Two award-winning documentary films will be screened on Saturdays Dec. 5 and Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Cultural Center, located at 5461 North Terrace Road.
Individual tickets are $10 per person, and include popcorn and a soft drink.
Advanced ticket purchases are $18 for two tickets and $34 for four tickets, and can be acquired by contacting the Jewish Federation at 493-0270 or rsvp@jewishchattanooga.com.
On Dec. 5, the Jewish Cultural Center will screen “Rosenwald.” Born in 1862 in Springfield, Ill., Julius Rosenwald believed the ill treatment of African Americans was America’s most serious problem. At age 33, Rosenwald bought into Sears-Roebuck, and later with Richard Sears became sole owners. Inspired by Booker T. Washington’s friendship, he joined the Board of the Tuskeegee Institute in 1912. From 1917–1936 he partnered with black and white communities to build 5,337 schools housing one-third of all African American students in the South. Six of the Rosenwald Schools were in Hamilton County. A dessert reception will follow the screening.
The Jewish Cultural Center will screen “Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Shalon Alecheim” on Dec. 19. Starting in the 1950’s, Bikel created some of the best-selling Jewish folk music in history. He’s known for his theatrical and screen credentials, though, which include Tevye in “Fiddler on the Rood,” Captain von Trapp in the Broadway production of “The Sound of Music,” and the Hungarian language dialect expert in “My Fair Lady.” The documentary is packed with Bikel songs, anecdotes, and interviews.