Sepharad

Tracing the footsteps of his Sephardic ancestors, filmmaker Emanuel Rund (ALL JEWS OUT) follows his family from Spain to their settlement in Venice, and finally to their home in Hamburg. SEPHARAD is a concise survey of the fate and cultural legacy of Sephardic Jewry in Europe.

Films directed by Emanuel Aronson Rund since 1990 All Jews out! - (Oscar competition) Youngsters meet Jewish survivors and old Nazis, in their research about the Nazi atrocities in their German home town. Inge from New York tells about her childhood in Theresienstadt concentration camp. The German woman friend of Adolf Eichmann served in Theresienstadt and tells about it from the SS point of view. Old Nazi caught in his lies. First time archive material including a rare Jewish family's home-movie from 1935 Inge and the Yellow Star. 14 year old German girl Friderike learns from Jewish lady about her childhood in town before and during the Third Reich. She escort her to the concentration camp were Inge survived 42 months. Inge shows her old suitcase, her prayer book, chanukia, doll etc German Jews remember. Yekes tell about anti-Semitism in pre- and Nazi Germany. New Beginning in 1930's Israel. 4 German Jews: Berlin-Herzlia, Aachen-Tel Aviv, East Frisia-Jerusalem, Prussia-Kibbutz Warburg. (co-dir.) New films produced and directed by Emanuel Aronson Rund Sepharad - 1492 Catholic Church eliminated Spanish Jewry through torture, fire, mass conversions and deportations to Turkish Empire, England, Holland and Hamburg. Memories of Mr. Emanuel, the last member of the Portugeese Jewish Community in Hamburg. Jews re-visit their German home town. Leer, Until When!? Ad Matai!? Leer in East Frisia, Germany, on the Dutch border.. They come among others from Israel, USA, Canada, England, Argentina, Australia, Holland and S.Africa for one week. Visiting their old houses, place of the synagogue, the Jewish cemetary, and each other, friends and relatives. The locals claim: "In our town were no Nazis". One of them, a big fish" was sentenced in the Nazi trials in 1945 Nürnberg. After TV screening, his son threatened the film director Mr. Rund with a law suit for libel! Chuzpa: his father was responsible for the murder of 80 members of the Rund's mother, the Wolffs family! Old Nazis forgot their past". The survivors tell their memories in the schools. They are angry: Why is the synagogue place a gas station and a car wash? (belonging to an old Nazi ). Why not a Jewish museum or such? They are happy to go back home. "One week was enough" Encounter in Israel (Sequel to previous film) First time documented, German youngsters visit 3 generations of Jews who emigrated from their home town. The old tell memories, the 2nd generation discuss German-Jewish issues and Israeli-Arab conflict, with the 3rd generation their age, they play basketball... 1st time German impression on Holocaust Memorial Day in Israel, in Yad Vashem. International Youth discussion in Israel TV Studios "What did the world learn?". Youngsters:"It was our best encounter with Jews and their life today." Neo-Nazi Museum in Kibbutz The one and only - in Israel! Nazi and up to date neo-nazi hate propaganda mainly from Germany. Young German visitors in shock! Karin: "It is terrible, and so much. I have seen only very little before, and it must be all around in where I live" It shows the networking of Nazis in North and South America, most of Europe. Gershon's museum is in memory of his family members killed in Auschwitz. "I want to warn the world!". Gershon tells about famous Jewish history in Karlsruhe. This film was screened for German military educators, in an attempt to reduce the right-wing problem there. German Righteous Family in Israel. God bless the People of Israel, wishes Gunther, a Christian. So deep was his pain and shame, for 2000 years persecution of the Jews. In 1963 he and his wife Gudrun came to Israel. Thery started volunteer work with survivors. They run a home for the retarded, Jews and Arabs. Their children converted to Judaism. Five German families followed . Now they have more then a Minian! They were ex-communicated by their old German relatives and friends. They celebrate the traditional ritual of their grandchild's first hair-cutting in the old Cabalistic mystic center of Meiron, near Safed in Northern Galilea. Masel Tov! I found a relative. Marion's 800 family trees of 350.000 German Jews since the year 1700! One woman's genealogical institute! Devoting her evenings, weekends and holidays for 30 years, Marion researched and registered this data, writing with colored pencils on thousands of cards: birthplace and dates, marriages, deaths, etc. 2 young German women learn in Tel-Aviv about the 10 generations of Jewish ancestry of their (Christian) friend. Marion emigrated from Frankfurt, Served the British against the Nazis in Egypt. She served in the underground army "Haganah" as "Matta Harry" against the British. As a single woman raised her daughter. Quiet a woman. Prophet in Jerusalem. 10 Jewish, Christian and Moslem pupils from Munich (surprise) visit Shalom Ben-Chorin (Peace son of Freedom) in Jerusalem for his 85th birthday. His first filmed dialog with youngsters. His last appearance in public. 1930 he (Then:Friz Rosenthal) graduated their high-school. Growing in an assimilated Jewish family, he learned about Catholicism before he developed interest in his own culture and religion. At 15 he left home to live with an orthodox family! At 17 he published his first (poetry) book. After beaten and arrested by the Gestapo, he immigrated to Jerusalem. A philosopher, theologist and writer, published 30 books, lectured world wide on strengthening Christian-Jewish dialog. He thanks his wife Avital for her assistance. She also did much on her own. Avital shows their synagogue to the youngsters. The pupils tell him (and viewers) about their life in Germany today. He celebrates his birthday with family and friends. Their son Tovie, studied in Cincinatti, is a Reform Rabbi The phone keeps ringing, good wishing callers. (Work in progress) Dani Karavan: The artist who brings Freedom and Dignity to Human Beings everywhere. Prof. Elie Wiesel, the humanist, writer and Nobel Laureate for Peace said: Dani Karavan is a close friend. DK is very special human being as an artist. His work reflects his sensitivity, to other peoples concerns, fears, and hopes. He does for Humanity something creative, good, positive, valuable and meaningful so that the future should be filled with joy rather than with sadness. I have seen his work for peace, for human rights, for the nobility of human beings. I personally know Dani Karavan (DK) for long time as a "one man United Nations". DK, born in Tel-Aviv, started his "Landscape Environments" in Israel. He was invited to create large installations "under the sky" in France, Italy,USA, Germany, Japan, China, Vietnam, Mali and 20 other countries, in East, West, North and South the globe. His talent, precision, pace and dedication won him the highest prizes for art and humanities: In Japan and Germany, where he is very much respected, the renowned "Praemium Imperiale" "Goethe Prize" and the "Goslarer Ring". Through his fantastic vision he fits his art in harmony with nature for the benefit of the people who use it, walk on it, sit, dance, and meet other visitors. He made the first memorial to the Holocaust at the Weizman Institute. Nürnberg, infamous for its Nazi Racial Laws. Since Dani Karavan's 170 meter of columns "Way of Human Rights" the city awards yearly the " International Prize for Human Rights". Among the winners, Abi Nathan of Israel, UNESCO director Federico Mayor headed the "Crossing Borders" International Conference on the great Jewish thinker Walter Benjamin. They visited DK environment "Passages" in Spain. A Japaneese student of art and architecture heared about DK, read much about the Holocaust and just came here and met him. Nori was so moved by this great work of art, to the highest expectaion of any artist! Nori's illustrations can reflect it. Japan benefitted from DK ZEN gardens and other popular instalations. About another project of Dani Karavan (Tower of Tears in Latrun, a memorial for Armoured Forces Soldiers) said Prof. Elie Wiesel: His monument is so gripping. You enter it and you are looking for light. You are looking for a voice. What you hear is your own voice and what you see is the darkness in you when faced the tragedy. In general, Dani has devoted his life to that cause, the noblest of all, to bring freedom and dignity to human beings everywhere. The film portrays a noble man, shaker and motivator of our society for generations to come. He is Precise and reliable, very kind, full of humor. He takes part in artistic and civic conferences worlwide. He mixes with world rulers and politicians (in the film) who call the shots, as well as the "small mench." He works closely with international team. He flies almost weekly to all corners of the globe. Our world needs to know a role-model like him. For he brings together old Hebrew-Christian culture, mixed with Eastern philosophies, he tears down boundaries and builds up bridges between rivals and enemies.