May 2012
Film Series
Untold Stories: The Films of Aviva Kempner
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg
(USA, 2009, 92 minutes)
Wednesday, May 16 – 6:30 p.m.
$5 Members
$10 Non-members
Join movie critic Carrie Rickey for this humorous and eye-opening story of television pioneer Gertrude Berg. Berg was the, creator, principal writer, and star of The Goldbergs radio show, which became television’s first character-driven domestic sitcom in 1949. She received the first Best Actress Emmy in history, and paved the way for women in the entertainment industry, pioneering that genre by presenting America with an outwardly Jewish family that wore its immigrant heritage on its sleeve.
Documentary filmmaker Aviva Kempner investigates non-stereotypical images of Jews in history, focusing on and celebrating the lesser-known stories of Jewish heroes for which she has received numerous awards and critical acclaim. She founded the Washington Jewish Film Festival in 1989 and writes film criticism and feature articles for numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, The Forward, Washington Jewish Week and The Washington Post.
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Goldbergs Week at NMAJH 
In conjunction with the May 16 screening of the documentary, Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, the Museum has declared the week of May 13 - 18 "Goldbergs Week"! To help celebrate the life of the visionary Gertrude Berg and the films of Aviva Kempner, Goldbergs Week includes:
*FREE Museum admission for visitors with the last name of Goldberg during the week of May 13 - 18
*Screenings of episodes of The Goldbergs – FREE with Museum admission (which is free for visitors with the last name of Goldberg – see above)
Tuesday, May 15 - 11:30 a.m., noon, and 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 17 - 11:30 a.m., noon, and 12:30 p.m.
Friday, May 18 - 11:30 a.m., noon, and 12:30 p.m.
(a different episode will be screened in each timeslot; reservations not required)
*FREE admission to the Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg screening on May 16 for visitors with the last name of Goldberg
Visitors with the last name of Goldberg wishing to take advantage of these special offers must present official identification (such as a driver’s license, college ID, etc.). Advance Museum admission and May 16 program tickets may be reserved by calling 215-923-3811 ext 110.
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Film Series
Untold Stories: The Films of Aviva Kempner
The Rosenwald Schools (Work in Progress)
(Excerpt, Approx 20 minutes)
Wednesday, May 23 – 6:30 p.m.
$5 Members
$10 Non-members
Aviva Kempner will share her work-in-progress documentary exploring the incredible story of Julius Rosenwald, the son of German-Jewish immigrants who rose to become one of the wealthiest men in America as well as a beloved humanitarian. He teamed with Richard Sears to build Sears, Roebuck & Co and became president of the company and its chairman. Rosenwald’s greatest accomplishment is the establishment of challenge grants, which seeded the creation of more than 5,500 schools for poor, rural African-American children in Southern states at a time when few received any public education. A talk-back with Ms. Kempner will follow.
Documentary filmmaker Aviva Kempner investigates non-stereotypical images of Jews in history, focusing on and celebrating the lesser-known stories of Jewish heroes for which she has received numerous awards and critical acclaim. She founded the Washington Jewish Film Festival in 1989 and writes film criticism and feature articles for numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, The Forward, Washington Jewish Week and The Washington Post.
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Slaying the DragonSunday, June 3 - 2:00 p.m.
$5 General Admission
Tickets Coming Soon!
Inspired by Center City Opera Theater’s world premiere of the new opera, Slaying the Dragon, based on the true story of the Grand Dragon of the Nebraska KKK who renounced violence and converted to Judaism, a panel of experts will explore the themes of atonement, forgiveness, tolerance, bigotry, and personal transformation. Featured speakers include Ellen Frankel, the opera’s librettist and Managing Director of the Center City Opera Theater; Kathryn Watterson, Penn professor and author of Not by the Sword on which the opera is based; and Bob Wolfson, Associate National Director of Regional Operations for the Anti-Defamation League. Presented with Center City Opera Theater
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Leading the Way: America’s First Women Rabbis
Monday, June 4 – 6:30 p.m.
$5 Members and students with valid ID
$10 Non-members
Join the first ordained North American Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative rabbis, and first open Orthodox rabba, as they share their unique experiences as “firsts” in their field. Rabbis Sally Priesand, Sandy Sasso, Amy Eilberg, and Rabba Sara Hurwitz will discuss how and why they decided to become Jewish spiritual leaders, and explore challenges facing the Jewish community today.
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Young Friends Camp Reunion 
Tuesday, June 5 - 7:00 p.m.
$10 in Advance, $15 on June 5
Did you love camp? Do you dream about camp? Do you miss sitting around the campfire singing songs with the friends who know you best? Can you almost taste the s'mores? Fish your favorite camp shirt out of your bottom drawer, and join fellow camp alums and camp directors to celebrate all the things you loved about camp and contemplate how your camp experiences inform your lives today.
Following a welcome reception with light refreshments, campers will participate in breakout sessions that include stories around the campfire, arts and crafts, a special session led by the Foundation for Jewish Camp, camp-oriented activities in the Museum’s interactive galleries, and more. Campers will come back together for a laugh-out-loud improvisation performance chock-full of camp references and scenarios from the good old days, with plenty of chances for audience participation.
Additional session details coming soon!
Registered attendees will receive an email in advance linking them to a session sign-up form.
The mission of the Young Friends of the Museum is to inspire and involve the young professional community (ages 21-40) of Greater Philadelphia through social, educational, networking, and philanthropic programming celebrating American Jewish history and culture.
Presented with
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Wrestling with Angels
(USA, 2006, 98 minutes)
Wednesday, June 27 - 6:30 p.m.
$8 General admission
Presented with the Wilma Theater and held at the National Museum of American Jewish History
In collaboration with The Wilma Theater’s production of Angels in America, the Museum presents Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner, a feature documentary film about Pulitzer and Tony® Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner. It tells the story about the evolution of an artist and of how Kushner, raised in the Deep South in Lake Charles, Louisiana, would become an outspoken activist, a compassionate spokesperson for outsiders, and one of today’s most entertaining and important playwrights. At its core, the film explores the mystery of creativity, and its source, and Kushner’s compelling plays that are set against the moral and political concerns of our times; directed by Academy Award winner Freida Lee Mock.
