Virtual Film and Discussion: Ahead of Time, The Extraordinary Journey of Ruth Gruber

This prize-winning film documents the life of Ruth Gruber (1911-2016), an American photojournalist and writer who defied tradition in a career that spanned more than seven decades. The New York Times called her “a fearless chronicler of the Jewish struggle.” She escorted Holocaust refugees to America in 1944, covered the Nuremberg trials in 1946 and documented the Haganah ship Exodus in 1947. Her relationships with world leaders including Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and David Ben Gurion gave her a front-row seat to history. The film captures the drama of her long and extraordinary life as she lent her camera lens – and her heart – to refugees of war.  An inspiring story of a life well-lived!

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THE SCHEDULE:

⇒ June 5-7, any time, RENT THE FILM ($6.99, 72-hour rental).  To access the trailer and the film, please click here.

⇒ June 5-7, any time, WATCH THE FILM on your home device.

⇒ June 7 at 4:00 p.m. US Eastern Time, DISCUSS THE FILM, its context and its relevance to today.  Meet the Executive Producer Patricia Kenner and the historian and author Dr. Blanche Wiesen-Cook.  They will have a discussion and then take questions.

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MEET THE PANELISTS

Film producer Patricia Kenner approached Ruth Gruber about telling her life story when Gruber was 97.  The film went on to critical acclaim. She serves on the Boards of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Defiant Requiem Foundation, Selfhelp Foundation, Educational Alliance, Carnegie Mellon University, and the American Heart Association and is co-chair of the Community Initiative on Holocaust Survivors at UJA. She is also the Executive Producer of Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles (2019).

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Blanche Wiesen-Cook is a Distinguished Professor of History and Women’s Studies at the John Jay College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.  She was a close friend of Ruth Gruber and interviewed her on several occasions.  She is the author of the three-volume definitive biography of Eleanor Roosevelt.

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PLEASE NOTE:  Registration is now closed.  You may view the film until Monday June 8 at 10 p.m. US Eastern Time at this link.