From left, Dr. David and Myrna Gross, Kristallnacht Film Forum honorees; Jack Rosenbaum, March of the Living regional director; and Holocaust survivor Norman Frajman, who will speak at this this year’s Film Forum fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Commemorating the 78th anniversary of the event considered the start of the Holocaust, the 15th annual Kristallnacht Film Forum will once again showcase a compelling Holocaust-related feature film.
Presented by the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and the March of the Living’s Southern Region, “Buried Prayers” will be shown on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 1:15 and 6 p.m. in Zinman Hall on the Federation’s Boca Raton campus (9901 Donna Klein Blvd.).
The Kristallnacht Film Forum (KFF) is a fundraiser for the Southern Region of the March of the Living — the annual Holocaust educational trip to Poland and Israel.
“Buried Prayers” tells (in English) the little-known story of a group of Jews who, in 1943, stood in a field in Majdanek — a concentration camp in Poland. Fearing their deaths, they buried their most prized possessions in the soil.
After 60 years, two survivors returned to lead an excavation of the largest recovery of valuables from a death camp in history. The Melbourne, Australia-based survivors came back with an Israeli archaeological team and were given 72 hours by the Polish government to work on the site of Field 4 in Majdanek.
This film, in English, tells the story of that event as the filmmakers were instrumental in making the excavation happen.
Majdanek is one of the concentration camps in Poland that March of the Living participants visit each year.
The screenings will also feature, in person, Matt Mazer — the executive director and creative force behind the film — and Norman Frajman of Boynton Beach, a survivor of the Majdanek death camp and president of the Child Survivors/Hidden Children of the Holocaust of Palm Beach County.
Both gentlemen will speak and field questions at the conclusion of each film screening.
“The goal of the Kristallnacht Film Forum is to raise the money needed to support scholarships for both our teens and Holocaust survivors who will attend the 2017 March of the Living,” said Ivy Routman Dash, KFF chair, in an email. “I have been privileged to go on the March four times: in high school as a teen participant and three times as an adult Jewish educator. It is incredible to see the impact this program has on our youth and I am committed to supporting its continued success.
“I look forward to staffing the March this coming year and to have the opportunity to share this formative experience with our Jewish teens from the Southern Region.”
Between the two film screenings, a private Donor’s Reception will take place at 3:45 p.m. in the Entin Holocaust Pavilion at the Federation commemorating Kristallnacht and honoring Holocaust survivors. Special recognition will be given to Myrna and Dr. David Gross. Donors who contribute $180 or higher to the event may attend the reception and will receive two tickets to the film.
“We are thrilled to have Myrna and Dr. David Gross as our honorees for the Kristallnacht Film Forum,” said Debbie Rudman, local March of the Living co-chair, in an email. “They have been supportive of the March in so many ways since their children participated in the 1990s — and of our Jewish community for far longer. And this past year they experienced the life-changing March in person.”
Added Phyllis Gutmann, local March of the Living co-chair, in an email. “Lifelong Jewish identity is forged into the souls of participants of the March of the Living — and it is our responsibility to see that our local Marchers are not limited only to those who can afford it outright. By featuring quality Holocaust films and commemorating Kristallnacht, KFF is a powerful vehicle to raise funds while educating the public.”
Individual film tickets are available in advance for a $10 donation ($8 with a valid student ID) or $18 at the door. All ticket prices are considered a donation — and all proceeds support the March of the Living Fund.
For more information about the Kristallnacht Film Forum, or to buy tickets or make a donation, visit www.jewishboca.org/kff, email kff@bocafed.org or call 561-852-3126.
For more information about the March of the Living, or to register, visit www.molsouth.org, email mol@bocafed.org or call 561-852-6013.
Originally published HERE
