Of noses and mensches and diversity: Short films at the Jewish Renaissance

Mother and Daughter in a therapy session

Some of you may remember a feature film shown at the Rhode Island Film Festival about an Emmy-winning filmmaker whose mother objected to her frizzy hair and kept telling her to get a nose job if she hoped to find a husband. That film, “Look at Us Now, Mother,” will NOT be shown at An Evening of Jewish Renaissance on Nov. 14. Instead, the original short film that inspired it, “My Nose,” will be shown and the filmmaker, Gayle Kirschenbaum, will speak.    

In “My Nose,” you can see how a feud begins, with the mom telling her 4 year old that she needs a nose job. Some might think this is a tragicomedy, but others might see the short film as about how one woman learns to accept a critical parent, even if it takes decades. Or perhaps the film is about the struggle some Jews have to fit into American society and avoid stereotypes. Come to see what it is like to visit plastic surgeons with a woman whom Psychology Today labels a “geriatric shock jock.”

We are also not showing “The Science of Character,” which explores the neuroscience and social science that proves that we can shape who we are and who we want to be. However, that film inspired another by the same Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Webby Awards founder, Tiffany Shlain. As a follow-up, Shlain recently released another short film, “The Making of a Mensch.” This film explores the great Jewish teachings of Mussar, which explores character development as far back as the 10th century. Rabbi Marc Mandel of Touro Synagogue will lead a discussion of the film following its screening.

In addition, Danny Olson, a Cranston resident who is studying for a Ph.D. at New York University, will explore sticky issues that arise in various themes of Jewish peoplehood, such as the tension between universalism and particularism and the challenges and rewards of diversity and pluralism. The discussion will be enhanced with short films created by and clips assembled by people he works with at the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education.

All of these short film sessions and many more will be part of An Evening of Jewish Renaissance: Redesigned, brought to you by the Judge Marjorie Yashar and Dr. James Yashar Fund of the Jewish Federation Foundation. The program will take place at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14, at the Dwares Jewish Community Center, in Providence.

For more information, visit the Jewish Alliance’s website, www.jewishallianceri.org, or contact Jana Brenman at jbrenman@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111, ext. 181.