Now that the Jewish High Holidays are behind us, let’s take a filmic journey through some of the holidays we celebrate throughout the year: Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Purim, Pesach. Each of the movies is unique and riveting. All will lend themselves to provocative and engaging discussion. Join us for this enjoyable review of the Jewish year!

Yom Kippur: The Jazz Singer 1927
Sukkot: Ushpizim 2004
Purim: For your Consideration 2006
Passover: When Do We Eat 2005

Yom Kippur: The Jazz Singer 1927.
One of the first ever sound movies in America, this autobiographical film touches on the significance of Yom Kippur and Yom Kippur liturgy in the life of]] a young man played by Al Jolson who is torn between the traditional culture of his cantor father, and his contemporary world of (African) American Jazz. In this complicated film about Jewish-American identity, we see a Jewish character, played by a Lituanian-born Jew, singing in blackface, a practice with a long history of controversy.

Sukkot: Ushpizin 2004. This charming Israeli film focuses on a childless and impoverished Orthodox couple in Jerusalem who decide to use some new-found money to buy an expensive etrog for Succot. Thus begins a series of somewhat comical challenges for the couple, resulting in a poignant and heartwarming story. [[The couple and some of the minor characters were played by haredi actors; it was the first acting role for the female lead, who was a great success.

Purim: For Your Consideration 2006. In this quirky and eccentric story, truly fit for a Purim shpiel, a troupe of actors come together to create a film entitled, Home for Purim, a family drama set in the South. Christopher Guest, the director, displays the off-beat humor that led to his success in “Waiting For Guffman”, “Best In Show” and “A Mighty Wind”.

Pesach: When Do We Eat 2005. An admittedly over-the-top family comedy features a family of eccentrics coming together for a seder. In the midst of