Museum Of Jewish Heritage Announces August Programming

The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will present a diverse array of in-person and online programming this August to include film screenings, live concerts, virtual lectures, and family-friendly entertainment. The Museum's LOX at Café Bergson will also be open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, and during in-person events, serving its Museum-made smoked salmon and other kosher delicacies.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed welcoming audiences back in person since New York first began reopening, and we look forward to many more opportunities to bring visitors together this August," says Museum President & CEO Jack Kliger. "We will also continue presenting virtual programming for online audiences, because we understand that not everyone may be able to travel or feel ready yet to attend in person. Our virtual audience grew substantially during the pandemic, and we value the wider reach it allows. During the pandemic, we completely updated the Edmond J. Safra Hall's sound, video, and lighting systems and renovated the theatre's seating and carpeting. Safra Hall is now a premier performance and production space in lower Manhattan, perfectly suited to both in-person and streaming events. We are excited to offer a full slate of live programs through the fall and winter."

All in-person events, with the exception of film screenings, will also be livestreamed.

August Highlights include:

• Various film screenings, both classic and contemporary, that celebrate notable figures and Jewish culture -- including Funny Girl, The Way We Were, Asia, and Broken Mirrors (August 1 - August 29)

• A special talk with Moderna Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks in Legacies: Moderna Chief Medical Tal Zaks (August 24)

• A special screening of Holocaust in the Balkans: A Question of Survival followed by a discussion with the director Elka Nikolova (August 19)

• A special concert celebrating Ladino music, Sarah Aroeste With Shai Bachar: Ladino Music From Yesterday To Today, Live From Edmond J. Safra Hall (August 8)

• Fun, family events for children, including puppet show "Pickle Soup And Other Tales For The Curious" (August 8)

• Stories Survive: Learn from Holocaust survivor Dorien Grunbaum, who will share her personal testimony (August 3)

For more information and a full calendar of events, visit the Museum's events page:

https://mjhnyc.org/current-events/

DETAILS:

Asia

Sunday, August 1, 2021 | 2:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/asia/

In Asia, Emmy-nominated actress Shira Haas stars as a Russian émigré to Israel, navigating her teenage years along with her single mother, burdened by a largely undefined illness that makes all of her decisions infinitely more poignant. The film explores the inevitable chasm that divides the generations and creates barriers between the healthy and the sick - while telling a universal and timeless story of maternal love and loss.

Broken Mirrors

Sunday, August 1, 2021 | 4:30 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/broken-mirrors/

In Broken Mirrors, Emmy-nominated actress Shira Haas plays Ariella, a seventeen year old girl shadowed by a strict, military father who inflicts severe methods of punishment as a form of discipline. When Ariella commits a grave error that her father isn't willing to punish her for, she seeks a punishment of her own, embarking on a dark quest where she discovers a secret to her father's past that leads them to confront one another.

Stories Survive: Dorien Grunbaum

Tuesday, August 3, 2021 | 2:00 P.M. ET

(Virtual Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/stories-survive-dorien-grunbaum/

Join the Museum for a Stories Survive program exploring Dorien Grunbaum and her family's survival in the Holocaust and Dorien's efforts to reconstruct their story decades after their nine-month imprisonment in the Westerbork transit camp in 1942 and horrible treatment at Bergen-Belsen in 1944.

Exodus

Wednesday, August 4, 2021 | 3:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/exodus/

In the 1960 epic film Exodus, Paul Newman stars as Ari Ben Canaan, a Haganah rebel who smuggles Jews out of a British internment camp and onto a ship bound for Palestine. Facing the challenges of deep-rooted antisemitism and British rule over Palestine, Ari fights for his homeland and his people.

Upheaval: The Journey Of Menachem Begin

Wednesday, August 4, 2021 | 1:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/upheaval-the-journey-of-menachem-begin/

From being imprisoned by the Soviets and orphaned by the Holocaust to becoming the Elected Prime Minister of Israel and being a crowned peacemaker by the Nobel Prize Committee, to eventually being disgraced by the Lebanon War, Menachem Begin lived quite a life. Explore the life and legacy of Israeli Prime Minister Begin's in Upheaval: the Journey of Menachem Begin, a captivating new documentary from writer and director Jonathan Gruber.

Cabaret

Thursday, August 5, 2021 | 2:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/cabaret/

In Cabaret, Liza Minnelli plays flamboyant American Sally Bowles sings in a decadent nightclub and falls in love with a British language teacher-whom she shares with a gay German baron during the rise rise of Nazism in Germany. Sally's carefree and tolerant cabaret world is soon crushed under the boot of the Nazis as Berlin becomes a trap from which Sally's German friends will not escape.

"Pickle Soup And Other Tales For The Curious"

Sunday, August 8, 2021 | 1:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/pickle-soup-and-other-tales-for-the-curious/

Puppeteer and eccentric hostess Jenny Romaine and Jewish time wheel technician Elana June Margolis present "Pickle Soup and Other Tales for the Curious," a puppet show for those who are serious about fun. This program, intended for kids of all ages and their families.

Sarah Aroeste With Shai Bachar: Ladino Music From Yesterday To Today

Sunday, August 8, 2021 | 3:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/sarah-aroeste-with-shai-bachar-ladino-music-from-yesterday-to-today-live-from-edmond-j-safra-hall/

International Ladino singer/songwriter Sarah Aroeste draws upon her family roots from Macedonia and Greece as she performs traditional and original Ladino songs in this special multimedia program. Joined on piano by longtime Israeli collaborator Shai Bachar, Aroeste weaves stories from Sephardic history together with song, taking the audience through centuries of rich Sephardic experiences from the Eastern Mediterranean right up to the present. The Museum and the Center for Traditional Music and Dance will co-present this concert.

Thou Shalt Not Hate

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 | 2:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/thou-shalt-not-hate/

A split-second decision at a traffic accident triggers repercussions for a Jewish surgeon and a neo-Nazi's daughter in Thou Shalt Not Hate, a gripping new drama. Simone, a Holocaust survivor's son, rushes to the scene of a hit-and-run. But when he sees a swastika tattoo on the victim's chest, he leaves the gravely wounded man to his fate. Wracked with guilt, the anguished doctor confronts the ethics of his choice, and bonds with the victim's daughter, embroiling himself in greater conflict.

The Keeper

Wednesday, August 11, 2021 | 4:30 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/the-keeper/

The Keeper tells the incredible true story of Bert Trautmann, a German soldier and prisoner of war who, against a backdrop of British post-war protest and prejudice, secures the position of Goalkeeper at Manchester City, and in doing so becomes a soccer icon. His signing causes outrage to thousands of fans, many of them Jewish. But Bert receives support from an unexpected direction: Rabbi Alexander Altmann, who fled the Nazis.

Driving Miss Daisy

Thursday, August 12, 2021 | 4:30 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/driving-miss-daisy/

Driving Miss Daisy is the classic 1989 film starring Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy. Daisy is an elderly Jewish woman committed to maintaining her independence. So when her son hires an African American chauffeur named Hoke to drive her around, Daisy rejects both Hoke and her own vulnerability. Nevertheless, they eventually form a bond free from their prior prejudices.

Fiddler on the Roof

Sunday, August 15, 2021 | 1:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/fiddler-on-the-roof/

In the original Fiddler on the Roof (1971, 201 minutes, English, no subtitles)-one of the most classic Jewish films of all time-a poor Jewish peasant living in Anatevka is faced with the challenge of marrying off his five daughters amidst the growing tension in his village.

Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles

Sunday, August 15, 2021 | 5:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/fiddler-miracle-of-miracles/

Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles is the first documentary to chronicle the complete story of "Fiddler on the Roof," exploring the unexpected richness of its themes as well as its extensive reach across time and cultures.

When Families Disappeared: Camp Shvesters

Sunday, August 15, 2021 | 2:00 P.M. ET

(Virtual Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/when-families-disappeared-camp-shvesters/

Join the Museum of Jewish Heritage and Project Witness for a lecture exploring the phenomenon of camp shvesters (sisters) - substitute "families" many Jewish women and girls formed with other women during the Holocaust - with Dr. Michael Berenbaum, world-renowned historian and Director of the Sigi Ziering Institute at American Jewish University.

Shared Legacies

Wednesday, August 18, 2021 | 2:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/shared-legacies/

The crucial historical lessons of Black-Jewish cooperation are revisited in Shared Legacies, a new film and call to action from director Shari Rogers. Through a treasure trove of archival materials, Rogers explores the common cause found between Black and Jewish communities during the turbulent civil rights era, and the frayed relationship in recent years.

Gentleman's Agreement

Wednesday, August 18, 2021 | 4:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/gentlemans-agreement/

In Gentleman's Agreement, Gregory Peck stars as a journalist pretends to be Jewish to research an exposé on antisemitism in New York and Connecticut, and what he learns in the process opens his eyes to the bigotry in the world around him.

Holocaust in the Balkans: A Question of Survival

Thursday, August 19, 2021 | 5:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event) and (Virtual Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/holocaust-in-the-balkans-a-question-of-survival-screening-and-discussion/

A Question of Survival is an eye-opening portrait of three Bulgarian Jews-Chaim Zemach, a cellist; Robert Bakish, an engineer; and Misha Avramoff, a social worker on Manhattan's Lower East Side-as they struggle to place their unusual experiences during World War II into the more common narrative of the Holocaust. Join the Museum for a special screening of A Question of Survival followed by a live discussion with the film's director Elka Nikolova.

Nu Jewish Storylab

Sunday, August 22, 2021 | 1:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/nu-jewish-storylab/

Nu Words is Tracy Einstein and Richie Barshay, two music and theater artists with a passion for arts education. Their engaging performances of storytelling, poetry, drumming, and movement dazzle audiences and young people worldwide. The Museum will present the premiere of Nu Words' "Nu Jewish Storylab," a rhythm and movement exploration of Jewish children's stories, from traditional to cutting edge. This program is intended for kids of all ages and their families.

Abe

Sunday, August 22, 2021 | 4:30 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/abe/

In 2019's Abe, Noah Schnapp plays Abe, a twelve-year-old aspiring chef who wants his cooking to bring people together-but his half-Israeli, half-Palestinian family has never had a meal that didn't end in a fight. Ditching his traditional summer camp, Abe begins working with an adventurous street chef who encourages him to think outside his old cuisines. But when Abe's deceit is uncovered, he must grapple with his family, his background, and his passions, and whether even the most lovingly-cooked family dinner can heal old wounds.

Legacies: Moderna Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks

Tuesday, August 24, 2021 | 7:00 P.M. ET

(Virtual Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/legacies-moderna-chief-medical-officer-tal-zaks/

As Chief Medical Officer at Moderna, Israeli scientist Dr. Tal Zaks has helped lead the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Zaks' leadership, Moderna produced the first mRNA vaccine to enter clinical trials and one of the first to be authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Join Zaks for a conversation with Mattie Kahn, the Culture Director at Glamour, about his family background, his Jewish and Israeli identities, and his life-saving work on Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine.

Charlatan

Wednesday, August 25, 2021 | 2:30 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/charlatan/

Few true stories tread the thin line between good and evil as precariously as that of Jan Mikolášek, a 20th century Czech herbal healer whose great success masked the grimmest of secrets. Discover Mikolášek's story in Charlatan, which was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Film in 2021. Mikolášek won fame and fortune treating celebrities of the interwar, Nazi, and Communist eras with his uncanny knack for "urinary diagnosis." But his passion for healing welled up from the same source as a lust for cruelty, sadism, and an incapacity for love that only one person could quell: his assistant, František. As a show trial threatens to pry open these secrets and undo him, Mikolášek's dichotomies are put to a final test, with the fate of his life's only love in the balance. This is a personal tale as replete with twists as the 20th century itself, and a reflection on the price one pays for single-mindedly following one's calling.

Searching for Mr. Rugoff

Wednesday, August 25, 2021 | 5:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/searching-for-mr-rugoff/

Searching for Mr. Rugoff reveals the untold story of the Jewish creative genius behind 1960s-'70s film distribution company Cinema 5.

Filmmakers, critics, collaborators and family members paint a vivid portrait of Donald Rugoff, a volatile, self-destructive and fearless champion of independent and art films. Drawing from a rich archive and colorful interviews, veteran distributor, producer, and former Rugoff employee Ira Deutchman brings us closer to his legendary and controversial mentor, who took risks and fought for great cinema while facing personal battles of his own.

10 Years of Recipes Remembered

Thursday, August 26, 2021 | 5:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/10-years-of-recipes-remembered/

Join the Museum for a program celebrating Recipes Remembered as June Hersh shares her experience writing a unique kosher cookbook based on recollections of Holocaust survivors. The book contains more than 80 remarkable stories gleaned from personal interviews with Holocaust survivors and their families. Each story is paired with the survivor's cherished recipes, creating a timeless cookbook with more than 170 entries as diverse as the survivors themselves. A soon-to-be-released 10th anniversary edition is a testament to the resilience and tenacity of the Holocaust survivor community, which turned tragedy to triumph and has imbued us all with faith, hope, and optimism.

The Way We Were

Sunday, August 29, 2021 | 2:00 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/the-way-we-were/

The Way We Were is the classic 1973 romantic drama starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford as outspoken leftist Katie Morosky and military officer Hubbell Gardiner, who fall in love despite their major differences. However, as Hubbell prioritizes his screenwriting career, the Hollywood blacklist forces them apart. After reuniting again over a decade later, the couple must decide whether their love is strong enough to keep them together.

Funny Girl

Sunday, August 29, 2021 | 4:30 P.M.

Edmond J. Safra Hall (In Person Event)

https://mjhnyc.org/events/funny-girl/

Follow the journey of Fanny Brice, played by Barbra Streisand who won Best Actress for the role, in Funny Girl, the classic romantic musical which became the highest-grossing American film of 1968. Fanny Brice is a young Jewish woman from the Lower East Side working to reach stardom despite her homely appearance. As she accomplishes her goals, she navigates an unstable relationship with gambler Nick Arnstein.

For more information, visit mjhnyc.org.