By Reporter staff 

The Binghamton Jewish Film Fest will hold an in-person showing of the documentary “Soul of a Nation” on Sunday, March 15, at 11:30 am, at the Jewish Community Center, which is co-sponsoring the event. There is a suggested donation of $5. Irle Goldman, who has been a clinical psychologist for more than 50 years, will be the moderator. The film, which is in Hebrew and English with English subtitles, “delves into Israel’s most perilous chapter in recent history, a time of profound internal conflict and external danger.” Registration for the film and discussion is suggested, but walk-ins are welcome; to register, click here. The film fest is co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Binghamton and the Jewish Community Center.
The film features interviews with former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Ehud Olmert, Knesset Member Simcha Rothman, former President of the Supreme Court of Israel Dorit Beinisch, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren and former Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Israel Tzipi Livni and Shlomo Ben Ami. It also offers the voices of Nobel laureates, Muslim leaders, peace activists and other figures. 
Goldman has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Rutgers University and has worked at a variety of graduate schools helping to train the next generation of therapists. He graduated high school from the Boston Lubavitz Yeshiva. His B.A. from Brandeis University was in Near Eastern and Jewish studies. He spent his junior year of college at Hebrew University in 1964-65 and has been to Israel more than 60 times to either visit or teach at Lesley University.
On the Gazettely website, Marcus Thorne noted, “The film’s strength is its courage to remain in that uncomfortable space, offering a portrait of a specific, traumatic moment in time rather than a prescriptive analysis. It captures the essence of a nation whose defining characteristic may be its perpetual state of unresolved tension, a people united by an ancient history and divided by every possible interpretation of its future.” Danielle Solzman wrote on solzyatthemovies.com that “even during dark times of polarization, ‘Soul of a Nation’ shows the importance of unity, even when it might seem impossible. Am Yisrael Chai!” 
“Join us for this fascinating look on how Israel is negotiating this difficult period of its history,” said Shelley Hubal, executive director of the Federation. “The Film Fest Committee and Dr. Goldman hope the discussion is healing and insightful. That is something we all need during this challenging time in our history.”