The Rutgers Jewish Film Festival returns to North Brunswick in November with 13 films exploring Jewish history, culture and identity, including documentaries about folk singer Woody Guthrie, a Holocaust survivor’s remarkable life and the legacy of a legendary Catskills resort.
Now in its 27th year, the festival runs Thursday, Nov. 5, through Sunday, Nov. 15, at Regal Cinema Commerce Center, 2399 Route 1 South. The lineup includes dramas, comedies, documentaries and several New Jersey premieres, along with discussions featuring filmmakers and people whose stories are told on screen.
Presented by Rutgers University’s Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life, the festival has become an annual showcase for international Jewish cinema, bringing films and filmmakers to central New Jersey that audiences might not otherwise have an opportunity to see.
This year’s selections range from stories set during World War II and the Holocaust to contemporary examinations of family relationships, cultural identity, music and political conflict. Several screenings will be accompanied by appearances from directors, actors and documentary subjects.
Among the highlights is the New Jersey premiere of “Dust Bowls and Jewish Souls: Another Side of Woody Guthrie,” a documentary examining a lesser-known chapter in the life of the American folk music legend.
The film explores how Guthrie’s marriage to his second wife, Marjorie Greenblatt, introduced him to Jewish traditions and culture. Central to that story is his relationship with his mother-in-law, Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt, whose influence helped shape his understanding of Jewish life and inspired some of his music.
Directed by Steven Pressman, the documentary offers a different perspective on an artist best known for songs about working-class Americans, economic hardship and social justice.
The film makes its New Jersey premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, with Pressman expected to attend the screening and participate in a discussion. A second showing is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12.
The festival actually gets underway earlier on opening day with “The Soundman,” a Belgian drama set in Brussels as Europe approaches World War II.
Directed by Frank Van Passel, the film follows a sound artist working at a radio station and an aspiring Jewish voice actress whose lives intersect as the threat of German occupation grows closer.
The film screens at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, and again at 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8.
Another featured documentary brings the story of Holocaust survivor and Rutgers alumna Tova Friedman to the screen.
“Behind Her Eyes” traces Friedman’s survival of Auschwitz, her subsequent career in social work and her more recent efforts to educate younger generations about the Holocaust through social media.
Friedman, who has gained an international audience through TikTok, is expected to attend the screening. The 38-minute documentary will be shown with the short film “My Friend Sam” at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12.
The festival also takes on difficult questions about the relationship between artistic achievement and personal conduct in “The Darkest Light,” a documentary about Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach.
Carlebach’s music became an enduring influence on Jewish religious and cultural life, but his legacy has also been complicated by allegations of sexual abuse that emerged following his death in 1994.
The documentary examines both sides of that legacy, with contributions from his daughter, singer Neshama Carlebach, and women who have spoken about their experiences.
Director Simon Mendes and Neshama Carlebach are expected to attend the film’s New Jersey premiere at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8.
For audiences interested in a different chapter of Jewish American cultural history, “We Met at Grossinger’s” revisits the famous Catskills resort that became a destination for generations of Jewish vacationers.
Directed by Paula Eiselt, the documentary looks beyond the entertainment and celebrity associations of Grossinger’s to explore its importance as a women-led business and a place where Jewish Americans could gather, socialize and establish their own cultural traditions.
The resort became one of the best-known destinations in the Catskills, helping define an era of Jewish American leisure and entertainment.
“We Met at Grossinger’s” screens with the short film “Borscht” at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, and again Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The festival’s lighter offerings include “Bookends,” a comedy about an aspiring novelist who finds himself starting over after the end of a relationship.
Following a breakup with his boyfriend, the young man moves into his grandparents’ Jewish retirement community, setting up an unlikely arrangement that brings together different generations and perspectives.
Written by and starring Noam Ash, the film features a cast that includes Academy Award winner F. Murray Abraham, Caroline Aaron and Charlie Barnett.
“Bookends” screens at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. Ash is expected to attend the Thursday screening.
Family relationships also figure prominently in “Tell Me Everything,” an Israeli drama directed by Moshe Rosenthal.
Set against the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, the film follows a young boy approaching his bar mitzvah who discovers a family secret that changes his understanding of his father.
The film was a major winner at Israel’s Ophir Awards, taking 10 honors, including best picture, best director and best screenplay, according to the festival’s film guide.
Screenings are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14. Rosenthal has been invited to participate in a discussion following the Tuesday screening, although his appearance has not been confirmed.
Several of the festival’s documentaries examine historical events and their consequences for Jewish communities.
“Sapiro v. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford” recounts the legal battle between attorney Aaron Sapiro and automobile manufacturer Henry Ford.
Sapiro brought a libel lawsuit against Ford after becoming a target of antisemitic attacks published by Ford’s newspaper, The Dearborn Independent. The documentary revisits the case and the role of antisemitism in American public life during the early 20th century.
Directed by Gaylen Ross, the film screens at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15. Ross is expected to attend.
The festival’s closing day continues with “Safe Room,” a documentary about strangers who found themselves sheltering together during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel.
The film focuses on the people brought together by the violence and their experience of surviving the attack. Director Haley Geffen is expected to attend the 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, screening.
The festival concludes with a special sneak preview of “Double Panther,” a political thriller inspired by historical events involving Israel’s Black Panther movement.
Set in Jerusalem during the 1970s, the film follows a police informant who infiltrates the movement, which emerged in response to discrimination and economic inequality experienced by Mizrahi Jews in Israel.
The story uses the informant’s experiences to examine questions of loyalty, identity and political activism during a period of social unrest.
“Double Panther” screens at 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, and closes the festival at 5:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15.
The festival is presented with support from the Karma Foundation. General admission tickets cost $16, while a five-film package is available for $75. Student tickets cost $8 and must be purchased in person.
The complete screening schedule, information about filmmaker appearances and online ticket purchases are available at bildnercenter.rutgers.edu/film. Guest appearances are subject to change.
