Rock Chalk Hillel

I enjoyed your extensive coverage in the Aug. 18 issue about KU Hillel under the spirited leadership of Jay Lewis.

Our daughter Melissa spent four very happy and productive years in Lawrence, thanks largely to Hillel and also KU Chabad. She was actively involved and served as Hillel’s student president. Jay was a wonderful mentor to Melissa and his teachings remain with her to this day.

The emblem of KU Hillel is a cartoon of a smiling Jayhawk, wearing a yarmulke and tallis. This is very appropriate — they do not take themselves too seriously, show love and appreciation for KU and proudly display their Judaism. Jay is a remarkable person and knows how to make a successful Jewish organization.

Jeff Horen
Overland Park, Kan.

Rapid response

On behalf of myself, Rabbi Mendy Wineberg of Chabad House, and all our clients I would like to thank you for bringing attention to the current needs of the Yachad Food Pantry. I also would like to give my gratitude to everyone in the community who has responded. The answer to the Jewish Chronicle’s call for action was immediate and generous. It really brought out the best of Kansas City’s Jewish community.

Dan Kass of KI organized a food drive by offering free drinks at a Kosher Country BBQ. Congregation Beth Torah, under the direction of Farrah Green, has already begun an emergency food drive. Last in line but not in importance are the individuals who have dropped food directly off to the pantry this week. Every single can makes a difference!

The donations began arriving within 48 hours of the paper’s publication. During the month of July Yachad gave food assistance to approximately 150 households. With the compassion of Kansas City and Hashem’s blessings we hope to be able to continue for a very long time.

Sherrill Parkhurst
Yachad Kosher Food Pantry

I am writing this article from Israel.

It is good to see all the friends and family, and I have enjoyed telling stories about my experiences and plans. But I think — more than anything — I am moved by the little things: signs in Hebrew, the view from the car, smelling the air, and yes, I guess the sun and the heat too.

Israel remained the same while I was away, but everything here is so focused on its existence. People talk about survival and security, not to mention other big issues like the challenges Israel faces in keeping democracy with all the threats around us, the economy, the real estate bubble, and more. But it boils down to this: People here are happy and they love their country.

Back to Kansas

While I enjoy my vacation, I am still very excited to get back to Kansas in mid September. Now is the perfect time to plan ahead and reflect on my first year in Kansas:

In the past eight months, I have met many people, and had the chance to work with teenagers, children and adults. I have orchestrated events, big and small. I have created and led activities, prepared people for trips to Israel, and taught and lectured.
It is not easy to work and live in a new place, a new culture, all alone. But I am happy to say that I felt only love around me from everybody, and mostly — love for Israel.

When I tell people here how much the Kansas City community loves Israel and believes in it, they are so happy. They know how important your support is.

I look toward next year with hope that we could bring Israel together to everybody in the community. I say “we” because I believe that we should do that together: all of you who love Israel, all of you who care. I hope to see you at events and lectures; I would love to hear your thoughts. And I hope to see you among our volunteers.

As the Israel emissary, I am only one person. I will do my best to be there for the community. But I cannot do it alone. I urge you to ask me questions, have discussions and to always keep the subject of Israel alive. It is important for the next generation and for their relationship with Israel. And I am happy to do anything I can to assist you in spreading the word about Israel. I am happy to speak to groups in your home and discuss any Israel-related topic in a free and honest way.

Next year, I hope to meet even more Kansas Citians. As I make myself even more accessible to the community, I ask you to think of me as a resource for you. A resource which will gladly help you get the information you need regarding Israel, Hebrew language, etc.

We have some big communitywide events planned for the coming year, so please stay tuned for more information. We will also continue with the movie club, and I look forward to meeting you and your family — whether at an area synagogue, the Jewish Community Campus, or some other event.

If you’re not yet my friend on Facebook, now is the time: Search for Lilach Nissim Shlicha to find me, or feel free to contact me via phone at 913- 327-8124.

Thank you for your hospitality, kindness and warmth. I am excited to come back to Kansas City. Thanks too, to the amazing people at the Jewish Federation, for creating the perfect work environment for me.

I’ll see you in mid-September.

Attack off base

I would normally be reluctant to take issue with my long-time acquaintance Sol Batnitzky in print, but the extreme sarcasm of his letter in your Aug. 4 issue, referring to the “so called Kansas City Jewish Chronicle,” demands a response. Dr. Batnitzky is upset at The Chronicle for its failure to report on a theater telecast of a concert by the Israel Philharmonic. To begin with, this was a telecast, not a local event. Furthermore, it is possible that The Chronicle was not made aware of the event.

On a number of occasions, I have contacted The Chronicle on behalf of the Lyric Opera or Civic Opera when there was a Jewish angle, and the editors have always provided coverage of the event, including a recent half-page article (including a photograph) when an Israeli-born singer starred in a Lyric production. From my experience, Dr. Batnitzky’s attack was way off base.

Stu Lewis
Prairie Village, Kan.

Setting the record straight

In a recent article about Jewish Employment Services program, the Jewish Heritage Foundation was inadvertently omitted as a funder. Throughout the years, Jewish community funders (the Jewish Heritage Foundation, the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation) have been instrumental in the success of this program, which provides career counseling and job placement assistance to members of the Kansas City Jewish community who are unemployed or underemployed.

JVS also wishes to clarify information that appeared in the Aug.11 Jewish Chronicle about the JVS Baltimore Ave. Dime Store staying open for First Fridays. The article read that we stay open until 9 p.m., but we actually close at 8 p.m. or before as to not conflict with Shabbat. We are only open late in the summer months.

Joy Foster
JVS Executive Director

QUESTION: I know that we just recently finished the Hebrew month of Tammuz. That sounds like a strange word for a Hebrew name. Where did we get the names of our Hebrew months from?

ANSWER: The names of the Hebrew months evolved as we traveled from exile to exile and into the Diaspora. A number of the names of Hebrew months are definitely not originally Hebrew words. Tammuz may be one that is not. More specifically the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, also known as Marcheshvan, is probably not Jewish in origin.

Some of these months had different names in earlier times such as in the Bible itself. For example, there was a time when the spring months, probably Nisan, was known as “Chodesh Zeev” which means something like the month of “spring.”

Other names more specifically were acquired during exiles and captivity. There are many theories as to the name of Cheshvan, the month which occurs in the fall right after the High Holidays. The fuller name of Cheshvan, “Marcheshvan,” ironically, was the name of a pagan god in Babylonia known as “Marchbena” which sounds suspiciously similar to “Marcheshvan” in our Hebrew calendar. You know of course we were exiled to Babylon after the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem. We were very much assimilated and picked up traditions from their culture even though they were pagans.

Incidentally, there are all  kinds of theories as to why Cheshvan, which is its simpler name, acquired the more complicated sounding name “Marcheshvan.”

Cheshvan is the only month that does not have any kind of holiday, fast or event contained in it in the entire year. That fact has led people to theorize that the addition of “mar” might refer to bitter as in the Hebrew word “marror” such as we have in the Passover seder for the bitter herbs. Another theory is that “mar” which means “mr” in Hebrew was added to Cheshvan to add a little more significance or “upgrade” the name since it was void of holidays “to make it feel better.” I suspect in all likelihood, though it may seem a little uncomfortable for us, that it is much more likely that we picked up the name “marcheshvan” in Babylon where the name was used for one of their pagan gods.

There are a number of elements in Jewish history and even Jewish theology where we were exposed to practices of other religions and cultures. We may have advertently or inadvertently adopted certain practices, “Judaicized” them” and over centuries made them a part of our tradition. This does not make these practices bad or evil; it is just an ingredient of cultural evolution of Judaism over many hundreds or thousands of years.

During my 20 visits to Israel I had always wanted but never had the opportunity to visit Jerusalem’s oldest synagogue, The Karaite Synagogue in the Old City’s Jewish quarter. Every single time I tried, no one was inside to open the door or show me around. Thus, I felt really lucky to turn a corner to find the synagogue’s gate open, and a few tourists standing at its entrance.

We were even luckier to meet Shuki, the man with the nicest and sweetest smile in Israel according to my wife! Joshua Levy (Shuki) is the administrator of The Karaite Kenasa (their word for Beit Kneset) Synagogue and the greatest cheerleader for Karaite Judaism. Although I have had a great deal of interest and curiosity about Karaite Jews, and have visited Karaite synagogues and cemeteries in Eastern Europe, this was my first opportunity to meet a real Karaite.

Shuki graciously took us on a tour of the synagogue/community center. When he realized I was better informed than most tourists and asked good questions, he went out of his way to try to explain the Karaite beliefs and positions. While seeing their beautiful museum, he told me that one of his missions is to get out the Karaite version of facts rather than what others think or say about them. For instance, their synagogue is located in what amounts today to the basement of the building and that is usually explained by non-Karaite tour guides as the fulfillment of Psalm 130 that says, “Out of the depths have I called Thee, O the Lord. Lord, hearken unto my voice; let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.”

Shuki said that their explanation was not accurate. Because the Karaite Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Jerusalem, built over 1,300 years ago, it was located at street level during that time. Today, after so much destruction and construction, the street level is a whole floor up. Similarly, we discussed many of the myths and legends I had heard about Karaites, including the one that no Karaites were murdered by Nazis.

Annan ben David, who lived in 8th century Babylon is deemed to be the founder of Karaism. Karaites believe that they observe the original form of Judaism, as prescribed by God in the Tanakh, and do not accept what they consider to be later additions to the Tanakh, such as the Oral Law of Rabbinic Judaism. They place the ultimate responsibility of interpreting the Tanakh on each individual. Karaism does not reject biblical interpretation but rather holds every interpretation up to the same objective scrutiny regardless of its source.

At some point Karaites may have been as much as 40 percent of world Jewry, but nowadays they are less than 50,000 worldwide. I have always wondered what were the causes for Karaism’s near demise. Shuki’s explanation made lots of sense. He told me that since Rabbinic Judaism (what we think of as normative Judaism) has made so many adaptations and created ways to make life easier (for instance using a Shabbat elevator or timer on Shabbat or the idea of creating an eruv to allow people to walk farther on Shabbat), the Karaite practices and way of life became too hard for people so they abandoned Karaism for Rabbinic Judaism. Since there are so few Karaite Jews today, many end up marrying into Rabbinic Judaism and abandon their practices.

As we were about to leave I thanked Shuki for the tour, chat and explanations and told him I had only one complaint: why wasn’t there a gift shop? No tourist site worth its salt is without a gift shop! He produced the only thing they had for sale: a Karaite mezuzah, that in fact is only an image of the Ten Commandments, that Karaites put on their doorposts, but without the claf, the prayer that goes inside. I bought one and it now rests in the doorpost of Temple Israel’s office. It is for me a reminder that Judaism is a diverse, multi faceted and ever evolving religion.

“Sarah’s Key” is a war drama based on the beloved best-selling 2007 novel by Tatiana de Rosnay. The characters are entirely fictitious, but they put names and faces to the 13,000 Jews arrested by the French police in the great Velodrome d’ Hiver roundup that took place on July 16, 1942, in the heart of Paris. The book and movie adaptation tell a story that should never be forgotten. It is a tribute to the 76,000 Jews deported from France during the Holocaust with special mention to the children who never came back and the few lucky ones that survived. The movie opens tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 19) exclusively for a limited engagement at the Glenwood Arts and AMC Town Center 20.

The movie begins with a loud pounding on the door of the third floor apartment located in the Marais district of Paris. The French police are there to take into custody the Polish Jewish family named Starzynski consisting of husband Wladyslaw, 32, his wife Rywka, 30, their 10-year-old daughter Sarah (Melusine Mayance) and 4-year-old son Michel.

After answering the door, Sarah goes into the bedroom and tells Michel to pretend they are playing a game of hide-and-seek. He climbs into the long, deep cupboard in the wall and Sarah locks him in. She slips the titular key in her pocket. She whispers to him through the wooden panel, “I’ll come back for you later. I promise.”

The movie shifts gears and fast forwards to Paris of 2009. American journalist Julia Jarmond (Kristin Scott Thomas from “The English Patient” and “Gosford Park”) gets an assignment to do a 10-page article for her Parisian-based magazine on the thousands of Jewish families locked up for days in the summer of 1942 at the famous indoor stadium where bicycle races were held. Julia is married to architect Bertrand Tezac and they have an 11-year-old daughter Zoe. They are on the verge of moving into an apartment previously occupied for more than 66 years by Bertrand’s paternal grandparents, Andre and Mame Tezac.

Sarah and her parents spend several deplorable days in the stadium before being transported in an overcrowded truck to a transit camp. Upon arrival, Sarah and her mother are separated from Wladysaw. Later, Sarah is separated from her mother. Both her parents end up in the crematoriums of Auschwitz.

Julia visits Mame at the nursing home and learns that the apartment has a history tracing back to World War II. It turns out that the Tezac family moved in right after a Jewish family was deported. Julia determines from the records that the family’s name was Starzynski and this ties the two story threads together. Julia begins a genealogical search to find the missing Sarah.

On the domestic front, Julia finds out from a home testing kit that she is pregnant. When she tells Bertrand the good news over dinner, he insists that she have an abortion.

Other characters that play key roles in Sarah’s survival tale include fellow prisoner Rachel, a kind policeman named Jacques and foster parents Genevieve and Jules Dufaure (Niels Arestrup from “Farewell,” “A Prophet” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”). Genevieve and Jules are representative of those most deserving non-Jews declared Righteous among the Nations at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

The movie jumps back and forth in time during its entirety. Sarah’s story is much more compelling and the audience is fully invested in her fate. It feels like an intrusion on the forward momentum in 1942 every time we are forced to switch tracks returning to the present day. Julia’s decision whether to abort or not seems trivial compared to Sarah’s dire straits that teeter on the edge of life and death. There is much less tension in 2009 and an absence of a rooting interest for the journalist.

Although a wonderful story, it seems to come out in fits and starts. The slow, meandering pace may be a turnoff to those unfamiliar with the novel. The movie also does a poor job of identifying characters. The quest for the truth and the search for a missing person from the Holocaust is the fascination that keeps us engaged in the mystery.

Mayance, in her feature film debut, takes the cake in the acting category. She is natural and believable in the most important role in the movie. Thomas is a reliable class act with innumerable thespian gifts. Arestrup is a French treasure and has appeared in some of my all-time favorite foreign language films. Another familiar actor to American audiences, Aidan Quinn (“Songcatcher” and “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”) plays a vital role in the last act.

The movie debuted at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and began making the rounds about a month ago in major U.S. cities.

The dialogue is partially in French, German and Italian with English subtitles. The movie is rated PG-13 for thematic material including disturbing situations involving the Holocaust. It has a running time of 111 minutes and merits my rating of GOOD (3 stars out of 4).

As a postscript, I highly recommend that you read the EXCELLENT book to fill in all the missing blanks. I rank the novel right up there with “The Diary of Anne Frank.” It kept me up all night and the 293 heartfelt pages will linger in my memory forever.

What is a Bat Mitzvah? A rite of passage for girls? A sacred ceremony in front of your congregation? All of these are right answers. But for me, Bat Mitzvahs are about giving back to the community.

Last summer, I volunteered at Operation Breakthrough (an organization to help children in poverty by giving them a safe environment to grow in). I played outside with kids about 4 years old. They had lots of fun and so did I. But, there was something bittersweet about this experience. These children lived lives unfairly made for them. I thought it would be great to see them happy again and again.

I became a Bat Mitzvah on June 25 at Congregation Beth Shalom. Because of my experiences with Operation Breakthrough, I decided to collect school supplies for the organization and make stuffed animals for the kids. As a group, I gathered my cousins and a couple of my friends (both Jewish and non Jewish) to make teddy bears for the kids.

Then, the week after my Bat Mitzvah, I was able to visit Operation Breakthrough again to make the special deliveries! With my mom and dad’s help, I went with my sister Ariel and my brother Joel to Operation Breakthrough where an employee, Jennifer Heinemann, took us to two different classrooms.

The first room was full of children about 2 and 3 years old. The children were so excited to see the bears! Some boys even gave each other hugs because they were so happy! Then, after we gave out the bears, some helpers set up tables and chairs for lunchtime and the kids sang the “Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

The second room was for the 3 and 4 year olds. They had a different reaction to the bears than the first one. While the kids in the first classroom immediately played with the bears, the kids in the second one politely thanked us (first) and then started playing with them.

After visiting both rooms, we helped Jennifer store the school supplies that will be distributed in time for school to begin in the fall. Materials that we used to store the school supplies and deliver the bears will also be put to good use by Operation Breakthrough.

That is why Bat Mitzvahs are such a special thing. It’s a mitzvah to help people who need it most.

Hannah is the daughter of Ann Karty and Billy Silverman.

Disappointing event coverage

Since coming to Kansas City over 35 years ago, I have been an avid reader of the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, which I respected for its insightful and accurate reporting on Jewish issues both local and world-wide. For the past six weeks the Chronicle has continued its downward slide and reached its all-time low with your devoting two full pages, including the entire front page, promoting the great Jewish sport of hot air ballooning. With all the critical and important issues facing American and world Jewry, hot air ballooning must rank at the bottom of the list.
This past week my wife and I attended a telecast at a local movie house of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra led by Zubin Mehta with the participation of two of the hottest stars in opera — Rene Flemming and the Maltese tenor sensation Joseph Calleja.
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the top orchestras in the world and the concert was outstanding and very enjoyable. It was also heartwarming to see some members of the orchestra wearing kippot and one even had payot.
It is not every day that Kansas City has the opportunity to see, hear and support this orchestra. Yet the so called Kansas City “Jewish Chronicle” did not write one word to alert its readers about this unique and rare event.
The program also included an excellent short movie narrated by Ed Asner on Richard Tucker the great American-Jewish opera tenor and cantor.

Solomon Batnitzky, M.D.
Professor Emeritus,
University of Kansas
Medical Center

A real mensch

I enjoyed Sally Beyers’ article this past week (View from the Village, July 28), especially the part about Ben Schanzer and his son Gary. I remember Ben when I was in high school (1945-1948). At that time it was not uncommon for many of us Jewish kids to have part-time jobs selling shoes at Baker’s Shoe Store downtown. Ben was the manager and always treated us like “menschen” — which was unusual since most managers with similar jobs at shoe stores were known to be difficult to work for. But not Ben. He was a very nice person and I’m sure still is, which is probably one of the reasons he’s lived a long and happy life. And based on what Sally wrote about Gary, it appears the acorn hasn’t fallen far from the tree.

Marvin Fremerman
Ridgedale, Mo.

Superb service

I recently placed a large order with the kosher deli department at the Hen House Market (11751 Roe Ave.). I gave the order to Binyomin Mazer, the mashgiach of the kosher department. I called it in from out of town, with little lead time and many, many requests. Our order was filled accurately, ready on time and every one of my nudnical requests was met and more. They anticipated our needs regarding packaging and just took care of them!
Binyomin had only been in his position for two to three weeks, having just replaced Rabbi Mendel Segal, who is now the executive director of the VAAD HaKashruth. Phil Braverman and David Staton are also integral members of the staff and were extremely helpful as well. I recognize the stress under which I put these men and appreciate not only their competency and professionalism, but also their good nature and patience. We “remembered the good old days” together.
I would recommend the kosher deli at the Hen House — food, service, ability, graciousness, client attitude, etc… etc…. to all. It was a very good experience.

Marilyn Brand Ozar
Delray Beach, Fla.

Less than a month ago I spent a most unusual Shabbat. While traveling through Spain, we ended up getting a real bargain at a hotel in the lovely and quaint walled city of Ledesma, about 20 miles away from Salamanca. Presently less than 2,000 people live there. We stayed at a rural house, inside the walls, called “Las Murallas de Ledesma” a 13th Century former priests’ residence, where Don Pepe and Dona Teresa fussed over us and scolded us if we did not eat all of their deliciously prepared homemade food!

In the city’s little museum and interpretative center we learned that the area has been inhabited since Neolithic times. In ancient Roman times it was called Bletisa and was a big regional center. Later it was conquered by Muslims and nowadays it is just a cute little Spanish town.

The museum exhibit does mention Old Christians, a code word for individuals of “pure” Christian origins but it is silent about Jews or New Christians (or Conversos). My curiosity was piqued. I learned from one of my rabbinical school teachers, Dr. Jacob Rader Marcus, that “wherever a Jew goes, he can count on there having been another Jew there before.”

When I asked the museum attendant, she kindly pulled out a huge book of the town’s history from a shelf to tell me about the Jews in Ledesma. Indeed up until 1492, there had been a Jewish community in town. The book mentioned the part of town near the fort where the Jews used to live, the Juderia. A quick online search revealed that Ledesma was the birth place of at least one of the Jewish sailors that joined Columbus on his very first trip to America!

I am a deep believer in my friend Robert Uhllman’s theory that says that if there are two Jews in a room, they will somehow find themselves out. So, I set to try to look for the part of town that used to be the Juderia. I quickly found it by identifying the ultimate sign of a former New Christian community: crosses drawn in the doorposts where normally a Jew would place a mezuzah. I believe this was done by the New Christians to prove their total allegiance to their newly accepted faith. Ancient crosses and signs are quite common in Spain. Yet, I was disappointed because I could not find a single real sign of the past Jewish presence that I knew had existed there.

That evening, after discreetly reciting the Kiddush in the hotel’s dining room, I decided to walk around town. That happened to be an exciting evening in Ledesma, because they were having a rock concert at the ancient fort.

As I walked through the stone streets in the dim light of the evening, I noticed that in the shadows reflected from the ancient walls one could almost see Hebrew characters on the textured stone walls. It seemed as if the walls had a recollection of all the Jews that once lived there!

I thought about the many centuries since Hebrew words, prayers and songs had been uttered close to those walls in the Juderia, so I started chanting quietly to myself the Shabbat service: Shalom Aleichem, Lecha Dodi, Barechu, etc. ... As I chanted, I walked through the mostly deserted town that Shabbat evening. The only place in town that seemed to have some activity was the fort. I ended up walking in that direction.

As I approached the entrance of the fort I found him! Well, I really did not find the fellow Jew I sought in Ledesma, but I found his grave: someone placed a huge medieval matzevah, where the name Yaakov bar Yedidia could be discerned. That finding really made my Shabbat complete. It was a Shabbat service of sorts and an encounter with the local community! On that beautiful Shabbat night, I realized how faith and history connect Jews through time and space. I felt very grateful to be able to be yet another link in the Jewish chain of tradition.

“Bride Flight” is a lavish romantic epic spanning 55 years that tells the personal stories of three plucky Dutch heroines from different backgrounds, whose lives are forever changed when they emigrate from post-World War II Holland to New Zealand. The movie opens tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 5) exclusively for a limited engagement at the Glenwood Red Bridge.

The movie begins with 79-year-old Frank de Rooy (Rutger Hauer in his first role in a full-length Dutch motion picture after 28 years) sampling a new batch of red wine at his Druivebloed winery. The name comes from the Bible and means “Land of grapes.” On his way back home, Frank loses control of his red jeep. He swerves and veers off the road crashing into the vineyard. He is having a heart attack. He gazes at a photo of a young girl dangling from his key ring.

The movie flashes back to a major journalistic event in 1953. Archival black and white newsreel footage announces that Holland has taken up the challenge of an air race attempting to break the record 1946 flying time from London to Christchurch, New Zealand. The passengers aboard the KLM airplane bearing the moniker of “The Flying Dutchman” are fleeing job and housing problems resulting from a devastating flood disaster.

A 25-year old Frank (Waldemar Torenstra) is onboard. His dream is to capitalize on his college agricultural degree and purchase land for farming. He meets three young women joining their fiancés, who went on ahead of them to start a new life in this unknown land.

Ash blonde-haired Ada (Karina Smulders) is sitting next to Frank in the window seat. She is a shy, sensual farm girl taking her first airplane ride. Across the aisle, dark brunette Esther (Anna Drijver) and light brown Marjorie (Elise Schaap) are sitting together. Esther is a sophisticated extrovert, who aspires to be a fashion designer. She is Jewish, suffering from survivor guilt having lost her parents and brother 10 years ago in the Holocaust. The friendly and outgoing Marjorie wants to have a big family.

The three women bond on the long plane flight that covers a distance of more than 20,000 kilometers. When the plane lands in New Zealand, the three women are greeted by their prospective grooms. They all go their separate ways, but their paths cross in key milestone events over the years. The handsome Frank plays a major role throughout their lives.

The movie initially flashes back and forth between the titular transcontinental plane trip and 2008 when the three women, now in their 70s, reunite for Frank’s funeral. The movie is based on the best-selling novel by Mareke van der Pol, who also wrote the screenplay.

Director Ben Sombogaart doles out surprise revelations steeped in irony with a multi-layered approach.

The movie is sad, hopeful and uplifting.

There is a forbidden love affair, an impossible maternal choice, a secret pact sealed with a promise, a near tragedy and selfish betrayal.

Esther’s Jewish background is an integral part of the story. A family heirloom menorah and freshly-made potato latkes, both Chanukah staples, play a pivotal part in the story.

The movie’s strengths include the gorgeous looking cinematography, meticulous art direction capturing the look of the ‘50s and ‘60s, the sparkling scenic vistas of New Zealand and the period costume designs. The talented, personable and very appealing cast shines with emotional acting that wins over the audience.

This sprawling drama is one of the most expensive Dutch films ever made. It won the Audience Award at the Palm Beach Jewish Film Festival. It was also honored as Best Feature Film, Best Actress (Smulders), Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

The dialogue is partially in Dutch with short, easy-to-read English subtitles. The movie is rated R for a strong sex scene and some graphic nudity. It has a running time of 130 minutes and merits my rating of GOOD (3 stars out of 4).