With just one week after the tragic shooting at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, large companies such as Walmart, Ebay, Etsy, Google, Amazon, Kmart, and Sears have decided to no longer sell merchandise surrounding the Confederate flag. Items from T-shirts to mugs to shower curtains have all displayed the flag in some form or fashion. “The killings have renewed a focus on the Confederate flag, which had been displayed in a photograph of the accused gunman”. Much of the public nationwide have asked for the removal of the flag at the State House grounds in Columbia. “On Tuesday, as the flag continued to be held up as a symbol of hatred and slavery, South Carolina lawmakers are considering whether to have it taken down”. To read more about it in the New York Times, click here.
Rosenwald was made in loving memory of the Martyrs of the Emanuel A.M.E. Church.
During the week of June 17-20 Aviva Kempner travelled to Durham, NC for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2015 Rosenwald Schools Conference. This annual gathering is a chance for everybody directly or indirectly involved with Rosenwald Schools and Rosenwald’s legacy to come together to discuss the current state of the schools and celebrate the long lasting positive effects of his philanthropy. Many schools today are abandoned and neglected, and in 2002 the schools were placed on the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list. People from all walks of life, including artists, teachers, and historians attended the events. Aviva was able to discuss her documentary in front of a large crowd. During her screening on June 19th, she offered them a glimpse into her film and her extensive research about Rosenwald and his extraordinary life. She hopes that when people see the film, they will be inspired to donate to the restoration of the schools. Rosenwald hits theaters in August. Don’t miss it!
Pictured (left to right): Stephanie Deutsch (interviewee/consultant), Peter Ascoli (consultant, Julius Rosenwald’s grandson), David Porter, Aviva Kempner (director), Rick Powell (art historian, interviewee), Elizabeth Varet (interviewee, Julius Rosenwald’s granddaughter)
On May 13th, Rosenwald was screened at Boston for the JEWISHFILM.2015 film festival to an enthusiastic audience. The sponsors of this event, the National Center for Jewish Film, are now our official distributors for the theatrical release of Rosenwald! The NCJF has served as distributor for all of the Ciesla Foundation’s productions and it is a pleasure to be working with them again.
Pictured: Peter Ascoli (grandson of Julius Rosenwald) and Professor Marian Sears Hunter
A trip to Toronto provided Aviva with a great opportunity to catch up with her family in the area. After the reunion, Aviva’s family joined her in attending a new festival screening of Rosenwald.
Aviva and her family in Toronto, Canada
Aviva Kempner enjoyed returning to the Toronto Jewish Film Festival to screen another one of her films on May 10th for the showing of Rosenwald. It should be to no surprise that Julius Rosenwald’s contributions are even less known in Canada than they are in the United States. Being the case, it was exciting to spread the story to more people who would not normally have heard it. The audience was still very receptive and appreciated the movie and it’s message.
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