By Jack Forman San Diego Jewish World Joel Fendelman is a young independent film producer and director whose feature-length documentary film Needle Through Brick — about the development of Kung Fu —  recently won the Silver Palm award at the Mexico International Film Festival. In making David, his first feature

By Michael Fox Special To The Observer The late Avery Brundage, the autocratic president of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 72, believed that sports and politics should be kept separate. At least that was one argument that supporters used to defend his decision to resume the 1972 Munich

By Michael Fox Special To The Observer The pioneering Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem was born in a shtetl in the middle of the 19th century. Even today his name is synonymous with the Old Country and a vanished way of life. Blame Fiddler on the Roof, which was adapted from

By Sheldon Kirshner The Canadian Jewish News The screwball comedy, a staple of 1930s and 1940s Hollywood, has finally reached the shores of Israel. Yohanan Weller’s Salsa Tel Aviv is frothy and light-hearted. It delves into a serious issue: the plight of illegal foreign workers in Israel. The foreigners in

Film Review By Schuyler Velasco, Forward Can a murderer be someone with no literal blood on his hands? Someone who never gave a direct order to kill? In the case of Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi leader who organized the transport of millions of Jews to death camps during the Holocaust,

  By Michael Fox Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer Like a native of Los Angeles, Dani Menkin effortlessly conducts a phone interview from his car without missing a beat, or his exit. The energetic filmmaker isn’t a native, though he divides his time between Southern California and his native

  Film Review By Tom Tugend, Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles Israel’s The Matchmaker kicks off the 12th Dayton Jewish International Film Festival, on April 24. The opening night film has garnered two Ophirs — Israel’s equivalent of the Oscars — for best actor and best actress. But don’t

Yom Ha’atzmaut 2009 Ido Port and Alfred Molina in The Little Traitor This year’s community Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration will be held on Wednesday, April 29 from 5:30-9 p.m. at Temple Israel. In addition to food for purchase from Bernstein’s Fine Catering, carnival games, face painting, and craft activities for children,

Israel Independence 2010 From the Israeli film White Balance This year’s community Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration will be held on Tuesday, April 20 from 5:30-8 p.m. at Beth Abraham Synagogue. In addition to food for purchase from Bernstein’s Fine Catering, carnival games, face painting, and craft activities for children, the DJCC’s