Hilarious and heart-warming, “A Matter of Size” is feature film about four overweight guys who learn to love themselves through the Japanese sport of sumo wrestling.

When Herzl (Itzik Cohen) starts working in a Japanese restaurant, he discovers the world of Sumo, where large people such as himself are honored and appreciated. Through the restaurant owner, a former Japanese Sumo coach, Herzl and his friends fall in love with a sport involving “two fatsos in diapers and girly hairdos. A “coming out” story with a twist, the comedy is utterly irresistible!

Part sports drama, part love story, this sweetly absurd tale of forlorn blue-collar guys pursuing a difficult goal… recalls audience-pleasing fare such as The Full Monty.” - Variety

The evening, co-sponsored by the Har HaShem Israel Partnership Committee, includes a catered Japanese dinner and film at 6:00 pm for $25 in advance. Tickets are $10 for the 7:00 pm film only.

Register online https://boulderjcc.wufoo.com/forms/menorah-sushi-sumo-and-cinema/

Or call 303-998-1021.

The film Gevald! will be shown at CU's Atlas 100 Wednesday, April 25 at 7PM

Join CU’s Program in Jewish Studies and Hillel in CU Boulder’s ATLAS Center 100 for the last film in our Seeing Israel Film series, “Gevald!” on Wednesday, April 25 at 7:00 pm.  This is the first film in the trilogy by directors Ron Ofer and Yohai Hakak, which includes “The Rabbi’s Wife & The Midwife” and “Religion(dot)com“.  The series examines the distinct challenges of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community living in the modern State of Israel.

As a child, Shmuel-Haim Pappenhym would cover his eyes during Independence Day fireworks so as not to participate in Zionist celebrations. Today, he organizes mass demonstrations against the State and is the editor of an influential magazine of the Jewish extreme sect known for not recognizing the State of Israel. In contrast, Ultra-Orthodox parliament member, Rabbi Avraham Ravitz, served in the Israeli Army, and has been involved in mainstream politics for many years. Ravitz danced in the streets on Israel`s first Independence Day yet secular modern-day Israel makes him want to cry.

As national Election Day approaches, Ravitz anxiously tallies his party`s projected parliament seats. Conversely, Pappenhym rallies in the number of voter abstentions. For Pappenhym, participation in Zionist elections is a grave sin. Pappenhym organizes demonstrations, where the announcer boldly declares, “Zionists are not Jews,” to the audience`s overpowering response; “Gevald!” (Disaster!).

Caryn Aviv, Senior Instructor in Secular Jewish Society & Civilization, will lead a post-film discussion that will explore some of the challenges addressed in the film including the role of religion in Israeli politics, women’s rights, and freedom of speech.

This event is free and open to the public but RSVPs to Nicholas.Underwood@colorado.edu are appreciated.  Additional information can be found on our website jewishstudies.colorado.edu or by calling 303.492.7143.

The has been made possible by generous donors to CU’s Hillel, the Program in Jewish Studies and the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS).  Support for the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project is generously provided by Legacy Heritage Fund Limited.

Srugim has been described as "an Israeli pop-culture phenomenon"

Wednesday, March 21 at 7 PM  is a screening of the popular Israeli television series Srugim in ATLAS Center Auditorium with a talk back by Dr. Caryn Aviv, Senior Instructor in Secular Jewish Society & Civilization.

Described as a modern Orthodox Friends, this contemporary Israeli TV drama deals with the lives of five 30-something modern religious singles in the Katamon neighborhood of Jerusalem as they attempt to navigate the frequently contradictory worlds of contemporary Israel and traditional Jewish observance. Srugim – the title refers to the knitted kippot worn by modern Orthodox men – has garnered praise from all corners of Israeli society as well as American viewers who follow the series on-line.

Stories focus on the young group of friends who are trying to establish themselves in the workplace while searching for love. This group of friends includes a graphic designer who photoshops more modest attire onto models in religious product advertisements, a high-powered female accountant who rides a motorcycle, a biblical studies major that struggles with her own faith, a recently divorced grammar teacher, and a doctor with commitment issues. What makes the show unique is the fact that all of these friends are observant modern Orthodox Jews. Many episodes feature Shabbat meals, men and women davening, and men wearing kippot. The show explores the struggles that some of the characters have being religious while trying to date or make a living in contemporary Israeli society.

Srugim’s co-creator and director, Eliezer Shapira and many of its writers and production staff are graduates of Ma’ale, a film school in Israel founded to encourage the production of entertainment sensitive to the nuances of Orthodox religious life. These students and teachers believe that for there to be a vibrant Orthodoxy in Israel, there must be a vibrant Orthodox artistic culture.

Poet, writer and author Almog Behar at CU April 2 @ 7:30 PM

Monday, April 2 at 7:30 PM welcomes Jewish Israeli Poet, Author and Activist, Almog Behar to CU’s Old Main Theater on the Boulder campus for an evening discussing his work, his activism, and readings of his latest poetry including “My Arabic is Mute.”

Almog Behar is an Israeli Mizrahi (Jew of Arab descent), award winning writer and poet. He is also an activist involved in the solidarity movement against the eviction of Palestinian families from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Behar is also actively engaged in a vibrant community of Jewish and Palestinian Israeli writers—who write in both Hebrew and Arabic—and has participated in the organization of bilingual poetry readings and publications. His own fiction and poetry explore the connections between Hebrew and Arabic, insist on the importance of Arabic culture in contemporary Israel and highlight the historic and tradition-based connections between Judaism and Islam and Jewish and Muslim communities throughout the Middle East.

Arabic is an official language of the State of Israel, a country usually known for having resurrected Hebrew, and has been since the days of the British Mandate in pre-state Palestine. While Israel maintained Arabic’s official status with the intention of protecting minority rights in a Hebrew-dominated culture, it also marked Arabic as the language of the Palestinian minority, artificially dividing the citizens of Israel linguistically and culturally. As an Arabic speaking Jew, Behar forces us to ask: what about Jews who speak Arabic and embrace Arab culture as their own?

Behar works to break down those cultural divisions through his writing and his activism. From a recent interview with the online magazine for international literature, Words Without Borders, Behar said “…historically and in the day to day, the music and symbols of Judaism, especially Mizrahi Judaism, have a relationship with the music and symbols of Islam, and part of my own search is about exploring this connection.”

Join us for an evening with Almog Behar that will include a conversation with Dr. Zilla Goodman, Senior Instructor and head of the Hebrew language and literature program, about his work as a poet, author and activist as well as readings from his recent work. Complete details can be found at jewishstudies.colorado.edu, hillelcolorado.org/cu or by calling 303.492.7143.

These events and Almog Behar’s visit has been made possible by generous donors to CU’s Hillel, the Program in Jewish Studies and the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS). Support for the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project is generously provided by Legacy Heritage Fund Limited.

Menorah: Arts, Culture and Education at the Boulder JCC

Jewish Arts Month includes a film series on four Tuesday nights in March at 7:00 pm  at the Boedecker Theater in the Dairy Center for the Arts. Each film features a discussion with an expert following the screening, and the last film includes a pre-show lecture on Jewish Comic Book Artists.

“The Rape of Europa” on March 6

With talk back by CU Art History Professor Kira van Lil

This stunning 2006 documentary tells the epic story of the systematic theft, deliberate destruction and miraculous survival of Europe’s art treasures during the Third Reich and WW II. The film takes the audience on a journey through seven countries into a violent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed and warfare that threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe. Joan Allen narrates this breathtaking chronicle about the battle over the very survival of centuries of western culture. The extraordinary true story of “The Rape of Europa” is soon to be a feature film from writer/director/star George Clooney!

“Modigliani” on March 13

With talk back by Mizel Museum Curator Georgina Kolber

Set in Paris in 1919 when the city’s bohemian community was in full flower, this feature film stars Andy Garcia as the Jewish Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.  An honest portrait of the uniquely gifted painter and sculptor, the film focuses on the troubled artist’s last days, depicting his rivalry with Pablo Picasso and his tragic romance with Jeanne Hebuterne (Elsa Zylberstein), who was disowned by her wealthy family for falling in love with a Jew.

“Herb and Dorothy” on March 20

With talk back by art collector David Raddock

Herb and Dorothy Vogel redefine what it means to be an art collector, as this 2008 documentary so astonishingly attests. Herbert Vogel, the son of a Russian Jewish garment worker, spent his life working as a clerk at the post office. Dorothy Faye Hoffmann, the daughter of an Orthodox stationary merchant, worked as a librarian. Herb and Dorothy married in 1962 and in their cramped one bedroom apartment amassed one of the world’s most important collections of Minimalist and Conceptual art.

“American Splendor” on March 27

With special pre-show talk at 6:30 by Kathryn Bernheimer:

“Jewish Comic Book Creators: From Superman, Batman, Spiderman and X-Men to R. Crumb’s underground commix”

Paul Giamatti plays cult comic book creator Harvey Pekar in this 2003 biographical comedy-drama about a morose artist who shares the sad monotony of everyday life with his fans. When he meets fellow neurotic Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis), he finds his depressive soul mate. The deadly funny film employs a combination of live-action film, video, and animation, including narration and commentary from the real-life Harvey Pekar.

Movies about artist’s lives are usually deadly and diminishing. This cubistic approach, blurring the line between the man and his work, gives us the impression we’re seeing the world from inside Pekar’s head. It’s as if the filmmakers let themselves be invaded by their subject’s quirky, cranky spirit.” - David Ansen, Newsweek

Triple Feature Art Shows on March 18

On Sunday, March 18, the Boulder JCC hosts three fabulous art events, beginning at 4:30 pm with ArtRageous: Intergenerational Art Workshop in which participants are guided to create a work in the style of Chagall.

At 6:00 pm, there will be a wine and cheese art show opening for J-Art, showcasing the work of nine Colorado artists.

Following the meet the artist reception, audiences will get a glimpse behind the art world with the 7:00 pm panel, “Curious Curators: Arbiters of Art.” Join us to find out how curators make the decisions they make and how they shape the art world. Our panelists will talk about what they do at their respective museums and answer questions about the art of curating. Speakers include Georgina Kolber, Curator of Exhibits, Programs and Collections at the Mizel Museum; Lisa Tamiris Becker, Director of the CU Art Museum; and Jane Saltzman, Director of Open Studios.

Hadassah’s 100th on March 22

Finally, on Thursday, March 22, as thousands gather across the country to toast Hadassah’s 100^th anniversary, Boulder celebrates with a party that includes champagne and cake, and a screening of a 60-minute documentary about Marc Chagall, the legendary and quintessentially Jewish artist.

The film and celebration honor Chagall’s stained glass windows at the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem, created and donated for Hadassah’s 50^th anniversary, which are among the artist’s most beloved and well-known works. Hadassah is blessed with many works of art which convey the message that soothing the soul is as important as healing the body, and Chagall’s spiritual and spirited works are testaments to that faith in the healing power of art.

To reserve a spot or for more information, call Kathryn at 303-998-1021, Kathryn@boulderjcc.org, or visit www.boulderjcc.org.

But we did see Billy Crystal, who is very funny but never mean-spirited, do himself proud on his 9^th Oscar hosting.

In case you were wondering, Michel Hazanavicius, who deservedly won best director for “The Artist,” is Jewish, the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors. The loving tribute to Hollywood’s silent film era won five Oscars — for best picture, director, actor, costume design and original musical score. The film’s producer Thomas Langmann is the son of famed Jewish French director Claude Berri.

Tying in Oscar wins, “Hugo” also has a Jewish pedigree. It is based on the illustrated novel, “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” by Brian Selznick. And Sasha Baron Cohen stars in the magical film, ironically an American tribute to the French early filmmaker George Melies.

We hardly need to mention Woody Allen’s win for best original screenplay for “Midnight in Paris,” one of the year’s most enchanting and witty films.

In the best foreign film category, as I predicted, the Iranian film “A Separation” beat out the excellent Israeli film, “Footnote,” and the equally excellent Holocaust film, “In Darkness.” Iran immediately and predictably declared the win a victory over the criminal Zionist state. According to Commentary Magazine, “The head of Iran’s Cinematic Agency portrayed the Oscar decision as the “beginning of the collapse” of Israeli influence that “beats the drum of war” in the U.S.  Now that’s satire!

Meanwhile, Pakistan was mum on the best documentary short winner, “Saving Face,” about Muslim women whose faces are disfigured by the common (and legal) practice of men punishing “their” women by throwing acid on their faces. Definitely not funny. But good that the subject of women’s rights in the Middle East is getting some attention.

What did you think of this year’s Awards?

As part of this series, we are excited to welcome directors and producers, Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman for the screening and after-film discussion of their recent film “Between Two Worlds” on Tuesday, February 28 at 7:00 pm in ATLAS 100 on the CU Boulder Campus.

Who speaks for a divided community at the crossroads? “Between Two Worlds” is a groundbreaking personal exploration of the community and family divisions that are redefining American Jewish identity and politics. The filmmakers’ own families are battlegrounds over loyalty to Israel, interpretations of the Holocaust, intermarriage, and a secret communist past. Filmed in the United States and Israel, this first person documentary begins with a near riot at the Jewish Film Festival in San Francisco, reveals the agonizing battle over divestment from Israel on a university campus, and shows the crackdown on dissent in Israel itself.

Castro Theater Protesters at San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

Using five unique stories, this film goes beyond the superficial to reveal the passionate debates over identity and generational change that are taking place within today’s American Jewish community. Powerful and divergent feelings about Israel, issues involving ethnic and religious continuity, and the growth of the neo-conservative movement are just some of the provocative issues being addressed. Once seen as a voting block, American Jews no longer seem to be speaking in a singular voice. Clearly intended to spark dialogue, “Between Two Worlds” has already sparked a stimulating dialogue about today’s American Jewish community.

Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow

Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman are award-winning documentary filmmakers whose films include “Blacks and Jews,” “Secrets of Silicon Valley,” and “Thirst.” Kaufman founded and was the director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the first and largest independent Jewish film showcase in the world. Their work has been featured at the Sundance Film Festival, the Jerusalem International Film Festival, and aired on public television’s acclaimed “P.O.V.” and “Independent Lens” series. Their films have been used by activists and opinion leaders around the world and have been translated into over fifteen languages and broadcast internationally. The New Yorker magazine has said “Snitow and Kaufman bring a fair-minded skepticism to everything they film.”

This film is free and open to the public but as seating is limited, RSVPs are required.  Please email Nicholas.Underwood@colorado.edu or call CU’s Program in Jewish Studies at 303.492.7143.

CU’s  Week of Jewish Culture continues through Thursday, March 8.  The series kicks off Monday, February 27 at 7:00 PM with the world premier of the Ginzburg Geography with artist Jewlia Eisenberg. This interactive video project and art installation traces the life and work of Leone and Natalia Ginzburg whose journeys of love, resistance, exile, liberation, life and death during WWII and the Holocaust provide the back drop for others to “map” their life journeys. A complete list of programs and details can be found at jewishstudies.colorado.edu or by calling 303.492.7143. The series concludes on March 8 with Purim concerts by the “nerdy, sexy, commie, girly” performances of Charming Hostess.

CU’s Week of Jewish Culture is an annual series produced and presented by the Program in Jewish Studies at CU-Boulder and generously supported by the Program’s donors. This year’s series is also supported by the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project, directed by the Association for Jewish Studies (AJS). Support of the Legacy Heritage Jewish Studies Project is generously provided by the Legacy Heritage Fund Limited.

How could we strengthen Jewish identity for the next generation and rekindle their love for Israel at the same time?

Yossi Beilin, Justice Minister of Israel in 1994, had an idea. It was radical. It was expensive. It was risky. But the potential payoff was enormous.

The idea was to offer young Jews, age 21-26, a free 10-day tour of Israel. The idea was Taglit-Birthright, founded in cooperation with philanthropists Charles Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt, as well as the Israeli government, other private philanthropists, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Jewish communities around the world.

Today, more than 300,000 young Jews have been on Birthright. An overwhelming number of participants describe the experience as transformative, life-changing, a once in a lifetime opportunity to wrestle with their feelings about being Jewish and about Israel. Birthright is the single most ambitious and successful Jewish engagement program to have emerged in our lifetime.

Seth Kroll was an assistant tour leader on a trip of Boston. Armed with a video camera, he recorded the transformation unfolding around him. Later, he interviewed Bronfman, Steinhardt and Beilin, and took a deeper look at this $400 million phenomenon.

The result is “Mifgash: Encountering Jewish Identity in the 20^th Century.”

Kroll comes to the Boulder JCC on Tuesday, February 21 for a 7:00 pm screening of his film, followed by discussion. The screening is free for students and Birthright alums.

The film does not shy away from the complexities of Birthright, portraying the wide range of experiences and widely differing attitudes that emerge as Bus 740 travels through the Jewish homeland with a group of young Jewish strangers and their assorted baggage.

It is fascinating, heartening and heartfelt, an experience not to be missed.

Click here to register.

Katie Couric, CBS News Anchor, had an opportunity to interview Abeles for her web show and was profoundly impacted by the film’s message.  As she shared, “Over-scheduled, stressed-out kids aren’t just less competitive, they are miserable…this film is a poignant reminder that straight A’s and high SAT scores are not the Holy Grail.  We all want our kids to excel, but I’d take a happy child over a ‘depressed success’ any day of the week. “

The Boulder JCC will screen the film at a special program on Thursday, February 23 from 6 pm – 9 pm.  Following the screening, a panel consisting of educators, parents and students will share their thoughts on how this film relates to our children in the Boulder County area.  The administrators will share how their school districts are addressing the important issues raised in this film.  This will be a unique presentation, as several of the panel members will speak about the film from the Jewish perspective.

The panel includes Don Stensrud, Fairview High School Principal (Boulder Valley School District); Dawn Macy, Sunset Middle School Principal (St. Vrain School District); Betsy Fox, Co-Founder of Parent Engagement Network (PEN) & Positive Community Development Expert and Jerry Pinsker, Jewish Educator.

These are important topics to bring to the table for discussion; especially in a community which greatly values education.  Education is an important Jewish value, which is one of the reasons that the JCC has chosen to show this film,” explains Shari Blake Schnee, BJCC Shalom Family Director.

Click here to register. The registration fee is $10 in advance and $15 at the door (depending on ticket availability.) Babysitting will be available for those in 5th grade and up and must be reserved in advance by emailing Shari Blake Schnee at shari@boulderjcc.org.

For more information on this event, go to www.boulderjcc.org or to www.racetonowhere.com.  This event is recommended for parents of children in fifth grade and up and for high school students.

This event is made possible through a grant from the 18 Pomegranates Foundation and is co-sponsored by Boulder JCC Shalom Family & JTeen and Parent Engagement Network (PEN).