Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor

The Pianist's Choice - OPENING NIGHT - Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival
2026-05-03 18:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit) | The State Theatre 233 S State St, Ann Arbor
Please join us at the**State Theater** for the **Ann Arbor Jewish Film
Festival**! The festival is celebrating its 25th year and this year’s showings
are sure to amaze and move you. The primary festival runs from**May 3 to May
13** , but stay tuned throughout the year for special events!
**Doors Open at 6:00 pm **
**Film Starts at 6:30 pm **
**Synopsis:** The Pianist’s Choice follows the story of François Touraine, a
French piano virtuoso who is living at the dawn of World War II. He has fallen
in love with his piano teacher, Rachel, a French Jewish woman and as the
forces of Nazi Germany bear down on their lives, their relationship becomes
more complex. François is forced to go play piano for Germany in an attempt to
save the woman he loves, aligning with those he despises to try and save a
life.
Organized by: JCC of Greater Ann Arbor
View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/15121

Sapiro v. Ford - Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival
2026-05-04 17:00 - 21:30 | The State Theatre 233 S State St, Ann Arbor
Please join us at the**State Theater** for the **Ann Arbor Jewish Film
Festival**! The festival is celebrating its 25th year and this year’s showings
are sure to amaze and move you. The primary festival runs from**May 3 to May
13** , but stay tuned throughout the year for special events!
**Doors Open at 6:00 pm **
**Film Starts at 6:30 pm **
**Synopsis:** Sapiro v. Ford tells the riveting true story of Aaron Sapiro, a
young Jewish lawyer who took on one of America’s most powerful men—and most
notorious antisemite—Henry Ford. In the 1920s, as Ford’s anti-Jewish
publications incited hatred across the nation, Sapiro filed an unprecedented
libel suit, challenging the limits of hate speech long before such laws
existed.
From his humble beginnings as an orphan in San Francisco to leading a
nationwide movement empowering farmers, Sapiro’s life was a testament to
courage, vision, and justice. Portrayed by actor Ben Shenkman, Sapiro’s words
are presented in their entirety, filmed as if speaking directly to a modern
audience. At the same time, historical experts illuminate the stakes of his
confrontation with Ford.
In a David-versus-Goliath showdown, Sapiro forced the industrial titan to back
down, issue an apology, and shutter his hate-filled newspaper, leaving a
legacy that resonates today. As antisemitism rises and the struggle to balance
free speech with protection against hate continues, Sapiro v. Ford examines
the enduring question: how can societies confront power, prejudice, and
propaganda while upholding justice?
Organized by: JCC of Greater Ann Arbor
View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/14827

The Sea - Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival
2026-05-06 18:30 - 21:00 | The State Theatre 233 S State St, Ann Arbor
Please join us at the**State Theater** for the **Ann Arbor Jewish Film
Festival**! The festival is celebrating its 25th year and this year’s showings
are sure to amaze and move you. The primary festival runs from**May 3 to May
13** , but stay tuned throughout the year for special events!
**Doors Open at 6:00 pm **
**Film Starts at 6:30 pm **
**Synopsis:** Khaled, a 12-year-old boy from a Palestinian village, is
thrilled to join a school trip to see the sea for the first time. However, at
an Israeli military checkpoint, soldiers declare his travel permit invalid and
send him back, while his classmates continue on. Determined and heartbroken,
Khaled sets out alone to reach the sea, despite not knowing the way or
speaking Hebrew. His father, Ribhi, an undocumented laborer working in Israel,
abandons his job and risks arrest to search for his missing son.
Organized by: JCC of Greater Ann Arbor
View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/14828

The Last Spy - Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival
2026-05-07 18:30 - 21:00 | The State Theatre 233 S State St, Ann Arbor
Please join us at the**State Theater** for the **Ann Arbor Jewish Film
Festival**! The festival is celebrating its 25th year and this year’s showings
are sure to amaze and move you. The primary festival runs from**May 3 to May
13** , but stay tuned throughout the year for special events!
**Doors Open at 6:00 pm **
**Film Starts at 6:30 pm **
**Synopsis:**_The Last Spy_ is the riveting biography of 102-year-old CIA
spymaster Peter Sichel, revealing for the first time the epic and unvarnished
history of the US foreign intelligence service from the inside. With a good
dose of wit and humor to boot, Sichel unpacks the obscured roots of conflicts
that plague today’s world and the toll espionage took on his personal life.
Organized by: JCC of Greater Ann Arbor
View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/14829

Girls Like Us - Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival
2026-05-11 18:30 - 21:00 | The State Theatre 233 S State St, Ann Arbor
Please join us at the**State Theater** for the **Ann Arbor Jewish Film
Festival**! The festival is celebrating its 25th year and this year’s showings
are sure to amaze and move you. The primary festival runs from**May 3 to May
13** , but stay tuned throughout the year for special events!
**Doors Open at 6:00 pm **
**Film Starts at 6:30 pm **
**Synopsis:** Shahar lives in a tough neighborhood with her dysfunctional
family. Her divorced father is in a mental institution, and her alcoholic
mother dreams of remarriage. Shahar essentially raises her younger sister
alone. Expelled from regular school, she now studies at an alternative school
for at-risk girls. When a new counselor arrives as an unconventional and
enigmatic guide, their intense relationship, marked by attraction and
repulsion, pushes them both to the edge.
Organized by: JCC of Greater Ann Arbor
View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/14830

Stay Forte - Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival
2026-05-12 17:00 - 21:30 | The State Theatre 233 S State St, Ann Arbor
Please join us at the**State Theatre** for the **Ann Arbor Jewish Film
Festival**! The festival is celebrating its 25th year and this year’s showings
are sure to amaze and move you. The primary festival runs from**May 3 to May
13** , but stay tuned throughout the year for special events!
**Doors Open at 6:00 pm **
**Film Starts at 6:30 pm **
**Synopsis:** The film explores the harrowing journey of Alon Shamiriz, Yotam
Chai, and Samer Tallaka, three innocent Israeli hostages who were plucked from
their homes and held captive in the terror tunnels of Gaza. They were
tragically killed after escaping captivity while attempting to find their way
home to Israel. Their story resonates as a profound reminder of resilience,
humanity, and the indomitable will to survive amid turmoil.
Organized by: JCC of Greater Ann Arbor
View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/14831

Jewish Book Series: Lunch & Learn with Yishay Ishi Ron
2026-06-09 12:00 - 13:30 | Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor 2935 Birch Hollow Dr, Ann Arbor
Please join us at the JCC on **Tuesday, June 9** from **12-1:30 PM** for an
in-person Lunch & Learn and a virtual visit from Yishay Ishi Ron, author of
_Dog_. Enjoy a delicious lunch while listening to Yishay speak about his book
over Zoom.
_Dog_ is a raw, unflinching novel, drawing on the author’s own experiences as
a former elite IDF combat officer suffering from PTSD and addiction. The story
follows Geller, a decorated soldier who returns from Gaza to Tel Aviv only to
be haunted by the trauma of combat — including the memory of a soldier killing
a dog in the field. Haunted and estranged from family and comrades, Geller
spirals into heroin addiction, living in the underbelly of Tel Aviv among
misfit junkies.
His life takes a turn when a stray dog enters his world. Initially
indifferent, Geller eventually rescues the dog, forming an unexpected bond.
The narrative alternates between Geller’s fragmented, drug-addled perspective
and brief, often humorous, chapters from the dog’s point of view, as well as
from the perspective of Doris, a lonely apartment cleaner who sees potential
in Geller. These shifts broaden the scope beyond Geller’s self-absorbed
despair, hinting at the possibility of redemption.
This event is part of the JCC’s ongoing **Book Series** , where visiting
authors give public talks on their work to bring new ideas and literature to
the community. **The cost of this program is $12.50/person**.
_JCC community events and programs are open to all regardless of faith or
background. All are welcome._
Organized by: JCC of Greater Ann Arbor
View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/14834
