VIRTUAL PASSOVER FILM FESTIVAL 

Presented by the JCA and Maine Jewish Film Festival in partnership with the Meyerson JCC Manhattan
April 14-24, 2022

Tickets: $5 per film; $18 – full festival pass
Enter our exclusive discount for 20% off: mjff2022 

The Virtual Passover Film Festival, presented by the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan supported by Maimonides Fund, is an exciting approach to engaging audiences with the themes of Passover through great films. For ten nights, we will present diverse and engaging movies on a variety of topics and genres that will allow people from all walks of life to incorporate Jewish and Israeli films into their Passover celebration. In partnership with My Jewish Learning. This specially curated selection of films includes: 

Leaving Paradise 

Cleo fulfilled his dream: to leave the big city with his wife and fifteen children, to establish a family commune on a farm in Brazil. Exploring their family-roots leads the children to discover their surprising heritage, which undermines the existence of the communal paradise. (Hebrew with subtitles). 

My Hero Brother 

A group of remarkable young people with Down syndrome embark on a demanding trek through the Indian Himalayas, accompanied by their siblings. Unresolved conflicts and the complexities of growing up with a Down syndrome sibling come to surface, as they deal with formidable physical and emotional challenges.  (Israel/ Hebrew with subtitles). 

The Other Story 

Two rebellious young women – one fleeing the chaos of secular hedonism for the disciplined comforts of faith; the other desperate to transcend her oppressive religious upbringing for sexual and spiritual freedom – cross paths unexpectedly in Jerusalem, to startling consequences. (Hebrew with subtitles). 

Rabenu – I’m a Wonder Man 

How did a controversial rabbi who passed away more than 200 years ago become the most influential figure in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews? In a special and surprising cinematic language, Rabenu – I’m a Wonder Man, delves into the biggest spiritual movement in Judaism today, and brings the magic of one of Judaism’s most mysterious Hassidic rabbis, Rebbe Nachman of Breslow, to the screen. (Hebrew with subtitles). 

Redemption 

Menachem, a former frontman for a rock band, is now religious, and a father to a six-year-old. When his daughter is diagnosed with cancer, he must find a creative solution to fund the expensive treatments. He reunites his band for one last tour. The journey to save his daughter exposes old wounds and allows him to reconnect with his secular past. Menachem understands that only a new connection to his past and to his music can pave the road to his own redemption. (Hebrew with subtitles). 

Shadow in Baghdad 

A young Iraqi journalist sets out to write about Linda Abdul Aziz, who escaped to Israel in the early 70’s and whose father, a prominent lawyer, had been kidnapped in Baghdad. The continuous dialog between the two, slowly uncovers the tragic end of her father, as well as that of a whole Jewish community that thrived in Iraq for over 2000 year. (English, Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles). 

There are No Lions in Tel Aviv 

The story of the chief Rabbi of Copenhagen’s Jewish community, who would come to be known as Rabbi Doolittle. Arriving in Tel Aviv in 1935, Max Shorenstein left his honorable position, in order to fulfill a longtime dream: to build a zoo and teach the children about the love of animals. His dream had come true and against all odds, the Tel Aviv Zoo became the city’s greatest attraction. (Hebrew with subtitles). 

Yerusalem – The Incredible Story of Ethiopian Jewry 

Yerusalem, a new feature documentary (based on the Israeli documentary series) brings to life the story of a long, dramatic and tumultuous journey as the Jewish Ethiopian community, also known as “Beta-Israel”, finally find their way back to the heart of the Jewish people after centuries – Jerusalem. Yerusalem is the story of an isolated Jewish tribe who kept its faith for thousands of years even though they lived in a hostile Christian environment. This is the story of ancient Jewish traditions, of heroic actions and daring covert operations. But mainly, this is the story of a powerful religious yearning that has been passed down from father to son for countless generations. A desire for a “Yerusalem” tied with gold threads. “Exodus of the Black Jews”‘, “Rescue of the Lost Tribe” cried out international news headlines in January 1985 when the airlift known as “Operation Moses” was revealed. In one of several clandestine operations in the Ethiopian Exodus, Israeli Mossad, the US administration and world Jewry collaborated to rescue thousands of Ethiopian Jews from the hellhole refugee camps in Sudan. The London Times wrote: “The airlift was in its way as inspiring a story as the Biblical Exodus”. “Yerusalem” is the complex story of the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel bringing the stories of the first and second generation of immigrants, rabbinical cases, Aliyah activists, Mossad personnel, ship commanders and pilots, decision-makers and many others who risked their lives to bring Ethiopian Jews to their ancestral land. Here they were required to prove their Jewishness and fight for their legitimate place in Israeli society. (Hebrew with subtitles). 

All films will be streamed online on the Eventive platform. Eventive technical support and FAQ: https://watch.eventive.org/help  

Learn more and get your tickets www.passoverfilmfestival.com