It is that time of year to once again celebrate Israeli films with the 25th Annual Israeli Film Festival honoring two of my old friends, producer Avi Lerner and actor Richard Dreyfuss who opens off Broadway next month in a two hand play about the great Rabbi and social justice advocate Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
Dreyfuss, an important advocate for social justice has been embracing his Jewish roots as along as I have known him, almost 30 years. He has also studied with me in a famous class run by Rabbi Schlomo Schwartz which dates back to the mid 80’s. The class in Chassidut brought in many friends from the film and music industry before classes of this nature were as popular as they are now.
It is no surprise that Dreyfuss would be attracted to Heschel, who among other achievements marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in the 60’s.
A big nod to Israeli Film festival executive director Meir Fenigstein who created the festival and housed it here bringing in some of the most important contemporary Israeli artists. The festival runs through November 4th.
