Spokane Jewish Cultural Film Festival 2020
Jan. 30 and Feb. 1-2, 2020

Jepson Center, Gonzaga University

Map & Directions

As the only annual Jewish cultural event in our region that is completely open to the public, SJCFF brings acclaimed international films to Spokane that share Jewish life and culture with the community at large.

Thursday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m.

Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles

Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements
In English – 92 mins.
Think you know all there is to know about “Fiddler on the Roof”? Think again! By turns funny, thought-provoking, and joyous, this new documentary explores the origin story behind one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals and its creative roots in early 1960s New York, when “tradition” was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations, and religion evolved. Intimate interviews with the show’s creators (and other arts-and-culture luminaries, like Lin-Manuel Miranda) reveal how “Fiddler” went from an unlikely production to a worldwide phenomenon whose universal themes still resonate today.
Schedule of events:

• 6:30 p.m.: Light appetizers served in the Jepson Center lobby
• 6:45 p.m.: Meshugga Daddies klezmer band performs selections from “Fiddler on the Roof” and other lively Jewish tunes
• 7:15 p.m.: JFS director welcomes audience
• 7:22 p.m.: “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles” co-writer and co-producer Valerie Thomas introduces the film via video call
• 7:30 p.m.: Film starts
• 9:00p.m.: Film ends
• 9:10 p.m.: Raffle for books, CDs, and DVDs related to “Fiddler on the Roof”

Saturday, Feb. 1, 7 p.m.

The Light of Hope (La llum d’Elna)

In Spanish, Catalan, and French (English subtitles) – 96 mins.
In the early 1940s, refugees from all over Europe sought shelter in southwest France, escaping persecution from the Nazis and Franco’s regime in Spain. Among them are countless women, some pregnant, and their small children. Young Red Cross nurse Elisabeth Eidenbenz transforms an old villa into a birth clinic, saving mothers and children alike from certain death. But soon authorities in Nazi-occupied France demand that she hand over all Jewish refugees and their children. Based on a true story, “The Light of Hope” offers a vivid and inspiring look at a largely untold chapter of Jewish (and world) history. Film introduced by Natalia Ruiz-Rubio, Spanish program director at Eastern Washington University.

Sunday, Feb. 2, 2 p.m.

The Unorthodox

In Hebrew and Yiddish (English subtitles) – 99 mins.
Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? When Yaakov Cohen’s daughter is expelled from school for ethnic reasons, he decides to fight back. It’s 1983 and Yaakov, a printer in Jerusalem, is just a regular guy. But he does have the will and the passion to take action, and a belief that he and other Sephardic Jews should be able to hold their heads up high. With two friends, Yaakov starts the first ethnic political group in Jerusalem, and it’s characteristic of the people they represent: folks working their way up from the bottom, full of love for their fellow person, and animated by a great sense of humor and a whole lot of rage.
Before and after the screening, check out the exhibit “Shalom! Sefarad,” on loan from the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, about Sephardic Jews’ path to the Pacific Northwest!