Congregation Ahavath Achim

3225 SW Barbur Blvd.

Portland, OR 97239

503-227-0010

All films are FREE. Films begin at 7PM, followed by a guest speaker and group discussion. FREE light Sephardic refreshments.

FILM SERIES SPONSORED BY GENEROUS GRANTS FROM

RUBEN & ELIZABETH MENASHE, SHARON STERN

& JEWISH FEDERATION OF PORTLAND

January 12, 2010, 7:00 pm “Three Mothers / Shalosh Imahot”

Winner of the 2006 Jerusalem International Film Festival and nominated for Best Picture, Israeli Academy Awards, this is a true story about the extraordinary saga of a Sephardic family spanning three generations. Born in Alexandria in 1943, triplets Rose, Yasmin, and Flora are blessed by King Farouk. Jasmin is in dire need of a kidney transplant and given mere weeks to live, one by one the women tell the harrowing story of their past to Rose’s daughter Rocha. A moving and evocative tale of family relationships at their best, and worst, the film stars one of Israels most acclaimed performers, Gila Almagor. (106 minutes, 2006, Directed: Kina Zvi-Riklis, Hebrew, French and Arabic with English subtitles)

Guest Speaker: David Tver

February 9, 2010, 7:00 pm “Jews of Ethiopia” -- A triple-feature evening

The Falashas is a classic study of Ethiopian Jewry in 1973. It records Jews forgotten by the world. We view Jewish ritual and practices as observed for generations in isolation: circumcision; kashrut; Shabbat; Torah study; and prayer. (27 minutes in color, 1973, Director: Meyer Levin)

Operation Moses is the epic story of the 1985 rescue, immigration an obsorbtion of Ethiopian Jewry. Through testimonials and raf\re footage, we view the daring saga of a people saved from extinction by the efforts of the World Jewish Community. (27 minutes in color, 1985, Director: Eli Cohen)

Again…The Second Time documents Operation Solomon. In the space of thirty-six hours, Israel airlifted 14,000 Ethiopian Jews and brought them “home”. How was this daring feat planned and executed? This heart-warming video reveals the true story behind the modern day miracle of May 24, 1991. (19 minutes in color, 1991, Director: Micha Shagrir)

Guest Speaker: Essayas Mandefro

March 9, 2010, 7:00 pm “A triple-feature evening”

“The Dhimmis: To Be a Jew in Arab Lands” This comprehensive documentary details the centuries of persecution endured by Jews living in Arab lands. Using rare film footage, photographs, maps and interviews, we are presented with an excellent country-by-country recounting of Jewish life that flourished in the midst of ongoing conflict. A first-rate historical overview. (29 minutes in color, 1975, Director: Baruch Gitilis)

“Jewish Naqba” An accounting of Jews expelled from Arab countries. (7 minutes).

“Without the Past” The first Jews are said to have arrived in Portugal with the trading expeditions of King Solomon. Isaac Bitton, a descendant of the “Retournados,” the Jews who returned to Portugal after the Great Earthquake of 1755, guides us through the fascinating history of the Portuguese Jewry, from its very beginnings through today. Among highlights are the restoration of the Jewish cemetery in Faro, in the Southern Agar province, and the moving story of Dr. Aristedes de Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese consul in Bordeaux, France, during World War II, who issued 30,000 exit visas to Jews attempting to flee the Nazis, and who was removed from the diplomatic corps for his “misdeeds”. (24 minutes, 1997, Script: Jerry Kraemer, Narrated by: Isaac Bitton)

Guest Speaker: David Valesquez-Cohen

April, 13, 2010, 7PM “The Policeman”

Officer Azulai is unable to advance in the force due to his kindly nature – he lets thieves and petty criminals go free. When his career is threatened, the tries to prove his usefulness in a major operation that is, unbeknown to him, masterminded by an underworld scoundrel. Comedy. Multi-prize winning film. (87 minutes, 1987, Directed: Ephraim Kishon, English, Hebrew, French)

Guest Speaker: Open discussion following presentation