Coming to theatres today, Friday, August 14: ROSENWALD
Aviva Kempner’s portrait of an unsung philanthropist made its world premiere at the Washington DC Jewish Film Festival earlier this year. Other screenings have included Nashville and the Toronto and San Francisco Jewish fests, as well as special events such as the NAACP National Convention.
In her latest doc, Kempner continues to explore the rich history of unheralded or under-recognized Jewish-American figures following THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HANK GREENBERG and YOO-HOO, MRS GOLDBERG by taking on the work and legacy of Julius Rosenwald, a midwestern businessman who was the head of Sears and devoted his philanthropical efforts to supporting the African-American community in the early 1900s. Impressed with Booker T Washington’s Tuskegee Institute, and seeing the need for educational opportunities for African Americans, particularly in the Jim Crow South, he partnered with Washington to build more than 5300 schools via challenge grants that encouraged the cooperation between local African American and white communities, conquering fear with familiarity. These efforts proved so successful, he used them for a campaign to provide black YMCAs to communities around the US, and to build housing for African Americans who moved North in the Great Migration. Kempner recounts Rosenwald’s life and accomplishments, exploring how his Jewish faith, and the concept of tikkun olam – repairing the world, influenced his actions, while a range of notable African American figures – from civil rights leaders Justin Bond and John Lewis, theatre producer George C Wolfe, and the late Maya Angelou – reflect on the opportunities afforded them due to their enrollment in Rosenwald schools. Though hampered here by a too-conventional telling heavy in talking heads and repetitive interviews, Rosenwald makes for a compelling figure and a welcome reminder of the power of generosity.
what (not) to doc 