Preview

Film

Our 2023-2024 Season will include both virtual and in person programs. All programs are in person unless noted. Virtual programs will be streamed via Zoom and in person programs will be presented at the Levis JCC Sandler Center (unless otherwise noted).

If you need assistance purchasing tickets or membership, call the Box Office at 561-558-2520.

LEVIS JCC SANDLER CENTER | 21050 95th Avenue S., Boca Raton, FL | 561-558-2520

*Important: please note that when arriving to our campus for evening and Sunday events, you must use the 95th Avenue S. entrance
(off of Glades Road between Lyons Road and 441).


At the Movies with Roberta

Film screening and discussion moderated by Roberta Presser
Wednesday, September 6, 1:00 pm
When Harry Met Sally

$10 per film, Gold and Gold Plus Members: $8, Platinum Members: Free

Sunday Morning Israeli Film Series

Sunday mornings, 9:00 am
Moderated by Mort Plotnick
Includes coffee, bagels, film and discussion.

Individual films: $18, Gold & Gold Plus Members: $16, Platinum Members and Festival Patrons: Free All 4 films: $60, Gold & Gold Plus Members: $55, Platinum Members and Festival Patrons: Free

December 17: The Dead of Jaffa, 2019

Three children from the West Bank are smuggled into Israel, arriving at the doorstep of George and Rita's house in Jaffa. Their mother is dead, and their father has been sentenced for life. As Israeli Palestinians, George is afraid that hiding illegal aliens will endanger Rita and himself, while Rita believes the arrival of these children could give meaning to her life. Nearby, a foreign film is being shot. Jerry, an English director, is making a movie about his parents' love affair in 1947, when they served in the British army in Palestine. George is invited to play a part. When the two stories intertwine, tensions erupt.

January 21: The Art of Waiting, 2019

The Art of Waiting is an engrossing journey through every challenging aspect of fertility treatment, beautifully handled by director Erez Tadmor, who successfully went through the process with his wife a few years ago. Tadmor and one of the film’s lead actors, Roy Assaf, co-wrote the script. Liran and Tali, a couple in their thirties, dream of having a child. The couple is told that to parent a child, they will have to undergo fertility treatments. The way ahead is full of hardship, family pressures and, of course, the challenge it poses to the couple’s relationship. Will their love survive?

February 18: Good Morning Son, 2018

A young IDF soldier critically injured during a Gaza military operation, clings to life while his family maintains a bedside vigil, in the sensitive Israeli drama. During the long wait, family, friends, doctors and therapists struggle to temper expectations and cope with the strain of the situation that sees moments of heartbreak, humor, and hope. This beautifully rendered story of human resilience offers insight into the ordeal faced by military families in Israel and throughout the world.

April 14: More Than I Deserve, 2021

Nominated for seven Israeli Academy Awards. As new immigrants from Ukraine, frazzled single mother Tamara works nights and sleeps during the day while her 12-year-old, Pinchas, is mostly alone and does all the shopping and cooking. When Pinchas decides he wants a bar mitzvah, he defies his mother and turns to his religious neighbor for help. The two form a strong bond and before long, Tamara, too, finds that the unmarried Orthodox man is affecting her life in unexpected ways—but things get complicated when his rabbi pressures him to marry a woman from their own community. A finely textured coming-of-age drama that shines a light on immigrant life in Israel.

Fascinating Sephardim: A Film Series

Presented in partnership with The Sephardi Federation of Palm Beach County, Inc.

Wednesdays at 1:00 pm
Discussion moderated by Rose Pappo Allen

This film series examines places in the world where wandering communities of Sephardic Jewry took root, expanding the diversity of world Jewish history and heritage. Discussion spans the broadest understanding of what constitutes Sephardic and Mizrahi culture. Each film will be preceded by a brief introduction and followed by Q&A and discussion, as time allows.

$10 per film, Gold and Gold Plus Members: $8, Platinum Members and Festival Patrons: Free; All 5 films: $40, Gold & Gold Plus Members: $30, Platinum Members and Festival Patrons: Free; SF/ADJLC Members (Sephardi Federation/Adult Jewish Learning Collaboration) attend at the Gold Member price.

December 20: From Toledo to Jerusalem, 1989

90 mins. Hebrew and Ladino with English subtitles
Engaging musical history of Sephardic Jews from their Spanish expulsion and search for new homes across Europe and the Ottomon Empire until their return to the Israeli homeland. Narrated and sung in Ladino by Yehoram Gaon and beautifully filmed throughout international locations.

January 24: Girona, The Mother of Israel: The Jews of Catalonia, 1989 and
The Secret Jews of Calabria , 2014

Girona, The Mother of Israel:
The Jews of Catalonia 1989
30 mins., English, Italian, English subtitles, Patricia Giniger Snyder
About the Jews from northeast Spain, one of the few world sites considered as Jewish spiritual resting places and the home of Nahmanides, a Kabbalah scholar.
The Secret Jews of Calabria, 2014
46 mins., English, Italian, English subtitles, Manuela Jael Procaccia
Rabbi Barbara Aiello, an American of Italian descent returns to her ancestral village in Calabria. She shares the incredible journey and little-know history of the Jews of southern Italy. This story begins at the time of the Macabees, continues through the horrors of the Inquisition, and arrives at modern times when Calabrians begin to discover and embrace their Jewish roots.

February 5: Left Lane Straight: Work-In-Progress Film Project with Director Caroline Kaye

This Greek-Jewish odyssey is stitched across 2 continents and 4 generations. Director Caroline Kaye tells a rare WWII story: the decimation of the Greek Jews and the complex tale of how her family survived and thrived, asking: What is joy in the presence of pain? Before World War II, there were roughly 72,000 Jews living in Greece. 60,000 of those were murdered during the Holocaust, including Sarah and Solomon Varon of Kavalla. The Jews of Thessaloniki (Salonica) were hit harder than Athens, where the Jewish population was more assimilated. The Jews of Macedonia and Thrace, an area largely occupied by axis-power Bulgaria, were nearly erased.

Meet Caroline Kaye and hear about her personal creative journey living and making this beautiful and heartrending film. Her project is supported by the New York State Council of Arts, film patrons and organizations representing American Sephardic and Greek communities. Don’t let the moment pass: “Pasa punto, pasa mundo” ~ “A moment passes, a world passes.” — Ladino Proverb

FREE and open to the public, but registration is required.

March 27: Rhodes Forever, 2003

60 mins., Ladino, French, Italian, Greek, English subtitles, Diane Perelsztejn
A 500 year history of Juderiya on the Island of Rhodes, Greece. Gorgeous photography and incredible story of how part of the community was transplanted into the Belgian Congo during Italian occupation.

April 17: The Last Jews of Libya, 2007

50 mins., Arabic, Italian, Hebrew, English subtitles, Vivienne Roumani-Denn
Narrated by Isabella Rossellini, this film tells the compelling story of this North African Jewish community from Ottoman rule to Italian colonization and 20th Century displacement. Written by Vivienne Roumani-Denn based on the memoirs of Elise Tamman Roumani.

May 22: The Key From Spain: Songs and Stories of Flory Jagoda, 2000

40 mins., English and Ladino, Ankica Petrovic and Mischa Livingstone
Uplifting account of survival and continuation from renowned Ladino singer and her Bosnian heritage.

Judy Levis Krug
Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival

Boca Raton’s Original Jewish Film Festival

Save the Dates for our 2024 Festival
February 10 - March 4, 2024

Our multi-access festival proudly presents a variety of films both virtually and in-person at local theaters and the Levis JCC. Each year, we present an incredible roster of thought-provoking and entertaining documentaries and short and feature length Jewish-themed films from around the globe, ranging from laugh-out-loud comedies and love stories, to political and historical dramas and more. Plus, theater-goers enjoy special guest appearances, discussions, panels, special events, and year-round Jewish-themed film programming.

For more information or to inquire about sponsorship and underwriting opportunities, contact Lisa Barash, Festival Manager, at lisab@levisjcc.org or 561-852-3237. 

Learn more about our Festival »

Cultural Council Discover The Palm Beaches