The 10th Annual
Michiana Jewish Film Festival
in Virtual Format!

Michiana Jewish Film Festival
Monday, May 11th-Thursday, May 14th
Films will be presented i n virtual format
for viewing in your home!
The Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley is proud to partner with DeBartolo Performing Arts Center to bring Jewish-themed cinema right to your home! 

Join us as we open the
10th Annual Michiana Jewish Film Festival! 

Tickets to Our Festival are $5.00 and
Go on Sale Today!
Each ticket covers streaming rights to view one film per household. Access links with instructions on how to screen the film will be sent to those who have purchased tickets. Film links can be accessed for 48 hours once released to our patrons. Email instructions will be sent to our sponsors directly to grant access in place of vouchers.

Keep an eye on our email blasts for more information on how to get access to the great films below!
Schedule For the 2020 Film Festival
Available Monday, May 11th
Fiddler- A Miracle of Miracles (92 Minutes)

One of Broadway's most beloved and long-running musicals, Fiddler on the Roof’s creative roots and cultural impact are celebrated in this joyous documentary. Max Lewkowicz's captivating film is full of insightful interviews with the musical's creators, performance clips from productions around the world and lively commentary from admirers like Stephen Sondheim and Itzhak Perlman. This heartwarming dedication to the musical phenomenon will have you cheering l'chaim from your seats.
Standing Up,
Falling Down
(91 Minutes)

This heartwarming story about family, homecoming and the elusive nature of adulthood stars Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) as Scott, an aspiring comedian who has reluctantly moved back home after failing to hit the big time in Los Angeles. Lonely and bereft, he strikes up an unexpected friendship with his aging dermatologist (Billy Crystal). The comedic icon all but steals the movie with his understated performance; the authentic connection between the costars gives the film its unexpected resonance.
Available Tuesday, May 12th

Crescendo
 (102 Minutes)

Renowned conductor Eduard Sporck is to rehearse an orchestra performance with Israeli and Palestinian youths as a symbol of rapprochement in the peace negotiations. The most varied voices from the ensemble are heard in this feature film, which intensifies in a slow, steady crescendo toward its moving finale. An impressive cast of Israeli and Palestinian non-actors, led by veteran Peter Simonischek, lends authenticity to this powerful drama, loosely inspired by Daniel Barenboim’s West–Eastern Divan Orchestra.
The Rabbi From Hezbollah
 (64 Minutes)

Ibrahim Yassin was born in a small village in Lebanon and was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps as a farmer and shepherd. But fate had something else in store – placing Yassin at the heart of some of the most daring, dangerous and secret operations Israel attempted in Lebanon in the 1980s and ’90s.
Available Wednesday, May 13th

My Name is Sara
A Holocaust Film
(111 Minutes)

My Name is Sara  tells the true story of Sara Guralnick, a 13 year-old Polish Jew whose entire family was killed by the Nazis in September of 1942. After a grueling escape to the Ukrainian countryside, Sara steals her Christian best friend's identity and finds refuge in a small village where she is taken in by a farmer and his young wife. She soon discovers the dark secrets of her employers' marriage, compounding the greatest secret she must strive to protect, her true identity.
Available Thursday, May 14th
Shared Legacies: African American-Jewish Civil Rights Alliance
(95 Minutes)

The crucial historical lessons of Black-Jewish cooperation are revisited and revived in this utterly fascinating, urgent call to action. Pivotal events come alive through a treasure trove of archival materials, narrated by eyewitnesses, activists, Holocaust survivors, and leaders of the movement.
Shared Legacies: A Panel Discussion
7:30 PM
(60 Minutes)
Join us as we welcome local community leaders for an informative panel discussion on the documentary Shared Legacies . Our discussion will be presented in webinar format. A zoom link will be shared the day of the program with those who have RSVP'd.
Our panelists include,
  • Barbara Lerman, Chair of CRC
  • MichaTina Patton, Pastors of Kingdom Life Christian Cathedral
  • Darryl Heller, Director of The Civil Rights Heritage Center
  • Rabbi Michael Friedland, Rabbi of Sinai Synagogue, South Bend, IN
  • Professor Tzvi Novick, Abrams Jewish Thought and Culture Associate rofessor of Theology at The University of Notre Dame and
  • Marzy Bauer, Chair of Tzedek Seekers, the Social Justice Committee at Temple Beth-El.
The panel will be moderated by Ricky Herbst, Cinema Program Director for the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. 
Our selection of films are underwritten by Merrill, a Bank of America Company - Kahn, Ruthrauff & Associates; WNIT; The Kurt & Tessye Simon Fund for Holocaust Remembrance; and Cari & Barry Shein.

Thank you to all our sponsors who continue to support our program as we celebrate our
10th Anniversary!