By Mabel Pais

The 26th edition of the Sephardic Jewish Film Festival, ensures a captivating week-long cinematic journey of untold stories of tolerance and diversity within the vibrant Sephardic cultural mosaic. The festival takes place June 2-9, at the American Sephardi Federation – Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, 10011.

This year’s festival promises to be truly extraordinary, as it includes NY, US and international premiere films, world-renowned filmmakers and actors receiving the Pomegranate Awards and the return to the American stage, hand in hand with the ASF, of the iconic internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter Enrico Macias.

OPENING NIGHT

Honorees & Performer

Opening Night includes a mesmerizing performance by Enrico Macias and the Pomegranate Awards Ceremony honoring acclaimed filmmaker Alexandre Arcady, cultural icon Stella Levi, and celebrated actor and director John Turturro.

John Turturro

John Turturro, one of cinema’s finest talents, will be honored with the Pomegranate Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival’s Opening Night, on Sunday, 2 June at 6:00PM. Mr. Turturro previously received the Cannes Film Festival’s Caméra d’Or, Sundance Film Festival’s Vision Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and Venice Film Festival’s Award of the City of Rome, amongst other honors.

Although he isn’t of Jewish descent, Turturro has played and written numerous Jewish characters in his career and has been considered by many as “the greatest non-Jewish portrayer of Jews”:

“My wife is Jewish, and I’ve grown up with black and Jewish people my whole life. And people always think I’m Jewish. Especially since I started playing Jewish characters with Joel and Ethan [Coen]. I played Primo Levi, I played Herb Stempel [in “Quiz Show”], I played Barton Fink. Some of the best characters I’ve played. One Italian guy told me once, ‘You only play Jewish guys!”(Washington Post, 2014)

Turturro grew up Catholic, but says “I’m not really religious, dogma-wise.” What he finds most interesting about Judaism is “the debate that goes on. There’s something healthy about that. I’ve always had, maybe not an attraction to the religion, but to the mind-set.”

John Turturro will also join the Festival on Closing Night on June 9 at 7PM for a 10th anniversary screening of Fading Gigolo. The film features performances by Sharon Stone, Vanessa Paradis, Liev Schreiber, and Sofía Vergara.

TICKETS

The following Festival Packages, Passes, & Tickets are available:

VIP Sponsorship Festival Package

VIP Sponsorship Festival Package includes access to All Events (including Opening & Closing Night Private Meet & Greet Receptions) and VIP seating at all Movie Screenings; Name listed as Festival Sponsor in the Catalog.

Festival Pass

Includes Opening and Closing Night Ceremonies, all Movie Screenings, Q&As, and Special Daytime Events

Opening Night Ticket

Includes Opening Night Awards Ceremony, Performance by Enrico Macias, and light reception.

Access nysjff26.eventive.org/passes/buy/vip_festival_pass to purchase your choice of Pass.

The American Sephardi Federation – Center for Jewish History

For updates and film schedule, visit americansephardi.org

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THE GOLDEN AGE OF AL-ANDALUS EXHIBIT IS INAUGURATED

By Mabel Pais

To celebrate the ‘Golden Age of the Jewish community of Al-Andalus,’ on Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 pm, the Embassy of Spain to the United States, the Consulate of Spain at New York, Centro Sefarad-Israel, Instituto Cervantes, the World Jewish Congress – North America, and the American Sephardi Federation inaugurated the Exhibit, “The Golden Age of the Jews of Alandalus” | “La Edad de Oro de los judíos de Alandalús” at the ASF – Center for Jewish History.

The event featured remarks by

Ángeles Moreno Bau, Ambassador of Spain to the United States

David Dangoor, President of the ASF

Jason Guberman, Executive Director of the ASF

Matt Gatton, a Sephardic Scholar and author of The Shadows of Socrates

Dr. Hélene Jawhara Piñer, ASF Broome & Allen Scholar, award-winning author of ‘Sephardi: Cooking the History’ (Recipes of the Jews of Spain and the Diaspora from the 13th Century to Today) and ‘Jews, Food, and

Spain: The Oldest Medieval Spanish Cookbook and the Sephardic Culinary Heritage’

Dr. Vanessa Paloma Duncan-Elbaz, ASF Broome & Allen Fellow, Research Associate at Cambridge University, and award-winning scholar and singer

Jaime Moreno Bau, General Director of the Centro Sefarad-Israel, delivered the keynote address.

Dvir Avnon-Klein, ASF Sephardi House Fellow and talented multi-instrumentalist, performed classical Sephardic songs on the violin as guests entered.

Guests enjoyed kosher delicacies prepared by Dr. Hélene Jawhara Piñer at the TriBeCa Synagogue from recipes by or related to the writings to the RAMBAM

Dr. Vanessa Paloma Duncan-Elbaz closed the program by performing a Ladino Romansa.

TICKETS

This was an in-person ticketed event.

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SOCRATES WAS CRITIQUE OF ATHENS’ IDOLATROUS CULT

By Mabel Pais

To celebrate the launch of Matt Gatton’s new book, ‘The Shadows of Socrates: The Heresy, War, and Treachery Behind the Trial of Socrates,’ a fascinating discussion followed his presentation on Sunday, 14 April at 4:30PM ET. This was an in-person ticketed event.

Synopsis

The trial of the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates is widely considered the most famous trial of all time. At age 70, he was charged with impiety (a religious crime) and corrupting the youth, but the reasons for these charges were left unexplained, as the prosecution’s case was not recorded.

There’s a reason for this: Socrates triggered the first great battle between philosophy and religion when he launched a searing critique of Athens’ most important and secretive idolatrous cult. Socrates has more in common with Moses, Maimonides, and Spinoza than you might ever have imagined. Sometimes the light of true reason must fight in the shadows.

TICKETS

This was an in-person ticketed event.

(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Cuisine, Spirituality, Health & Wellness, Business, and Education)