Pressman Academy students in Alabama
Whe Kenny Stoff’s son, a student at Pressman Academy, went on a class trip to Alabama, he decided to join him. Kenny also brought along a team of videographers to document the experience.
This was no ordinary field trip; the eighth-grade students were traveling to Selma, Alabama, to meet with their counterparts at RB Hudson School, with whom they had been connecting via Zoom for a year.
The collaboration between the schools, initiated by the private Jewish day school, aimed to foster understanding and tolerance among students from diverse backgrounds. Until May 2023, R.B. Hudson students had never met Jews, and Pressman students had not had the opportunity to interact with Black peers. Rabbi Chaim Tureff of Pressman Academy believed this initiative was a way to combat racism and antisemitism while promoting tolerance.
“It really opened our students’ minds,” said Tureff. “Generally, we tend to communicate and spend time with people similar to ourselves. This experience allowed them to connect with individuals from different parts of the country, as well as diverse religious, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. It broadened their worldview.”
Thirteen students from Pressman Academy participated in the project, meeting with 10 Hudson students over a dozen Zoom sessions before their in-person visit. Kenny, a videographer known for his work on music films featuring Foo Fighters, Karol G and Coachella, captured dozens of hours of footage, resulting in a compelling 45-minute documentary titled, “Shared Fellowship: Reinventing a New Tomorrow.” The film will be screened at the Museum of Tolerance on Sunday, November 3 at 6 p.m.
“The documentary offers a powerful glimpse into our shared humanity and the connections that unite us,” states the film’s flyer. “By bringing together African American students from Selma and Jewish American students from Los Angeles, the film explores the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. and the bond between these two communities. It examines the history of racism and its lasting impact today.”
Miya Peterseil, one of the students who participated in the trip, shared how it positively impacted her life. “I was able to experience a completely different culture and connect with people I never would have met otherwise,” she said.
“I was able to experience a completely different culture and connect with people I never would have met otherwise.”
– Miya Peterseil
However, the cost of the trip and a lack of funding made it challenging for the Alabama students to visit LA. Tureff noted that they plan to continue the program, meeting on Zoom once a month. Then, the eighth graders will travel to Alabama as part of their annual trip to spend time in Selma.
“My goal is for the film to be part of a broader effort to help schools find ways to educate their students,” Tureff said. “They can partner with different institutions and use the film as a launching point.”
But can relationships between students from vastly different backgrounds, ethnicities and religions truly be sustained? Peterseil admitted it was difficult to stay in touch after the initial meeting.
“However, since the documentary was released, we’ve discussed our thoughts on it, and are considering a reunion in the future,” she said.
Another student, Adira Lee, expressed that participating in the program was a life-changing experience, “especially after growing up in my small Jewish bubble. It opened so many new doors and ideas for me, prompting me to think about things I had never considered before.”
She added, “One realization that still resonates with me is that, although both Black and Jewish communities have faced oppression, we often appear simply as white people to the outside world. Our Jewish identity isn’t always visible, while theirs is.”
Kenny, who had two sons at Pressman – and sends his daughter there now as well – premiered the film for the first time at R.B. Hudson School for the eighth graders. “Three of the students featured in the film, who are now in high school, also attended the screening,” he said. “I watched their faces and could see how emotionally impacted they were. It had a meaningful effect on them. These are 14-year-olds with attention spans of a minute or less, yet they stayed engaged and didn’t fall asleep. That was amazing to see.”
The filmmaker used to create documentaries before venturing into live music videos. He said that the purpose of the film was to demonstrate to the kids that despite coming from vastly different backgrounds, they have much in common.
“The discussion after the screening was great. They realized that their preconceived notions about the Jewish and African American communities were incorrect. They quickly formed friendships and bonds. And really, the goal of this film is to start a conversation; it’s a screen board of a larger conversation on Black and Jewish relations, civil rights, racism and antisemitism.”
A second screening was held at Montgomery in collaboration with the Jewish Federation. “People were moved in a meaningful way,” Kenny said. “They cried and they laughed and they wanted to talk about it afterwards. As a filmmaker, that’s what you want: reaction and engagement.”
Pressman Academy and the Museum of Tolerance will host a free screening on November 3. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Participants are encouraged to RSVP on the Museum of Tolerance website.
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