Strength of Courage: Holocaust Film Series, presented by the Claims Conference & Museum of Jewish Heritage-Screenings April 13-20, 2026

New York

Tuesday, April 14

An Evening of Shorts: Seeing You Soon, Inked, Sevap/Mitzvah 


Museum of Jewish Heritage (Manhattan)
5:30 PM Coffee & Tea Reception
6:00 PM Start Time 


Panel discussion to follow including: Sabina Vajraca, Director, Sevap/Mitzvah; Jennifer Skarbnik, Director, See You Soon; and Dara Bratt, Director of Inked. The panel discussion will be moderated by Aaron Katersky with a special introduction by Holocaust survivor, Gabriella Major

Gabriella Major
Introduction

Aaron Katersky
Moderator

Sabrina Vajrača

Jennifer Skarbnik

Dara Bratt

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

Hannah Ardent: Facing Tyranny 


Brooklyn Public Library Logo

Brooklyn Public Library (Brooklyn)  
2:00 PM Reception
2:30 PM Start Time 


The evening will include a reception
and screening, followed by a panel
discussion with co-director Jeff Bieber, scholar Roger Berkowitz and historian Ruth Weinberger, moderated by Chuck Todd with a special introduction by Holocaust survivor, Asher Matathias.

Asher Matathias
Introduction

Chuck Todd
Moderator

Jeff Bieber

Jeff Bieber’s films and social impact campaigns have cast a new lens on U.S. history and the transformation of the American identity through My Journey Home (2-hours, 2004), The Jewish Americans (6-hours, 2008), Latino Americans (6-hours, 2013), Italian Americans (4-hours, 2015), The Pilgrims (2-hours, 2015) and Asian Americans (5-hours, 2020).  His work has garnered four EMMY Awards, a duPont-Columbia Award, and three Peabody Awards. From 2008 to 2020, he helped to secure $20m in funding for these initiatives. 

As executive producer of Washington Week, Jeff produced coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, special convention coverage, and road shows during presidential elections (earning a 2009 Peabody Award). His other public affairs work has spanned Avoiding Armageddon (2003), an eight-hour series about weapons of mass destruction; Flashpoints USA quarterly specials with Bryant Gumbel and Gwen Ifill (2004); America at a Crossroads (2007), a 12-hour series about America’s role post-9/11; and the timely two-hour film Korea: The Never-Ending War (2019.) In the 1990s, Jeff produced special coverage of the Waco siege, the Whitewater controversy, the Clinton Impeachment, and the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings. 

Jeff’s deep interest in history and arts led to his role as a producer for the annual celebration of A Capitol Fourth, The National Memorial Day Concert yearly tribute, and the creation of the 1994 special Salute to Slava, honoring Mstislav Rostropovich. He was the producer and director of For the Living (1993) about the creation of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Planet Neighborhood (1997), a 3-hour environmental series, Who Plays God? (1999), examining the U.S. healthcare system, and the award-winning feature film on the Holocaust, There Once Was a Town (2000). 

After receiving a Master of Music in Clarinet from the Peabody Conservatory in 1979 and performing with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Jeff broke into television as a score reader for the first PBS Independence Day concert in 1981. That fortuitous assignment developed into a four-decade career producing award-winning series for WETA and PBS. He taught the next generation of media professionals at American and Georgetown Universities from 2009 – 2012. 

Jeff Bieber

Roger Berkowitz

Ruth Weinberger

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse 


Manhattan University, Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center (Bronx) 
5:00 PM Reception
5:30 PM Start Time 


The evening will include a reception
and screening, followed by a panel
discussion with co-director Philip
Dolin
, Professor Dr. Jennifer Rich, Professor Catherine Winters Michaud, Ph.D and moderated by New York Times editorial director of newsletters, Jodi Rudoren. A special introduction will be provided by Holocaust survivor, Dr. Liane Deligdisch Schor.

Philip Dolin

Dr. Jennifer Rich

Catherine Winters-Michaud, Ph.D

Jodi Rudoren
Moderator

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

Elie Wiesel – Soul on Fire 


Wagner College (Staten Island) 
3:00 PM Reception
3:30 PM Film Screening


The evening will include a reception
and screening, followed by a panel
discussion with co-producer
Annette Insdorf, moderated by NBC 4 New York’s Adam Kuperstein with a special introduction by Holocaust survivor, Alice Ginsburg. This evening is presented in cooperation with co-sponsors Arden Heights, the JCC of Staten Island and COJO Staten Island.

Annette Insdorf

Greg Schneider

Alice Ginsburg

Adam Kuperstein
Moderator

SUNDAY, APRIL 19

June Zero, The Spoils, Unearthed and Singing up the Past


Museum of Jewish Heritage (Manhattan) 
10:15 AM – 4:00 PM


Screenings back-to-back – No Panel Discussion 

MONDAY, APRIL 20

Resistance: They Fought Back


Museum of the Moving Image (Queens) 
5:30 PM Reception
6:00 PM Film Screening


The evening will include a reception and
screening, followed by a panel discussion with co-director Paula S. Apsell, scholar Michael Berenbaum and Steven Meed, son of resistance fighter Vladka Meed, moderated by Neil Rosen with a special introduction by Holocaust survivor, Celia Kener.

Paula S. Apsell

Michael Berenbaum

Steven Meed

Neil Rosen
Moderator


Berlin, Germany 

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

La Plus Precieuse Des Marchandises


Kino „Neue Lupe“ im Hollywood Media Hotel (Berlin)  
Time: 12:00 Uhr


Publikumsgespräch mit Produzenten Patrick Sobelman in Paris über Zoom 

Patrick Sobelman

In Kooperation mit dem Institut Français Berlin 

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire  


Kino „Neue Lupe“ im Hollywood Media Hotel   
Time: 15.00 Uhr


OV mit Untertitel Englisch 

Publikumsgespräch mit Regisseur Oren Rudavsky in New York über Zoom 

Oren Rudavsky

In Kooperation mit Olami Germany und Zikaron baSalon 

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

Plunderer: The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief  


Kino „Neue Lupe“ im Hollywood Media Hotel   
Time: 18.00 Uhr


OV/Französisch mit Untertitel Deutsch  

Deutsche Synchronfassung 

Panel-Gespräch mit Bernd Wilting aus dem Produktionsteam und Rachel Ganz  

Bernd Wilting

Rachel Ganz  

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15

Black Honey: The Life and Art of Abraham Sutzkever 


Kino „Neue Lupe“ im Hollywood Media Hotel   
Time: 18.00 Uhr


OV mit Untertitel Englisch 

Panel-Gespräch mit dem Produzenten Yair Qedar 

“In these days, returning to the voice of Avraham Sutzkever feels more urgent than ever. As the producer of Black Honey, I see this film as a reminder of the power of poetry to resist erasure and to carry memory forward. Presenting it in Berlin on Holocaust Remembrance Day is not only an act of remembrance, but a quiet insistence on the endurance of culture, language, and human spirit.” – Yair Qedar

Yair Qedar
Photo: Zohar Gur Aree 

In Kooperation Zikaron baSalon 

Frankfurt, Germany 

Monday, April 13

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire  


Filminstitut und Filmmuseum Frankfurt   
Time: 19.00 Uhr


Einführung und Filmgespräch: Rüdiger Mahlo, Marc Grünbaum, Eva Szepesi, Prof. Reinhold Boschki, Prof. Doron Kiesel, Prof. Lea Wohl von Haselberg 

Rüdiger Mahlo

Marc Grünbaum

Eva Szepesi

Prof. Reinhold Boschki

Prof. Doron Kiesel

Prof. Lea Wohl von Haselberg 

In Kooperation mit der Jüdischen Gemeinde Frankfurt 


Tuesday, April 14

Als Hitler Das Rosa Kaninchen Stahl  


Erich Kastner Schule in Maintal 
Time: 10:30 Uhr


Originalversion Deutsch  

Pädagogische Begleitung: Nadine Reuter (Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt) 

Rifka Ajnwojner

Nadine Reuter


Thursday, April 16

La Plus Precieuse Des Marchandises


Filminstitut und Filmmuseum Frankfurt  
Time: TBD


OV/Französisch mit Untertitel Deutsch  

Einführung: Dominique Petre (Institut français);  pädagogische Begleitung: Rifka Ajnwojner (Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt) 

In Kooperation mit dem Institut français Frankfurt 

Dominique Petre

Rifka Ajnwojner


Sunday, April 19

Where Are You Going? 


Orfeo, Hamburger Allee 
Time: 14.30 Uhr


OV/Hebräisch und Polnisch mit Untertitel Englisch  

Film Gespräch: Regisseurin Jasmine Kainy und Protagonisten Halina Birenbaum und Songwriter Jacov Gilad, Dr. Esti Petri-Adiel (Leiterin des Treffpunktes für Shoah Überlebende der ZWST) 

Jasmine Kainy

Halina Birenbaum

Jacov Gilad

Dr. Esti Petri-Adiel

In Kooperation mit Zikaron BaSalon 

Sunday, April 19

Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Azold  


Orfeo, Hamburger Allee 
Time: 18:00 Uhr


OV/Englisch 

Film Gespräch: Regisseurin Abby Ginzberg und Pava Raivstein, Leiterin der Kinder- und Jugend- Aliyah e.V. 

Abby Ginzberg

Pava Raivstein

In Kooperation mit Kinder- und Jugendaliyah Deutschland 


Israel

Film screenings in Israel are planned for a time when conditions allow. Planned venues are in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Check back for updates.


Claims Conference and Museum of Jewish Heritage Kick Off Global Film Series in Commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day

The Global Film Series Illuminate Stories of Bravery And Courage, Whether In Survival, Resistance or Rebuilding. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK: April 13, 2026 —The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), in partnership with the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, has announced its first-ever, global film series in commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day. All films were supported by the Claims Conference and focus on Holocaust-related topics. The film series will be hosted April 13 through April 20 globally, with screenings occurring in Frankfurt and Berlin in Germany as well as all five boroughs of New York City. 

Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference, said, “Film has a unique power to reach people where they are, across borders, languages, and generations, and to translate history into something deeply human and immediate. As there are fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors, we must meet future audiences with tools that resonate. Film allows us to do just that. It brings viewers into the emotional truth of these stories, not as distant history, but as lived experience. Through film, we are able to engage broader audiences in meaningful ways, ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust remain visible, relevant and impossible to ignore.” 

Global screenings will include Holocaust-related films that encompass profiles of strength, courage, and the resilience found during and after World War II. Individual films feature some of the most well-known names associated with the Holocaust, including Elie Wiesel, Hannah Arendt and Art Spiegelman among others. The theme for this inaugural global film series, “Strength of Courage,” reflects the indomitable spirit of individuals whose resilience shone through in humanity’s darkest times. The films being screened illuminate stories of bravery, whether in survival, resistance or rebuilding. The series highlights the level of courage found not only in grand gestures but in the small choices and decisions made through individual fortitude to stand up for human dignity.  

In New York, each screening will be hosted by a different moderator, including ABC senior investigative reporter and correspondent Aaron Katersky, and former NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd; NBC 4 New York anchor Adam Kuperstein, New York Times editorial director of newsletters, Jodi Rudoren; and host of “Talking Pictures with Neil Rosen,” Neil Rosen. Panel discussions at the various screenings will include the directors of the films, well-known Holocaust historians and Holocaust survivors, including historian, author and film producer Michael Berenbaum; film historian, author and interviewer and host of Reel Pieces Annette Insdorf; Roger Berkowitz, founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities; Jennifer Rich, executive director for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights at Rowan University and Catherine Winters-Michaud, learning and operations coordinator at Kean University’s Holocaust Resource Center. Holocaust survivors include: Alice Ginsburg, Halina Birenbaum, Gabriella Major and Asher Matathias.

In Berlin, the program will feature the producers of The most precious of cargoes and Black Honey, Patrick Sobelman and Yair Qedar. Also on the panel will be Oren Rudavsky, the filmmaker of Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, alongside Holocaust survivors, including 92-year-old Assia Gorban.  

In Frankfurt, the film event has been organized in cooperation with the Jewish Community of Frankfurt and will feature Reinhold Boschki, who appears in the film, Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire. The panel discussion will also include media scholars Lea Wohl von Haselberg and Doron Kiesel and the president of the Jewish community, Marc Grünbaum. The event will be attended by Holocaust survivors from the local community, including  Eva Szepesi, who survived Auschwitz as a child and continues to share her testimony with hundreds of students across Germany.  

Greg Schneider, Claims Conference Executive Vice President, said, “We are living in a moment of profound responsibility. With each passing year, we lose more survivors who can share their stories firsthand. Preserving their voices is not only an act of remembrance, it is a moral obligation. Every testimony, every story carries the weight of history and the responsibility to bear witness. By capturing and sharing these experiences through film, we ensure that future generations will not only learn what happened, but will understand the human cost of hatred and the enduring strength of those who lived through it. This is how memory becomes legacy.” 

Jack Kliger, President and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage, said, “This series uses the power of film to deepen understanding of the Holocaust at a moment when memory is fading and distortion and antisemitism are on the rise. By taking place here at home in New York and across the globe, this series affirms a shared responsibility to confront hatred, honor survivors and ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust remain urgent, human and impossible to ignore for generations to come.”  

The global event will kick off at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City on April 14, with a screening of three film shorts. Following the screening will be a panel discussion moderated by Aaron Katersky and including Sabina Vajraca (Director, Sevap/Mitzvah), Jennifer Skarbnik (Director, See You Soon),and Dara Bratt (Director, Inked: Our Stories Remarked), with an event introduction by Holocaust survivor, Gabriella Major. Similar events will be held globally throughout the series.  


The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), a nonprofit organization with offices in New York, Israel, Germany and Austria, secures material compensation for Holocaust survivors around the world. Founded in 1951 by representatives of 23 major international Jewish organizations, the Claims Conference negotiates for and disburses funds to individual survivors and organizations and seeks the return of Jewish property stolen during the Holocaust. As a result of negotiations with the Claims Conference since 1952, the German government has paid more than $95 billion in indemnification to individuals for suffering and losses resulting from persecution by the Nazis. For 2025, the Claims Conference distributed approximately $530 million in compensation for survivors globally and $960 million for survivor welfare needs such as home care, medicine and food. 

Opened in 1997, the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is committed to the crucial mission of educating diverse visitors about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Through immersive exhibitions, moving personal histories, and dynamic public programs, the Museum invites visitors of all backgrounds to explore Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The Museum’s current offerings include Art of Freedom: The Life & Work of Arthur Szyk, a focused study of celebrated anti-fascist artist Arthur Szyk and featuring a wide-ranging selection of Szyk’s prolific work; Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, an exhibition about the extraordinary rescue of Denmark’s Jewish population in 1943, a story of mutual aid and communal upstanding in difficult times for visitors aged 9 and up; and The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do, a major exhibition offering a timely and expansive presentation of Holocaust history, on view in the main galleries.

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