MONDAY, APRIL 27
Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner
Opening Night Smash Celebration!
7 PM Conversation with Tony Award-winner MARC SHAIMAN
$36 Talk with live performances by Marc Shaiman, Chelsea Packard (Broadway’s Wicked ), and surprise guests! Discounted book available at time of ticket purchase.
Join award-winning composer/lyricist MARC SHAIMAN (Hairspray, Sister Act, Smash and many others) for a peek behind the curtain of life on Broadway, in Hollywood, and on television, with a no-holds-barred conversation about his NY Times bestselling memoir. An unforgettable tribute to the power of music, the pull of the spotlight, and the beat that never stops!
In conversation with JULIE SMITH YOLLES.
Book signing follows. Co-sponsored by the 75th Detroit Jewish Book Fair.
Gold Film Sponsor: Burton A. Zipser & Sandra D. Zipser Foundation
Bronze Film Sponsor: Henry & Delia Meyers Library Sponsor: The Berman
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
Among Neighbors
7 PM Documentary // Holocaust // 100 minutes English & Polish $12 Advance/$15 At Door
This award-winning documentary blends exquisite animation with searing eyewitness testimony to uncover the haunting story of a Polish town where centuries of coexistence with its Jewish community T
a real-life murder mystery, exposing profound arts of courage and devastating acts of cruelty.
Opening with documentary short Wallenberg (17 minutes, English), recounting how nearly 100,000 Jews in German-occupied Hungary were saved by Raoul Wallenberg, University of Michigan ‘35, during the Holocaust.
Silver Film Sponsor: The Zekelman Holocaust Center
Bronze Film Sponsor: C A C S A
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
Ethan Bloom
7 PM Comedy // 95 minutes English & Polish $12 Advance/$15 At Door
This heartfelt coming-of-age comedy navigates the perils of love, loss, and spiritual identity as Ethan Bloom attempts to evade his Bar Mitzvah by converting to Catholicism. Through the wisdom of an unconventional rabbi, the love of his , faith isn’t about choosing sides—it’s about honoring who we really are.
Silver Film Sponsor: B’nai B’rith Great Lakes Region
Bronze Film Sponsors: Adat Shalom Synagogue Sisterhood; Adult Education Committee at Temple Emanu-El; National Council of Jewish Women | Michigan
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
The Road Between Us
7 PM Documentary // 95 minutes English $12 Advance/$15 At Door
, The Road Between Us N T journey to rescue his family from Hamas terrorists invading O T themes of personal courage amidst chaos, using actual footage to present a deeply personal perspective.
SUNDAY, MAY 3
TOVAH
Sunday Spotlight Event!
3 PM Patrons/Sponsors Meet & Greet Reception
4 PM Documentary // 60 minutes English $36
This star-studded documentary celebrates Tovah Feldshuh’s , , T , her deep connection to Jewish identity and enduring commitment to powerful female narratives. Through exclusive interviews and archival material, TOVAH presents a portrait , shaping generations of performers and audiences.
In-person talk-back/Q&A with Tovah Feldshuh and producer/ director David Serero follows.
Silver Film Sponsor: SAJE
Bronze Film Sponsor: Jewish Senior Life Festival Co-Sponsor: The Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program Sponsor: The Berman
MONDAY, MAY 4
Labors of Love: The Life & Legacy of Henrietta Szold
7 PM Documentary // 80 minutes English $12 Advance/$15 At Door
The extraordinary story of pioneering humanitarian Henrietta S , T ,
and the founder of Hadassah. An intimate portrait of an unsung heroine and a stirring meditation on compassion and the power of one woman’s vision to change the course of history.
Silver Film Sponsor: SAJE
Bronze Film Sponsors: Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies; Hadassah Greater Detroit
TUESDAY, MAY 5
Once Upon My Mother
7 PM Comedy/Drama // 98 minutes French $12 Advance/$15 At Door
A , , , S
his physical setbacks. Blending humor with deeply moving moments, Once Upon My Mother is a celebration of the transformative power of unconditional love.
Silver Film Sponsor: Opening the Doors a program of Jewish Family Service
Bronze Film Sponsor: Congregation Shaarey Zedek Sisterhood
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
Love, Statistically Speaking
7 PM Comedy/Drama // 108 minutes Hebrew $12 Advance/$15 At Door
granddaughter to navigate a hilarious, heartfelt quest for lost life insurance money, he discovers along the way that life is full of surprises that can never be measured by numbers alone. T
Yehoram Gaon, Meshi Kleinstein, and Michal Yanai.
Opening with short flm Double Happiness (17 minutes, English), an award-winning romance/drama celebrating a heartwarming, cross-cultural romance between a Jewish widow in NYC and a Chinese-American restaurant owner.
Silver Film Sponsor: T
Bronze Film Sponsor: T
Thank you to our 2026 Patrons!
Producer: Ellen and Jerold Minkin*
Director: R E C E N
Charitable Trust; Evelyn Rosen; Elaine and Michael Serling*; Esther and Neal F. Zalenko
Screenwriter: Bobbie and Don Blitz; Lorry and Jerry Cooper; Carol and Ron Fogel*; Dale and Bruce Frankel; Mr. and Mrs. D. Grossman; Eileen Hyman; A N B
Jennifer and Mark LoPatin; Manat Foundation*; Bluma Schechter*; Andi and Larry Wolfe*; Anonymous
Film Fan (Double): Allison and Jeffrey Berlin; Rhonda and Morris Brown; Heidi and Jeff Budaj; Edith Covensky; Suzanne Curtis; Cathy and James Deutchman; S E E S S T B S D
Sharon and Alan Kaplan; Wendy and Lawrence Kohlenberg; Anna and Yale Levin; Rochelle and Arthur Lieberman; Sandi and Steve Matz; Jody and Shelly Mendelson; Sharon and Gary Oppenheim; Bobbie Patt & Fred Fechheimer; Susie and Richard Roth; Arlene and Mark Rubinstein; Nancy and Sam Shamie & Family*; Susan and David Shevrin; Jacalyn Newman Simon and James L. Simon; Suzanne and Sheldon Simon
Film Fan (Single): Arlene M. Barris; Elaine Brickman; Edie Broida; Sharon Gadoth-Goodman; Judy Goldsmith; Allan Gurvitz; Gail Hines; Gail Katz; Jeanne Korsh; Stan Meretsky; Karen and Dr. Mitch z”l Myerson; Barbara Safran-Cohen; Sandy Schreier; Rabbi Natalie Shribman; Sandra Silver; Jeffrey Solway
*Indicates Pillar of Light
Thank you to our 2026 Sponsors!
Gold Film Sponsor: Burton A. Zipser & Sandra D. Zipser Foundation
Silver Film Sponsor: B’nai B’rith Great Lakes Region; Opening the Doors a S , S SA E T The Zekelman Holocaust Center
Bronze Film Sponsor: Adat Shalom Synagogue Sisterhood; ADL Michigan; C A C S A Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies; Congregation Shaarey Zedek Sisterhood; Hadassah Greater Detroit; Henry & Delia Meyers Library; Jewish Senior Life; National Council of Jewish Women | Michigan; Adult Education Committee at Temple E E T B T
Festival Co-Sponsor: The Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program
Sponsors: 75th Annual Detroit Jewish Book Fair; Ageless and Active; The Berman; Janice Charach Gallery; JKids and Family; JLearn; JLive; JRec; Women of The J
Patrons and Sponsors as of February 28, 2026
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 –
Silver Film Sponsor: SAJE; The Zekelman Holocaust Center
Bronze Film Sponsor: AD C A David Horodoker Organization; The Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History A T B
