Virtual film and discussion: Rosenwald

Aviva Kempner’s Rosenwald tells the inspiring true story of Julius Rosenwald, the President of Sears, who was a Jewish hero of African-American history. Rosenwald, imbued with the value of tikkun olam, saw parallels between the brutal persecutions of Jews in Eastern Europe and African-Americans in the Jim Crow South, and he could not stand idly by. His grandest project was to build more than 5,300 rural schools to educate black children in partnership with Booker T. Washington. Several generations of leaders, thinkers and scholars were Rosenwald school graduates, including such luminaries as the late Maya Angelou, the late Rep. John Lewis, and Eugene Robinson — all of whom appear in the film.

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WATCH THE TRAILER

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THE SCHEDULE

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⇒ October 23-26, any time, watch the film on your home device. A link will be provided to all who register.

⇒ October 25 at 4:00 p.m. US Eastern Time, tune into the discussion with our distinguished panelists.  A link will be provided to all who register.

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MEET THE SPEAKERS

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Award-winning filmmaker Aviva Kempner (left) has been making independent films since 1979. A specialist in bringing to light the stories of little known Jewish heroes, she is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Kempner is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the DC Mayor’s Art Award, WIFV Women of Vision Award and a Media Arts Award from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. Her films include Partisans of Vilna (1986), the Peabody Award-winning The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (2000), Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg (2009), and The Spy Behind Home Plate (2019).

Elizabeth R. Varet (right), granddaughter of Julius Rosenwald, has for many years been Principal of the William Rosenwald family office. She also serves as a Director of AMETEK, Inc., an S&P 500 New York Stock Exchange listed global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices. She was a Founding Partner of Circle Financial Group, a group of women with extensive experience in the financial, investment and wealth management industries. She is a member of the JDC Executive Committee, and a Life Trustee of the Central Park Conservancy. Her prior philanthropic Board Memberships include the UJA-Federation of New York.  

New York Times best-selling writer Carole Boston Weatherford (left) is the author of Dear Mr. Rosenwald: The School that Hope Built for young readers. Her 50-plus books include the Caldecott Honor winners Freedom in Congo Square, Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. She won a Coretta Scott King Author Honor for Becoming Billie Holiday, and the NAACP Image Award for Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America. 

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Give the gift of inspiration! Get your signed and inscribed copy of Dear Mr. Rosenwald: The School that Hope Built for an added donation of $18 (with free shipping to any US address). This large format 32-page book is the perfect holiday gift for a young person in your life! Just add it to your ticket order and let us know how the author’s inscription should read and where to send it.

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Registration for this program is closed.