by Cieslafdn | Apr 24, 2015 | Rosenwald Screenings
Loretta Lynch was just confirmed as the first black female attorney general after a 166-day wait for the vote. Loretta’s father, Rev. Lorenzo Lynch, says her story begins with Julius Rosenwald, who built 5,300 public schools for African American children around the country. Loretta’s mother went to one of the Rosenwald schools. Loretta herself was very intelligent, doing so well on a standardized test that her white teachers made her take it again. She graduated top of her senior class from Durham High School. But still, Lorenzo was shocked when he found out about his daughter’s nomination. Republicans used her nomination as a “proxy fight against Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration.” Lorenzo believes that his daughter’s legacy will be, “Don’t give up.”
To read more about Lynch’s connection to the Rosenwald schools, click here for the article from Politico, and to learn more about Julius Rosenwald, don’t forget to check out Rosenwald when it hits theaters all over America later this year.
by Cieslafdn | Mar 23, 2015 | Rosenwald Screenings
The Ciesla Foundation is excited to announce that Aviva Kempner’s newest film, Rosenwald, formerly called The Rosenwald Schools, had a preview at the Washington Jewish Film Festival that she started twenty five years ago on February 25th at the Avalon Theatre in Washington, DC..
Before the screening, Carole Zawatsky, CEO of the DCJCC, and William “Bro” Adams, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Kempner delivered brief statements. Rosenwald was a huge success and received a standing ovation from the audience in the completely packed house.
In the audience was Max Cutler, who is 23 years old. He was very impressed with the Julius Rosenwald story and emailed his comments about the film.
“He perfectly embodies the Jewish ideals I was raised to believe are important. He didn’t just change lives. America as we know it today is a direct result of what he did because of the influence he had on blacks. Like the person who invented preservation techniques for blood marrow. Everyone should see it. What he did with his life is exactly how I would want to live my life. The fact that he did it with little recognition speaks more to the values he embodies and why he did it. Not for the recognition. He really just is what an ideal Jew should be. It re-affirms what I believe and gives me a goal to strive towards.”
After the screening, both Kempner and civil rights activist Julian Bond, an interviewee and a consultant to the film, gave brief statements. She explained how she had heard Bond speak about Julius Rosenwald at an event at the Hebrew Center at Martha’s Vineyard years ago. That talk inspired her to make a film about the philanthropist.
Bond told a story in which his father was once driving in the south when his car suddenly got stuck in a hole filled with mud. Julian’s father assumed that someone had put the mud there just so they could charge him money to be pulled out. Two black men came out from behind the bushes and noticed that he was wearing nice clothes and was driving a nice car. When they asked whom Julian’s father was working for, he replied, “I work for the Rosenwald Fund”. The men responded, “Oh you work for Captain Julius? There’ll be no charge”.
Overall, the premier was a huge success and The Ciesla Foundation wishes to thank all those who contributed to and supported the making of the film.
Final music for the film is still being composed and arrangements are being made to obtain the footage and stills for the film. You can go to http://www.rosenwaldschoolsfilm.org/donate.php.
by Cieslafdn | Mar 9, 2015 | Rosenwald Screenings
This has been a very busy week!
On Friday, Howard University and the Washington Jewish Film Festival hosted a screening of The Rosenwald Schools in the School of Communications. In the audience were some Howard faculty, donors, and even former students and family of former students who attended Rosenwald Schools in Maryland, Arkansas, and North Carolina.
Howard has a strong connection with Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald fund, serving as a great benefactor to great historical figures like Ernest Just and Charles R. Drew. It was given over $280,000, more financial assistance than any other black college had been given between 1917 and 1936.
As interviewees and other viewers watched the finished product, they laughed and learned even more than they though they would, commending director Aviva Kempner on a job well done. Following the screening, a panel discussion featuring Kempner, Political Science professor Jay Stewart, and biographer Stephanie Deutsch who answered several questions using knowledge from their area of expertise. The panel was insightful to both the audience members and the panelists as they all reviewed history from both research and first-hand experiences.
Several questions were posed, but the most common were how to preserve the history and legacy of Rosenwald Schools in addition to the importance of philanthropy. Siblings who are also Rosenwald alum, Newell Quinton and Alma Hackett, were featured in the film and attended a school in Eastern Shore, Maryland. Making a point to preserve the history of their school, they share their story with their local community and reach out to other students who were a part of the legacy.
Newell Quinton and Alma Hackett speaking during the panel discussion at Howard U
Ultimately, the pivotal role philanthropy and a desire for access to education stayed with each person who viewed the complete film. How rural communities managed to work with JR and local white officials to build a school was beyond amazing and more people need to be exposed to this part of American history.
Erica Marshall, Winter Intern
by Cieslafdn | Feb 17, 2015 | Rosenwald Screenings
On Friday February 27th 2015, Rosenwaldwill be screened at Howard University. Founded in 1867, Howard is a historically black university that served as the capstone for many African-Americans to pursue professional careers in the fields of law, medicine and many more during a time when most blacks were only expected to work in education and agriculture. It is also the academic home of several Rosenwald grant recipients.
After the screening, there will be a panel featuring Jay Stewart, Professor of Political Science and Stephanie Deutsch, author of You Need a Schoolhouse, Booker T. Washington, Julius Rosenwald and the Building of Schools for the Segregated South. Admission is FREE. The screening will begin at 11:00am. It will take place in the School of Communications located at 525 Bryant Street NW 20059 on the 3rd Floor in Screening Room West. All are welcome to attend!
Photograph of the Howard University School of Communications
Photo Source: www.howard.edu
Erica Marshall, Winter Intern
by Cieslafdn | Feb 12, 2015 | Rosenwald Screenings
25 years ago, when the Washington Jewish Film Festival was founded, there was only a slate of eight films. This year, there will be “nearly 70 films and over 100 screenings,” according to current director Ilya Tovbis. One of those films is WJFF founder Aviva Kempner’s new documentary “The Rosenwald Schools.” The film is centered on Julius Rosenwald, who gave money to help build over 5,000 schools for African American children all over the South. Ironically, Rosenwald himself never finished high school. He also gave grants to many well-known African American artists, including Langston Hughes and Gordon Parks.
Click
here to read more about “The Rosenwald Schools” and the 25th annual Washington Jewish Film Festival at
The Washington Post.
by Cieslafdn | Feb 12, 2015 | Rosenwald Screenings
Twenty five years ago I started the Washington Jewish Film Festival, and I am thrilled my newest film will be debuting at this anniversary.
We are still obtaining the best version of footage and stills, plus raising the final tax deductible contributions to cover all the expensive last costs for the film.
-Aviva
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