SCREEN

Beau Jest - There’s fun and laughs when a Jewish kindergarten teacher in Chicago who is dating a non-Jew decides to make her mother happy. She hires an actor to masquerade as a Jewish doctor and even though the actor is also not Jewish, he learns to play the part - You’ll love the scene at the Shabbat dinner table. The complications—and the laughs—continue when the inevitable happens. The film is charming and light-hearted.

Letters for Jenny (Cartas para Jenny) - This sensitively directed film depicts a young woman in love who must make life choices after learning of an unexpected pregnancy. Jenny’s decisions cannot be made alone and it is only when she discovers three letters written by her mother before her death that Jenny is able to decide how to move forward. After reading her mother’s first letter, Jenny decides to travel to Israel from Argentina and begin a new life. The journey to Jerusalem helps Jenny soften her personal pain, and discover new opportunities—including a new love—so that she can put her life in perspective. The story is moving, and the cinematography is stunning, with scenes of Argentina, Spain and Israel. Shown with short Second Guessing Grandma!

Praying in Her Own Voice - Traditionally, women have not been allowed to engage in certain public religious practices. For many years, a group of Jewish women, known as Women of the Wall, has fought the Orthodox Rabbinate in Israel in order to read Torah and enjoy the same religious rights as the men at the Western Wall. This film explores the struggles and issues, often in the courts, to gain freedom for women to openly practice their Judaism at the Wall. The film will be shown with short GoKosher. Following the films, Rabbi Melanie Aron of Congregation Shir Hadash will moderate a panel discussion about the controversy.

Strangers - A young Israeli man meets a young woman during a chance encounter in Europe. Although neither knows much about the other, their paths cross once again in Paris, when she seeks his help during a moment of desperation. The film, which depicts in bitter-sweet fashion the gritty life led by most foreign workers in France, explores the Middle East crisis with an underlying message that “love conquers all” even when the world seemingly stands in the way. Nudity and love scenes.