By Reporter staff
The Binghamton Jewish Film Fest will hold a virtual showing of four short films, “No Harm Done,” “The Sacred Society,” “Women of Virtue” and “The Father, The Son and The Rav.” Rochel Chein, co-director of education at Chabad of Binghamton and a responder for Ask the Rabbi at Chabad.org, will moderate a Zoom discussion of the film on Sunday, December 7, at 7 pm. People will be able to register for links to the film and discussion here. Registration is due by Wednesday, December 3. The links will be sent out on Thursday, December 4. The films will be available for viewing from Thursday-Sunday, December 4-7.
The films illustrate different parts of the Jewish life cycle:
- “No Harm Done” focuses on how, a week after giving birth, Mila faces her son’s circumcision, a tradition she never questioned, with uncertainty. The 18-minute film is in French with subtitles.
- “The Sacred Society” is a documentary about the work of the chevra kadisha (Jewish burial society) and includes interviews with the volunteers who clean, prepare and dress bodies for burial. The 12-minute film is in English.
- “Women of Virtue” tells the story of 9-year-old Etel, who is Orthodox, after she gets her first period. While she is glad that her mother now considers her a woman, she is unhappy when she learns that, in her community, women are considered impure when they have their period. The 29-minute film is in French with subtitles.
- “The Father, The Son and The Rav” is a comedy about Yoel, 30, an Orthodox Jew, who attends synagogue every Saturday with his 6-year-old son. When his son inadvertently disrupts the solemnity of Shabbat, it leads to a humorous and challenging interaction with the community’s rabbi. The 16-minute film is in French with English subtitles.
“The Film Fest Committee is excited to present these four short films as a combined ‘package,’ each highlighting a different view into Jewish life,” said Shelley Hubal, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton, which sponsors the Film Fest. “We hope you will join us for what will be an interesting and meaningful conversation.”