Editor’s note: This event has already taken place.

Poster for “Soul Of A Nation” SCHENECTADY– The Schenectady Jewish Community Center (SJCC) announces the next two installations of its film festival, “Soul of a Nation,” will be screened on Sunday, Oct. 5, and “The New Jew —Days of War,” will be screened at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19. Both programs will be at the SJCC, 2565Balltown Rd., SchenectadyAt the start of the free Oct. 5 program, the SJCC will host a short Oct. 7 commemoration ceremony before the film at 6:55 p.m. This will include a minute of silence and lighting of candles to remember the victims of the October 7, 2023 massacre.

“Soul of a Nation” reviews Israel’s most perilous chapter in recent history. Faced with deep divides, political unrest, and tremendous threats, the nation found itself shaken and on the brink of collapse. What seemed like a breaking point ignited an Israeli sense of solidarity. According to film organizers, the film offers interviews with key figures, and helps viewers gain perspectives inside Israeli society, and begin to understand the monumental challenges that will shape the lives of millions for generations to come.

After the screening of a “Soul of a Nation,” Laura Weisblatt, co-founder of Amidah of the Capital District,

will lead a discussion of the film and the events depicted in the film.

GURI ALFI as depicted in the Oct 19 SJCC film “The New Jew—Days of War.”

“The New Jew—Days of War,” set for Oct. 19, follows Israeli comedian Guri Alfi as he delves into the impact of October 7 on the identity, security, and standing of Jews in the United States. Alfi’s trademark humor and insights will resonate deeply, according to film festival organizers. As a sequel to the 2021 TV miniseries “The New Jew,” which garnered praise in Israel and at U.S. film festivals, this latest installment invites viewers to reflect and perhaps find a spark of hope. “The New Jew—Days of War” will be followed by a discussion led by Dee Levy, University at Albany doctoral student, instructor at several local colleges and part of the Amidah leadership. Both film events are co-hosted by Mithabrim —a JCC Association of North America program accelerator and by the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Amidah.

The Film Festival is supported of the JCC Friends of the Arts, the Epstein Jewish Cultural Fund, Meyer and Mary Kurland/Gebell Fund, Jonas and Edith Flemiberg Jewish Cultural Fund, The Jewish World, and a grant from the Schenectady County Legislature through its County Initiative Program.Tickets for the Sunday, Oct. 5, film are free. Tickets for the Sunday, Oct. 19 film are $7 for JCC members and $13 for guests. Information and registration may be obtained at www.schenectadyjcc.org/Jewish-Film-Festival.