Using Films at Programs

There are a number of good films that can be used in an outreach program. Many of us co-sponsor films in our local Jewish Film Festivals. Phyllis Adler of Stepping Stones Family has a social work intern who shares these comments after viewing the film, Out of Faith.

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I am a Catholic raised graduate student in the school of social work here in Denver. At the suggestion of my supervisor I attended a movie showing at the Aish synagogue in Denver. The movie was entitled Out of Faith and was a feature-length documentary that follows three generations of a family torn apart by conflicts over interfaith marriage. The family’s matriarch, Leah Welbel, and her husband Eliezer, both survived nearly three years in Auschwitz; however, in their minds, their grandchildren marrying non-Jews represents a posthumous victory for Hitler. Out of Faith examines the complex and emotionally charged issues surrounding assimilation and interfaith marriage. The film compels Jew and non-Jew alike to reconsider the classic query of “melting pot or salad bowl?” Does this country of immigrants gain its strength from homogeneity or heterogeneity? Out of Faith examines these issues by capturing the intimate details of one family’s attempt to persevere in the face of a heart wrenching interfamilial conflict; a conflict that impacts countless families in multicultural societies. I was a bit hesitant to go to this event since I had never been to a synagogue and did not know how people would react (if at all) to my presence. However, I found myself in a friendly and warm place. People present at the event were friendly and greeted me when I arrived and when I left. The film itself was extremely moving and while my personal history allowed me knowledge about the holocaust and the controversy around intermarriage, being surrounded by people that were so profoundly moved and affected was a great cultural experience. The discussion that followed the film was equally moving with comments from the young and old about their perspectives. One woman offered that she felt pressure from her family to marry Jewish but in reality you cannot help who you love, another man said that the intermarriage rates as well as rates of children being raised Jewish were a sad reality and something to be concerned about. The facilitator made an excellent point that as parents if you want your child to marry Jewish you better have a good reason, and that reason should not be “because” or the “holocaust.” I left having mixed feelings, first I was so touched and found new meaning about the holocaust and its effects and the realities for Jewish people, I was pleased with how I was received at this event, and at the same time I was saddened by the struggles of this family, and had a new understanding of intermarriage and the implications that it has on the Jewish community.