Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival opens; concerts, plays, lectures, films, discussions and family events

SARATOGA SPRINGS–Launching its 12th season, the Saratoga Jewish Cultural Festival (S.J.C.F.), a series of programs open to the public will run from June through September. Offerings include concerts, plays, lectures, films, discussions, and outdoor family events.

“We are very excited to bring you a new season of our popular summer programming,” said Phyllis Wang, coordinator of SJCF. “This season’s 14 programs have a diverse array of topics and experiences both live and on Zoom.”

The programming commenced on June 9 with the annual Jewish Women’s Gala of the Clifton Park Chabad. Held in Malta the women’s program featured a kosher brunch, raffle auction, prayers for Israel and song concert with Amalia Rubin.

Programs And Calendar:

June 25 –“Disobedience,” a film, will be screened at Shaara Tfille Synagogue, at 7 p.m. The movie, starring Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Alessandro Nivola, is set in North London. It tells of a woman who returns to her strict Orthodox Jewish community for her father’s funeral after living in New York for many years. She had been estranged from her father and ostracized by the community. It is “R” rated with explicit scenes. Admission is $5 per person. Reservations are required by Friday, June 21, at 518- 584-2370.

June 27– Performances from the book I’d Like to Say Sorry, But There’s No One to Say Sorry To, are set for Temple Sinai at 7 p.m. Mikolag Grynberg’s book chronicles the Jewish experience in postwar Poland and expresses the anger, defiance, and sadness of those who lived through those times. Registration is required and a $10 admission will be requested at the door.

July 7–Focus of a Saratoga Chabad program will be on the late Lubavitch rebbe with the presentation of Lubavitch Rebbe & Melodies of Freedom at 5:30 p.m. A festive meal is also planned. A $10 admission will be requested.

July 16– Klezmer & Kosher Festival, of Clifton Park Chabad begins at 5:30 p.m. with a kosher dinner, crafts, games and a live klezmer concert at the Clifton Common (outside the Clifton Park Senior Center). Musicians will play traditional klezmer, Chasidic and Israeli melodies. A $15 per person all-inclusive fee will be charged. Reservations may be obtained at 518- 495-0779, or at www.cliftonparkchabad.com.

July 17 – “Las Dos Mariette,” will be screened at Shaara Tfille Synagogue, at 7 p.m. “Las Dos Mariette” “The Two Mariettes” (in Spanish with English subtitles) is the story of Mariette Diamant—who escaped with her parents from Nazi-occupied France during WWII. She would hide the Jewish origins of her family for fear of retaliation. But at 90, she decided to shed light on her past and reveal her true identity. $5 per person.

July 18 – Temple Sinai panelists will discuss the Albert Tapper’s documentary Broadway Musicals, A Jewish Legacy, at 7 p.m. an entertaining examination of the unique role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical. The film blends cultural history with perspectives on the origins and meanings of many Broadway songs, stories and shows. The 2013 film showcases the work of legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim and Mel Brooks alongside performances and archival footage.

July 21– Klezmer & Foods With A K will be featured by Saratoga Chabad at 7 p.m. Attendees will be offered foods that start with K including knishe, kugel, kreplach, kneidel and kasha. A $5 admission will be requested.

July 28 – Storytellers, musicians, and singers will present an array of age-old Jewish themes in Tradition, Tradition: Song and Story at Beth Shalom Synagogue in Clifton Park at 7 p.m. Pre-registration is required. A $10 admission will be requested at the door.

Aug. 15 – The Land & The Spirit will be the focus of Clifton Park Chabad at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library at 6 p.m. The free program will celebrate Israel, and the spirit of its people. Pre-registration required at www.cliftonparkchabad.com.

Aug. 18 – Shalom Festival, sponsored by the Saratoga Chabad, begins at 3 p.m. in Congress Park. It will feature crafts for kids, music, clowns, and barbecue. A $5 admission is requested.

Aug 22 – “Life is Beautiful” will be discussed in a Temple Sinai virtual film discussion at 7 p.m. According to organizers, the award-winning Holocaust film by Roberto Benigni, elicits humor, poignancy, evil, and controversy. The film is not primarily about Nazis and Fascists. It is about the human spirit, about rescuing whatever is good and hopeful from wreckage. It is about hope for the future and the human conviction (or delusion) that things will be better than they are today.

Aug. 25 – A staged reading of The God of Isaac, has been announced for Shaara Tfille Synagogue. This comedy, in two acts, is by Chicago playwright and actor James Sherman. The semi-autobiographical piece centers around a young American Jew searching for his Jewish identity following the threatened 1977 neo-Nazi march in Skokie. A $5 per person fee will be charged.

Sept. 8 – “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” will be discussed in a Temple Sinai virtual film discussion at 7 p.m. “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” an award winning, acclaimed film drama relates the story of the American experience from the Civil War to the civil rights movement, as told from the memories of a fictional, 110-year-old former slave. Registration for the discussion is required.