West of Hester Street

With great humor and warmth, WEST OF HESTER STREET dramatizes the efforts of American Jewish leaders between 1881 and 1914 to settle new immigrants where there were jobs - the unlikely port of Galveston, Texas. Woven through the resettlement narrative is the story of a young Jewish peddler who is forced to adjust to a strange way of life.

Cynthia Salzman Mondell began her career at the Maryland Port Authority and the Baltimore City Planning Department, writing scripts for video programs as well as newspaper and magazine articles. After moving to Dallas, she produced her first documentary, PROMISE AND PRACTICE, an investigative documentary about housing issues in Dallas, which aired nationally on public television. She joined Allen Mondell to form Media Projects, Inc., in 1978. Cynthia is past president of the board of New Day Films, a nationally-known independent film cooperative based in New York City. Allen Mondell has worked in films and television as a writer, producer and director for 30 years. He began his career as a newspaper reporter in Baltimore in the mid-sixties and then went to work for Westinghouse Broadcasting in Baltimore (WJZ-TV), first as a writer for a magazine program and then as a writer/director of documentary films about urban and social issues. Allen taught in the Peace Corps in West Africa after graduating from Williams College with a B.A. in American History and Literature. Together, Cynthia and Allen have been making award-winning docudramas and documentary films and videos. Their work explores a wide range of subjects but always with the goal of personalizing often complex social problems. They've looked at different cultures and issues using dramatic re-enactments, archival footage and stills and intimate character studies. Some of their work has aired nationwide on public television, on cable and at festivals worldwide. Cynthia and Allen are currently working on a documentary about Jewish matchmaking. Films by Cynthia Salzman Mondell & Allen Mondell The Ladies Room A 42-minute documentary featuring candid tales of love, sex, marriage and divorce from behind the doors of the ladies room A,E,I,O & You Chronicles the experiences of three students and three literacy volunteers as they learn and grow through an adult reading program Handguns: Made for Killing, Not for Kids The tragic dangers of handguns and the emotional and legal consequences of handgun violence Beauty Leaves the Bricks A follow-up documentary to Beauty in the Bricks (1981) that brings viewers up-to-date on the lives and dreams of the four African American teenage girls they met in the original film Smokeless Tobacco: A Spittin' Image A video that addresses the dangers of smokeless tobacco Thinking Like a Woman The life of cosmetics entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics is captured through dramatic re-enactments and documentary footage Dreams of Equality A documentary drama that chronicles the struggles of the women's rights movement, captured and personalized in the letters between a sister and brother that spanned 30 years Commissioned by the National Park Service for the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, NY Guts, Gumption and Go-Ahead: Annie Mae Hunt Remembers The inspiring true story of an extraordinary African American woman that spans three generations from slavery to contemporary times A Wasted Breath: Kids on Inhalants Educating youngsters on the dangers of inhalants with compelling stories told by their peers Films from The Sixth Floor Six films on the life, death and legacy of President John F. Kennedy for The Sixth Floor Museum at the former Texas School Book Depository in Dallas Inhalant Abuse, Kids in Danger/Adults in the Dark An overview of the inhalant abuse problem that identifies, educates and suggests community-based alternatives for prevention and intervention The Teen Years: War or Peace? Workable solutions to common conflicts between parents and teenagers ranging from chores and messy rooms to the more critical issues of sexuality and substance abuse Sex: A Topic for Conversation with Dr. Sol Gordon Three videos that make it easier to talk to kids about sex The Henderson Avenue Bug Patrol A film about diverting children from their televisions to explore the fascinating world of nature just outside their front doors West of Hester Street A story about the adjustment of Jewish immigrants after settling in America's heartland in the early 1900s, far from their traditional culture Beauty in the Bricks The aspirations and frustrations of black teenage girls growing up in an urban housing project Who Remembers Mama? Emotional, economic and legal problems confronting middle-aged, divorced homemakers, Cynthia Salzman Mondell began her career at the Maryland Port Authority and the Baltimore City Planning Department, writing scripts for video programs as well as newspaper and magazine articles. After moving to Dallas, she produced her first documentary, PROMISE AND PRACTICE, an investigative documentary about housing issues in Dallas, which aired nationally on public television. She joined Allen Mondell to form Media Projects, Inc., in 1978. Cynthia is past president of the board of New Day Films, a nationally-known independent film cooperative based in New York City. Allen Mondell has worked in films and television as a writer, producer and director for 30 years. He began his career as a newspaper reporter in Baltimore in the mid-sixties and then went to work for Westinghouse Broadcasting in Baltimore (WJZ-TV), first as a writer for a magazine program and then as a writer/director of documentary films about urban and social issues. Allen taught in the Peace Corps in West Africa after graduating from Williams College with a B.A. in American History and Literature. Together, Cynthia and Allen have been making award-winning docudramas and documentary films and videos. Their work explores a wide range of subjects but always with the goal of personalizing often complex social problems. They've looked at different cultures and issues using dramatic re-enactments, archival footage and stills and intimate character studies. Some of their work has aired nationwide on public television, on cable and at festivals worldwide. Cynthia and Allen are currently working on a documentary about Jewish matchmaking. Films by Cynthia Salzman Mondell & Allen Mondell The Ladies Room A 42-minute documentary featuring candid tales of love, sex, marriage and divorce from behind the doors of the ladies room A,E,I,O & You Chronicles the experiences of three students and three literacy volunteers as they learn and grow through an adult reading program Handguns: Made for Killing, Not for Kids The tragic dangers of handguns and the emotional and legal consequences of handgun violence Beauty Leaves the Bricks A follow-up documentary to Beauty in the Bricks (1981) that brings viewers up-to-date on the lives and dreams of the four African American teenage girls they met in the original film Smokeless Tobacco: A Spittin' Image A video that addresses the dangers of smokeless tobacco Thinking Like a Woman The life of cosmetics entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics is captured through dramatic re-enactments and documentary footage Dreams of Equality A documentary drama that chronicles the struggles of the women's rights movement, captured and personalized in the letters between a sister and brother that spanned 30 years Commissioned by the National Park Service for the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, NY Guts, Gumption and Go-Ahead: Annie Mae Hunt Remembers The inspiring true story of an extraordinary African American woman that spans three generations from slavery to contemporary times A Wasted Breath: Kids on Inhalants Educating youngsters on the dangers of inhalants with compelling stories told by their peers Films from The Sixth Floor Six films on the life, death and legacy of President John F. Kennedy for The Sixth Floor Museum at the former Texas School Book Depository in Dallas Inhalant Abuse, Kids in Danger/Adults in the Dark An overview of the inhalant abuse problem that identifies, educates and suggests community-based alternatives for prevention and intervention The Teen Years: War or Peace? Workable solutions to common conflicts between parents and teenagers ranging from chores and messy rooms to the more critical issues of sexuality and substance abuse Sex: A Topic for Conversation with Dr. Sol Gordon Three videos that make it easier to talk to kids about sex The Henderson Avenue Bug Patrol A film about diverting children from their televisions to explore the fascinating world of nature just outside their front doors West of Hester Street A story about the adjustment of Jewish immigrants after settling in America's heartland in the early 1900s, far from their traditional culture Beauty in the Bricks The aspirations and frustrations of black teenage girls growing up in an urban housing project Who Remembers Mama? Emotional, economic and legal problems confronting middle-aged, divorced homemakers