The Bender JCC will remember the victims, honor the survivors, and embrace the lessons of the Holocaust as we look towards a hopeful future free from hate. Antisemitism ─ the hatred of or prejudice against Jews ─ was at the foundation of the Holocaust and a basic tenet of Nazi ideology. During the Days of Remembrance, we also remember the non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust who suffered grievous oppression and death for ideological, political, and racial reasons. Through a series of commemorative events ─ including art, film, literature, music, and survivor testimonies ─ our community will reflect on the dangers of bigotry. Days of Remembrance is a call to conscience to ensure that we don’t stand silently in the face of hate in all its forms.

Schedule of Commemorative Events

English | Docudrama | UK, 2023 | 110 minutes

Tuesday, May 7 | 7:00 PM | $12
Kreeger Auditorium, 6125 Montrose Rd., Rockville, MD

In commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Cinema J will be screening ‘One Life’ starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter.

The true story of Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, a young London broker who rescued 669 predominantly Jewish children from the Nazis. Nicky visited Prague in December 1938 and found families who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria, living in desperate conditions with little or no shelter and food, and under threat of Nazi invasion. He immediately realized it was a race against time. How many children could he and the team rescue before the borders closed? Fifty years later, it’s 1988 and Nicky lives haunted by the fate of the children he wasn’t able to bring to safety in England; always blaming himself for not doing more. It’s not until a live BBC television show, ‘That’s Life’, surprises him by introducing him to some surviving children – now adults – that he finally begins to come to terms with the guilt and grief he had carried for five decades. With riveting performances by the extraordinary Sir Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Flynn, ‘One Life’ is an enthralling movie that tugs at the heart-strings.

Questions? Contact Frieda or Lindsay at 301-348-3832, or email fenoch@benderjccgw.org.

All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at
kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.

English | Documentary | USA, 2023 | 92 minutes

Few comedic actors have left a more indelible mark on our culture than Gene Wilder, whose performances in such classics as The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Silver Streak made him one of the most beloved stars of his era.

This enrapturing and heartfelt documentary takes a close look at the life and career of this American original, from his Jewish upbringing in Milwaukee, to his early stage work, to his breakthrough collaborations with Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor, to his marriage to Gilda Radner and beyond. Using a variety of touching and hilarious clips and outtakes; never-before-seen home movies; narration from Wilder’s audiobook memoir; and interviews from a roster of brilliant collaborators including Mel Brooks, Alan Alda, Carol Kane, Harry Connick Jr., Rain Pryor, Karen Wilder (Gene’s wife), and Peter Ostrum, who portrayed Charlie in one of Gene’s most memorable roles, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Ron Frank’s film shines a light on an essential performer, writer, director, and all-around mensch.

Choose from two Screenings:

Cinema J @ Leisure World
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 | 1:30 PM | $10
Clubhouse II, 3300 N. Leisure World Blvd., Silver Spring, MD 20906

Cinema J @ The Bender JCC
Thursday, May 23, 2024 | 7:00 PM | $12
Kreeger Auditorium, 6125 Montrose Rd., Rockville, MD

Questions? Contact Frieda or Lindsay at 301.348.3832, or email fenoch@benderjccgw.org.

All Bender JCC programs are open to everyone. Contact Kate Falls, Director of Inclusion, at kfalls@benderjccgw.org or 301.348.3767 to discuss support and accommodations.