JHVC

940.53

The Camera of My Family  (1979)

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In the 1920’s the German Jewish community of about half a million people was mainly urban and secular, with a substantial proportion in the professions, finance, and retail trade. The accession of Hitler in 1933 and the swift imposition of anti-Semitic laws took many by surprise, and they struggled to gauge what the future might hold. The Camera of My Family is narrated by Catherine Hanf Noren, whose family made the difficult decision to flee Germany in 1938, just before it was too late. Years later, in old family photographs, Noren discovers haunting images of family outings, decorated soldiers who proudly fought for Germany in World War I, her grandfather's factory in Dachau—all testimony to the integration of German-Jews into the larger society. The trove of photographs leads her to ask questions: Who am l? Where do I belong? How did those to whom I am connected live and die?

18 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

JHVC

940.53

Danzig, 1939  (1980)

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In July of 1939, ten crates of ritual objects arrived at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. The objects, many antique and extremely valuable, came from the Great Synagogue of Danzig, Germany, a magnificent temple which had boasted 1,600 congregants. The sale of these objects, arranged by the League of Nations, enabled the Jews of Danzig to buy passage out of Germany. They were the only community to do so, and the artifacts they sold to buy their freedom comprise the only such collection to escape the Holocaust. Many current and former residents of the city are interviewed in Danzig, 1939. They tell of a liberal, mixed Jewish community made up of native Germans and Russian and Polish refugees. Many of the people interviewed—among them Rabbi Iwan Gruen of the Great Synagogue—remember little anti-Semitism before Hitler. Yet all were forced to confront the tide of hate that Hitler summoned, and their escape, along with the sale of their collection of artifacts, is one of the unique tales of survival to come out of the Holocaust.

30 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

Drama based on the true story of “The Comedian Harmonists,” a singing group that was extremely popular in pre-World War II Germany. The members of the group included both Jews and Christians. When the Nazis took power and instituted anti-Jewish laws, the Jews in the group were no longer able to publicly perform. All of the singers found themselves with difficult choices ahead - choices which tested both their loyalty and their ethics. A large part of the story line involves a romance, for two of the singers fall in love with the same woman. Note: Rated R.

In German with English subtitles.  1 hr. 45 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult

940.53

JEW-BOY LEVI (VIEHJUD LEVI) (1999)

German drama about Benjamin Levi, a German Jewish cattle dealer in 1935 whose world falls apart when the Nazis gain power in Germany. Levi trades cattle to small villages in the Black Forest area and is generally a well-liked and affable man. He is the only Jew in his village and is a gentle man who sings Yiddish songs to his rabbit. Levi loves Lisbeth, a farmer’s daughter (who also has a non-Jewish suitor). When a Nazi engineer arrives in the village to repair a tunnel, he begins to spout anti-Semitism. Viewers watch as the villagers slowly turn against their old friend, Levi, escalating into cruelty and violence. Contains violence. Note: This film is most effective for its non-compromising depiction of how fast an ordinary community of people can turn on their friends and neighbors once the seeds of hatred have been sown.

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

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THE LOST CHILDREN OF BERLIN  (1997)

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Fifty students of the Grosse Hamburgerstrasse School—the last Jewish school in 1942 Berlin—meet at a reunion in 1996. Through their recollections and documentary film footage, a picture is created of Jewish life in pre-War Berlin through the 1930’s and 1940’s. The film illustrates how anti-Semitic policies led to Hitler’s “Final Solution” through survivors’ recollections and film footage. Hosted by Anthony Hopkins with testimonies compiled by Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation. An excellent tool for showing youth what Jewish children experienced in the war. Note: The first 7-1/2 minutes, prior to the actual feature, presents information about Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation and the work they do compiling survivors’ testimonies from around the world. Teachers may wish to fast forward to main feature. Minimal graphic footage.

56 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

JHVC

940.53

Now… After All These Years  (1981)

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In the 1920’s, Rhina was the only Prussian village whose population was evenly divided between Jews and Christians. Jews had lived there for generations and were integrated into the local economy. Under the Nazis the town's synagogue was burned, windows were smashed, and Jews were beaten; those who did not escape were arrested and deported. Today, the town has no Jewish population. How do current residents of Rhina recall that time? In Now… After All These Years, a German filmmaker tries to reconstitute Rhina's history by talking to Jewish survivors living in New York and to the Germans who remain. Everywhere in Rhina he is met with denial, avowed ignorance, and an angry refusal to confront the past. The residents' evasive responses reveal much about the climate leading up to the Holocaust as well as the unwillingness of ordinary men and women to acknowledge or atone for their part in it.

1 hr.  AGE: 12 to Adult

JHVC

940.53

The Oppermanns  (1986)

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The years 1932–33 were critical ones for Germany's Jews, when popular disaffection and political turmoil fueled by an economic crisis set the stage for Hitler's rise to power. As Nazi views took hold, the Jews—fully integrated into German society and accepting the nation's ideals as their own—were increasingly viewed as "foreigners" and "enemies," which many found incomprehensible. This mood culminated in the boycott of Jewish stores and professionals in 1934. The Oppermanns, a drama made for German TV, recounts how one wealthy German-Jewish family responded during these pivotal years. As the film opens, the family meets to discuss merging their furniture business with that of an old rival, who may be a Nazi. But the Oppermann brothers—the store's manager, a doctor and a man of letters—continue to emotionally resist acknowledging the extent of Nazi gains. Finally, they can resist no longer.

In German with subtitles. 3 hrs. 55 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

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OUTCAST: JEWISH PERSECUTION IN NAZI GERMANY 1933- 1938 (1997)

Produced by Yad Vashem, this video looks at the persecution of the Jews in Germany prior to the outbreak of World War II (1933-1938). Actor Michael Shneider narrates the film, which alternates between documentary footage and survivor testimony. The film proceeds chronologically, one year at a time, pointing out major events in Hitler’s rise, and measures he took that affected the Jews. The survivors who were interviewed were all teens in Germany in the 1930’s. They talk about what they saw and how they and their families were affected. Included topics are Hitler’s rise to power, the Nuremberg Laws, Kristallknacht and the Evian Conference and world response. Note: There is no graphic footage, which makes this suitable for a younger audience than many Holocaust films. Some survivor testimony is difficult to understand, due to accents. The survivors interviewed all resided in Israel when the film was made. Recommended for teachers who wish to show a detailed account of events leading up to the Holocaust in Germany.

40 min.  AGE:  13 to Adult