Brooklyn named Eugene Jerome, who enlists in the army toward the end of World War II. While in boot camp, Eugene discovers that many of the same soldiers who are eager to fight the Nazis are also anti-Semitic.

In the steamy heat of Biloxi, Mississippi, budding writer Eugene (Matthew Broderick) encounters the absurdities of army life, including endless drills, dense bunkmates and chipped beef on toast. But he also discovers that his compulsive wisecracking grates on his tough drill sergeant, who just happened to be psychotic. Will Eugene survive ten grueling weeks in fatigues? Rated PG-13.

1 hr. 45 min.  AGE:  13 to Adult

JHVC

In his bawdy comedy Blazing Saddles, writer/director Mel Brooks tackles the subject of prejudice in the Old West. The character of Bart (Cleavon Little), the black sheriff of the white town of Rock Ridge, may be seen as symbolic of outsiders in society, of whom Jews are, of course, a prime example.

A corrupt governor (Brooks) and a scheming attorney general (Harvey Korman) hire a drifter named Bart to be sheriff. They figures that because he’s black, he won’t protest when they corrupt Rock Ridge. But Bart unexpectedly cleans up the town, forcing Brooks and Korman to continuously devise new strategies to corrupt Bart. Brooks’s humor runs rampant throughout in the form of Gene Wilder’s “Waco Kid” and Madeline Kahn’s “Lili Von Shtupp.” Rated R.

1 hr. 33 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult

F

BROKEN GLASS  (1996)

Bro

The story of an American Jewish housewife who experiences sudden unexplained paralysis to her legs after reading about the anti-Semitic riots in 1938 Nazi Germany. A Jewish doctor—played by Mandy Patinkin—investigates her condition and learns of her unhappy marriage to a self-hating Jew. The doctor slowly puts the pieces together that connect her paralysis, the events in Germany and her strange marriage. Based on an award-winning play by Arthur Miller and produced for Masterpiece Theatre.

1 hr. 40 min.  AGE: Adult

F

BUBBE MEISES  (Bubbe Stories)  (1995)

Bub

A grown granddaughter brings alive her two very different immigrant grandmothers through original songs, traditional music and richly woven tales. This Emmy Award-winning one woman show stars Ellen Gould, who acts the parts of both of her grandmothers as she sings and tells their stories—and learns about herself through the process.

1 hr. 5 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

F

THE CAFETERIA (1984)

Caf

Dramatization of an Isaac Bashevis Singer short story which originally aired on American Playhouse. The story focuses on the relationship between Aaron, a successful Jewish European born Jewish writer and a young woman – a Polish Holocaust survivor – who meet in a cafeteria in 1960’s New York. The writer, Aaron, was probably modeled after Singer himself. Although Aaron teaches at the university and lectures around the world, he prefers to live above a Kosher butcher shop on the West End in New York and frequents the cafeteria for lunch. The cafeteria is filled with a variety of “old time” Jews who speak Yiddish with him and argue politics and philosophy. Then one day in the cafeteria, Aaron is fascinated by a young female factory worker – an intriguing woman who survived German concentration camps and Russian prison camps. The two become friends and meet infrequently over the years, until Esther tells Aaron a story that sounds unbelievable to him, leading the viewer to question what is real and what is not.

53 min.  AGE:  14 to Adult

F

A CALL TO REMEMBER

Two Holocaust survivors, Paula and David, met after the war, marry and have two children. Paula had lost her first husband and children during the Holocaust. When this film opens in the late 1960s, the two are living together in American with their teenage sons. Then Paula gets a phone call telling her that her son, Alec (from Eastern Europe) had survived the war and is in New York. This opens many painful wounds, as Paula and David never discussed in detail their Holocaust experiences with their children. The viewer watches anxiously as Paula prepares for the journey to New York to discover whether or not her son actually survived after all these years. Rated R.

1 hr. 51 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult

F

THE CANTOR’S SON (Dem Khazn’s Zindl)  (1937)

Can

A showcase for the marvelous vocal talent of renowned cantor Moishe Oysher, this musical drama is based on his life. He plays Shloime, a cantor’s son, who ran away from his home in Belz when he was a boy, joining a troupe of traveling Jewish actors who take him to America. Fifteen years later he is working as a janitor when a female singer discovers that he has a wonderful voice. She leads him to fame on the stage and falls in love with him. When Shloime learns that his parents wish him to return to Europe for their golden wedding anniversary, he goes home and is reunited with his childhood sweetheart. Shloime must decide his future course—remaining in Europe as a cantor or returning to America.

In Yiddish with subtitles. 1 hr. 30 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

This entertaining video features four Jewish Catskills comedians performing before a live audience. Their sketches and routines highlight a variety of types of classic Jewish humor. The comedians are Freddie Roman, Mal Z. Lawrence, Dick Capri and Louise Duart. Duart is particularly skilled as an impersonator. Note: About 1 hour and 43 minutes into the video, credits appear onscreen and it looks as though the show is over. Don’t turn it off. Credits are followed by the words “Act II” on screen, and there is an additional 13 minutes. The content of some of the humor is not suitable for children.

2 hrs. 6 min.  AGE:  Adult

F

THE CHOSEN  (1981)

Cho

Film adaptation of Chaim Potok’s novel about the friendship of two Jewish young men in 1944 New York. Danny Saunders is the son of a respected Hasidic rabbi who is raised to accept faith blindly; while Reuven, the son of a secular Zionist scholar, is raised to question all. The ideological differences of their fathers nearly destroy the boys’ friendship, which is redeemed at the end—but the friendship has affected both of their lives and their futures in a major way. Stars Robby Benson and Barry Miller.

1 hr. 47 min.  AGE: 10 to Adult

JHVC

F

Crimes and Misdemeanors  (1989)

Cri

Director Woody Allen debates ethics and morals of modern life in his dark drama, Crimes and Misdemeanors. As seen through the eyes of a respected doctor who has lapsed into amorality, Allen questions whether God pays attention to our behavior—and if so, does He distinguish between right and wrong? Why do the wicked sometimes prosper while the good suffer? Martin Landau stars as Judah Rosenthal, an admired doctor who is fooling around with a lonely young woman (Anjelica Huston). When she insists on telling his wife about their affair, Judah becomes desperate and hires his gangster brother to kill her. All goes according to plan except for one thing—Judah's conscience won’t stop tormenting him. In classic Allenesque fashion, several engaging and humorous stories intertwine, bringing full life to the director's unique point of view.

1 hr. 44 min.  AGE: 16 to Adult

JHVC

F

Crossfire  (1947)

Cro

Crossfire was the first major American film to deal with anti-Semitism. It appeared shortly after World War II, when many people believed sympathy for the Jewish people, after the Holocaust, had rendered the subject irrelevant. Crossfire stars Robert Young, Robert Ryan, and Robert Mitchum. It begins with the murder of a Jew, who is brutally beaten in a hotel room. The finger of suspicion points to a troubled young soldier and to another soldier who openly admits his bigotry. It's up to a detective with a strong moral conscience to solve the mystery. Utilizing flashbacks, cryptic dialogue, and menacing shadows, Crossfire's dark tone deals with a serious social issue in a compelling way.

B&W. 1 hr. 25 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

F

CROSSING DELANCEY  (1988)

Cro

A bright, independent young Jewish woman becomes the subject of her grandmother's matchmaking. She struggles between staying the single, independent woman of the 1980’s and being drawn to the Jewish traditional values from her background. Stars Amy Irving, Peter Riegert and Reizl Bozyk.

1 hr. 37 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

JHVC

F

Daniel  (1983)

Dan

Jewish activists in the Old Left became ready targets for the witch-hunts of the McCarthy era, and many of those accused as communists (rightly or wrongly) were Jews. Among the most famous casualties of the time were the Rosenbergs, executed as spies in a judgment that has long been the subject of controversy. Daniel fictionalizes the story of the Rosenbergs, intertwining it with the story of their grown children, who are haunted by the legacy of their parents. The daughter (Amanda Plummer) has taken the social activism of her parents to heart in a series of failed causes, while the son (Timothy Hutton) is driven to learn the truth behind his parents' death. A complex and challenging film, Daniel examines the importance of confronting the past, shows the political environment of both the Old and New Left, and quietly indicts American anti-Semitism.

2 hrs. 10 min. Rated R.  AGE: Adult

Since the early part of the century, New York’s Catskill Mountains have been home to summer resorts catering to a Jewish clientele. Dirty Dancing takes place at a fictional resort where conflicts in class and privilege are played out through the romantic relationship between a naïve Jewish girl and a streetwise gentile dance instructor.

Dirty Dancing stars Jennifer Grey as “Baby,” an idealistic seventeen-year-old vacationing with her family in the Catskills in the summer of 1963. Late one evening, she walks in on a private dance party and becomes spellbound by the resort’s instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze). Resenting her at first for her affluence, Johnny slowly learns to appreciate her values, and she, in turn, learns about life and love. Rated PG-13.

1 hr. 45 min.  AGE:  13 to Adult

F

DRIVING MISS DAISY  (1989)

Dri

Academy Award-winning drama based on Alfred Uhry’s play set in the 1960’s, about an old Jewish woman in the South and her elderly, black chauffeur. Miss Daisy is an extremely independent, opinionated and cantankerous old woman who is distrustful of her chauffeur (expertly played by Morgan Freeman) from the time her son hires him. Her son (Dan Aykroyd) is an extremely wealthy businessman with a social-climbing wife. The viewer watches Miss Daisy’s suspicions about the chauffeur turn to trust and friendship as the film follows their relationship through the years. Uhry writes about a community of very wealthy Southern Jews who have assimilated to the point of having lavish Christmas parties. (The older set of Jews pride themselves on being Jewish, not realizing how assimilated they really are. The younger set would prefer to blend in with their neighbors, but the community gives them little reminders that they are not the same.) Stars Jessica Tandy, who won an Oscar for her role as Miss Daisy. Note: The film is primarily about the relationship between Miss Daisy and her chauffeur—not about Jewish issues. It does, however, shed particular light about a certain type of Jew in the South in the 1960’s—as does Uhry’s play The Last Night of Ballyhoo. Use in conjunction with the documentary Delta Jews, narrated by Uhry, which examines Jewry of the American South.

1 hr. 40 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

Dum

(DVD)

Likeable romantic comedy starring Academy Award winner, Adrien Brody, as a shy and inept Jewish male who dreams of becoming a ventriloquist. Steven is in his late 20’s and still lives at home with his dysfunctional family – including an overbearing, food-pushing Jewish mother; a father obsessed with assembling model ships; and an unlucky-in-love sister (a wedding planner) who is also old to be living at home. Steven dropped out of a 2-year community college and just lost a menial job he hated. His social life consists of hanging out with Fangora, a foul-mouthed but “heart of gold” female pal from high school - where both were outcasts. Fangora aspires to be a punk rocker (and ends up learning Klezmer music to fill in at a Jewish wedding). When Steven goes for vocational help, he falls for Lorena, the guidance counselor. Laughter ensues as Steven clumsily tries to pursue his new love interest, as well as a career as a ventriloquist. Note: Although the film has its unpolished edges, it has some hilarious moments – and the performances are real gems. Adrien Brody, in this pre-Oscar performance, absolutely shines as the socially challenged Steven. He is highly believable, likeable, and very, very funny. He also does all of his own ventriloquism. Illeana Douglas and Milla Jovovich give strong performances as Steven’s sister and friend, Fangora – and Vera Farmiga is lovely as Steven’s vocational counselor and love interest. Rated R – due to language.

1 hr. 32 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult