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Israeli Film at 75: A Star-Studded Celebration of Israeli Movies & Television
Free for Members with discount code provided in your emails
(please email crs@crsnyc.org if you have not received your code)
$18 for Non-Members
6:15 PM: Nosh & Schmooze
7:00 PM: Program
Join CRS and the Israel Film Center of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan for a conversation with acclaimed Israeli actor Hani Furstenberg (Campfire, Asylum City, and The Golem) and Israel’s legendary Alon Aboutboul (Beaufort, Ricochet, and The Dark Knight Rises).
Ms. Furstenberg and Mr. Aboutboul will take us behind the scenes as we spotlight the dramatic evolution and expansion of Israeli film and television in a conversation with Isaac Zablocki, senior director of the Carole Zabar Center for Film at the JCC Manhattan. On the eve of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day), we will celebrate 75 years of Israeli culture and creativity, and the way they now touch audiences worldwide with impact and inspiration.
About Our Speakers
Alon Aboutboul recently completed 5 successful seasons of John Singelton’s hit series SNOWFALL for FX, where he portrayed the fan favorite Avi Drexler.
Aboutboul has been appearing in films in his native Israel since the early 1980s. In 1989 he won the Israeli Film Academy’s Best Actor Award for his performance in Uri Barbash’s Ehad Mishelanu. He has since been nominated for Best Supporting Actor three times, again winning the award in 2003 for his performance in Savi Gabizon’s Nina’s Tragedies.
Aboutboul played a pivotal role in Ridley Scott’s Body of Lies alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and has appeared in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises, Steven Spielberg’s Munich,Peter MacDonald’s Rambo III and Eytan Rockaway’s Lansky opposite Harvey Keitel, Sam Worthington and AnnaSophia Robb.
Aboutboul starred in London Has Fallen opposite Gerard Butler, Hand of God, which earned him another award from the Jerusalem Film Festival and A Place in Heaven, written and directed by Yossi Madmoni, which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, the Seattle International Film Festival and won him Best Actor at the International Film Festival of India in Goa. In 2018, he appeared in Beirut, directed by Brad Anderson.
In the United States, Aboutboul has guest-starred on the television series Twin Peaks (the reboot), FBI: International, Homeland, The Leftovers, Low Winter Sun, Fringe, Castle, Burn Notice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NCIS: Los Angeles and The Blacklist.
Some of Aboutboul’s best work has been on the stage in Israel’s most prestigious theatres. Just to name a few, he starred in the Stage Theatre productions of Hamlet, King Lear, Caviar and Lentils, Sonia Mushkat, Blood Brothers, Closer, and Redemption. At the Haifa Theater, he starred in Andora, Yair, and a one man show called The Baby of Ben Shatrit. Lastly, he’s also performed at the Beer Sheva Theater, starring in The Jewish Zis and The Western Wharf. He is currently nominated for an Olivier award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in the West End production of THE BAND’S VISIT.
Alon is also an accomplished painter who has solo exhibits in Los Angeles and abroad; and will soon be releasing his first music album Family Business.
Hani Furstenberg is an American, Israeli actress with an international career in both theatre and on screen. She made her Broadway debut 7 years ago as Fraulein Kost alongside Alan Cumming in CABARET and her off-Broadway credits include the leading role in Adam Rapp’s premiere of “THROUGH THE YELLOW HOUR’ and Lucy Thurbers ‘STAY’. Some of her on screen credits include her leading role in ‘THE LONELIEST PLANET’ alongside Gael Garcia Bernal and ‘FIVE NIGHTS in MAINE’ alongside David Oyelowo as well as her recurring character in STARZ ‘AMERICAN GODS’. She has led three high profile Israeli television series, THE BOURGEOISIE, ASYLUM CITY and FALSE FLAG (Season 2). She received the Israeli Academy Award for best supporting actress in Joseph Cedar’s ‘CAMPFIRE’ and the Israeli Theatre Academy Award for best supporting actress in Joshua Sobol’s ‘GHETTO’. Hani was most recently seen in ANGELYNE as Emmy Rossum’s (Angelyne) holocaust survivor mother. She stars alongside John Leguizamo in the upcoming series ‘THE GREEN VEIL’, which premiered this past summer at The Tribeca Film Festival and this April, you’ll be able to see her in the new Hulu series, ‘SAINT X’.
Isaac Zablocki is the Director of film programs at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. He attended film school at Columbia University and went on to work at Miramax films. Previously, he produced and directed feature films and developed film educational programs for the Department of Education. Since 2004, Isaac has been developing film programs at the JCC including The Israel Film Center. Beyond ReelAbilities, he programs multiple film festivals annually including the acclaimed Other Israel Film Festival about Arab and minority populations in Israel.
Justin Callis (he/him), our Cantorial Intern, is a fourth-year student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. He is the recipient of the Reuben Peretz Abelson Prize for dedication to Yiddish Song, the Temple Israel of Boston Cantorial Prize, and the Lee Gura Memorial Prize for Aptitude in Synagogue Choral Music.
Sarah Adams, viola, performs locally with the New York Chamber Ensemble, the Claring Chamber Players, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Friends of Mozart, and the Saratoga Chamber Players.
Violinist Michael Roth is a native of Scarsdale, NY and received his early musical training with Frances Magnes at the Hoff-Barthelson Music School. He attended Oberlin College and Conservatory, continuing his studies with Marilyn McDonald. At Oberlin, he won the Kaufman Prize for violin and First Prize in the Ohio String Teacher’s Association Competition. He completed his Master of Music degree at the University of Massachusetts where he worked with the distinguished American violinist and pedagogue Charles Treger and was a recipient of the Julian Olevsky Award. Mr. Roth is currently associate concertmaster of the New York City Ballet Orchestra and has appeared in chamber music and as a soloist with the company, most recently in the debut of “Slice Too Sharp”, a ballet of Biber and Vivaldi violin concerti, and “After the Rain”, violin music of Arvo Part. In addition he is a member of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Principal 2nd violin of the Westchester Philharmonic, the American Composers Orchestra and the New York Pops. He was concertmaster of the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra for many years and often appeared as soloist there, as well as at the Caramoor and Bard Music Festivals. He has played and toured internationally with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and the New York Chamber Soloists.
Known for his sweet and “sumptuous” (New York Times) tone, American-born Doori Na took up violin at the age of four and began his studies with Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He quickly made his first performance with orchestra at age seven with the Peninsula Youth Symphony as the first prize winner of the concerto competition. Thereafter Mr. Na went on to win top prizes in The Sound of Music Festival, The Korea Times Youth Music Competition, the Chinese Music Teacher’s Association, The Menuhin Dowling Young Artist Competition, The Junior Bach Festival, VOCE of the Music Teacher’s Association of California, and The Pacific Musical Society. Receiving full scholarships to private high school Crossroads School of Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, he moved to Los Angeles to study with renown violin teacher, Robert Lipsett, at The Colburn Music School. There he appeared as soloist with the Palisades Symphony, Brentwood Symphony, and Torrance Symphony. During that time, the summer of 2004 was Mr. Na’s first time at the Perlman Music Program where his expression and musical identity were greatly influenced. He has been a part of the program ever since and participated in many of their special residencies in Florida, Vermont, New York, and Israel.
Alan Goodis is a touring Jewish musician playing over 150 events a year. Born and raised in Toronto, Alan is a proud product of URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute. Noted for his dedication to building relationships and community through music, Alan tours throughout the US to serve as an Artist-In-Residence and performer at Temples, Youth Conventions and Jewish summer camps.
Julie Silver is one of the most celebrated and beloved performers in the world of contemporary Jewish music today. She tours throughout the world, and has been engaging audiences with her gorgeous compositions and liturgical settings, her lyrical guitar playing, her dynamic stage presence, and her megawatt smile for over 25 years.
Dan is a product of the URJ Jewish camping movement. He has toured Jewish summer camps across North America for the last 15 years. A classically trained singer, Dan received his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina. In 1995, realizing the potential of music to make powerful connections with Jewish youth, Dan established the Jewish rock band Eighteen. Since that time, Dan and Eighteen have released 13 albums. Songs like, L’takein, B’tzelem Elo-him, Kehillah Kedoshah, Chazak, Sweet As Honey, and Asher Yatzar have become Jewish communal anthems throughout North America.
Naomi Less is an internationally celebrated singer/songwriter, ritualist and educator. Beloved for her warm smile and inviting presence, communities celebrate her imagination and innovation, tenderness and pizzazz! Her original music is sung in worship communities worldwide. Naomi serves as Co-Founder, Ritual Leader and Associate Director of Lab/Shul and is a leader in amplifying women’s voices through her work at Songleader Boot Camp and her Jewish Women Rock show on Jewish Rock Radio. Naomiadvocates for people struggling with fertility journeys as a performance artist and speaker for Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Challenges. Fun fact: Naomi and her husband wrote the song shine/Yivarech’cha, a Friday night blessing, specifically composed for URJ Crane Lake Camp, sung every Friday night in the dining hall.
Her destiny became obvious to Joanie Leeds’ parents when, at the tender age of 2, Joanie grabbed the performer’s mic at a party and belted out the entire song“Tomorrow” from Annie. Jaws dropped! No one could remember ever hearing a big voice like that coming from one so tiny and certainly no one would have thought she would one day earn a GRAMMY® Award for her original music.
A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, Elana Arian is one of the leading voices in contemporary Jewish music. Elana’s music is part of Jewish life across the globe, and her compositions are sung in spiritual communities, summer camps, and synagogues from Louisville to London, from Chicago to the CzechRepublic, and everywhere in between. Elana just released her fourth album of original music, The Other Side of Fear, and her compositions have been published in countless Transcontinental Music collections. Elana serves proudly on the faculty of Hava Nashira (Oconomowoc, WI), the Wexner Heritage Foundation (Aspen, CO), Shirei Chagiga (London, England), and as an instructor at the Hebrew Union College in New York, where she teaches in the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music. Elana has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Tanglewood, and perhaps most memorably, five separate appearances at the (Obama) White House. She lives in New York with her wife, Julia, and their two daughters, Maya and Acadia.
Known for his unique, engaging, and deeply soulful approach, Noah Aronson is considered one of the most sought after Jewish musicians in North America, making over 65 community appearances each year.
There is a reason why Time Magazine has listed Michelle in their Top Ten list of Jewish rock stars.
Kol B’Seder has been composing and performing contemporary Jewish music since the early1970s. Rabbi Dan Freelander and Cantor Jeff Klepper met as college students; over the past 50years they have released numerous CDs and songbooks. With Debbie Friedman (z”l) and others, they forged a new musical sound for American Jewish camps, schools and synagogues. Their songs, such as “Shalom Rav,” “Modeh Ani,” and “Lo Alecha,” have become traditionalJewish melodies around the world. They are delighted to be inaugurating their fiftieth anniversary celebration by appearing in support of URJ camps, where they first composed and incubated many of their early songs.
Rabbi Mira Weller (she/her) received her ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in May 2022. She studied Culture and Politics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and received her Master’s in Jewish Education at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR. She is the proud recipient of awards for her studies in rabbinic literature, her work in Jewish education, and she was granted the Myrtle Lorch Pfaelzer-Monroe Pfaelzer Award for an Outstanding Female Rabbinical School Student (2022). Rabbi Mira speaks Hebrew and Spanish (so please practice with her!). She has a passion for uncovering new possibilities in the great wealth of our tradition and for making music inspired by Judaism’s many cultures. Her guilty pleasures include cupcakes, classical music, and philosophy.
New York bassist Roger Wagner enjoys a long and diverse career. As soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral bassist, Mr. Wagner has appeared on many of the world’s great concert stages.
Sarah Adams 
Leonard Bernstein described 
Praised by the New York Times as “irresistible in both music and performance.” flutist, 
Margaret Kampmeier, 
Michael Roth
Our initiative for young children and their grown-ups provides a slate of offerings including Shabbat and holiday celebrations, music, classroom readiness programs, and new parent experiences. During the pandemic, we have leaned on $1m of seed funding for Sholom Sprouts established through this campaign as we offer age-appropriate virtual programs for our families with young children, who are the future of our community. We look forward to welcoming our littlest members and their grown-ups back to our new fifth floor, as well as hiring a Program Assistant to increase the capacity of Sholom Sprouts to grow. This program provides a crucial entry-point to the congregation and membership for young families.
