The March of the Living, Southern Region, and the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, in commemoration of the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, will feature “The Wild One,” a film about Holocaust survivor and enigmatic artist, Jack Garfein.
The 22nd Annual Kristallnacht Film Forum (KFF) showcases a motion picture that highlights a story of triumph, courage, perseverance and humanity for public enjoyment and education. KFF is a signature event that promotes Holocaust education and awareness. The film forum raises scholarship funds to enable students from our community to participate in the March of the Living.
March of the Living, Southern Region U.S.A. is a 2-week international, educational program bringing Jewish teens and adults from all over the world to Poland on Yom Hashoah, (Holocaust Memorial Day), to march from Auschwitz to Birkenau, the largest concentration camp complex built during World War II, and then to Israel to observe Yom HaZikaron (Israel Memorial Day), and Yom Ha’Atzmaut, (Israel Independence Day).
This year, KFF will be held on November 5, 2023, in Zinman Hall, located on the campus of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. “The Wild One” will be screened at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $18 per person. The donor reception, which will be held at 3 p.m., will honor Holocaust survivor, Mary Eckstein, for her tireless work, educating March of the Living teens in our community.
“In order to remember, we have to talk about it, we have to show what we can. KFF is a good forum to introduce the subject to people who may not know anything about [the Holocaust]. Not everybody is well-versed about World War II, so any vehicle that can be used to make sure it will be remembered is helpful,” Eckstein said.
Eckstein was born and grew up in Budapest, Hungary, during Soviet rule. She married Joseph Eckstein in 1955. They had a baby a year later in 1956 during a revolution in Hungary. They fled Budapest, walking 35 kilometers to Austria with their baby in a basket. From Austria, they came to the United States. They settled first in Syracuse, N.Y., and moved to Florida in 1986.
Eckstein recalled during one March of the Living trip observing Israeli soldiers lay a wreath down at a Holocaust memorial. “It was a moment I will never forget,” she said.
Mary recalled on her most recent March of the Living Trip the impact of participating with the students in a Havdalah service on the streets of Poland. “It was so inspiring. In spite of everything, we are here,” she said, holding her fist up in celebration.
Garfein was a celebrated Broadway director, Actors Studio West co-founder, and controversial filmmaker. The film examines how his experience in the concentration camps shaped his vision of acting as a survival mechanism and propelled his engagement with themes of violence, power, and racism in postwar America in two explosive films “The Strange One” (1957) and “Something Wild” (1961).
The film explores the importance of his legacy as an artist who confronted censorship and reveals how art can draw on personal memory to better enlighten our present.
To RSVP or learn more about the 22nd Annual Kristallnacht Film Forum, visit https://jewishboca.org/events/kff-kristallnacht-film-forum/ or call (561-852-6041).
About the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County
Established in 1979, the JFSPBC is made up of Jewish and social service organizations, synagogues and schools that provide valued services and programs to recipients in South Palm Beach County, in Israel and around the world. The JFSPBC is also comprised of local residents, including lay leadership, volunteer, donors, professional staff, rabbis, educators, event participants and students. Situated on a 100-acre campus in west Boca Raton – the largest in the nation – the JFSPBC supports more than 70 beneficiaries, engages with more than 5,000 donors, and connects more than 130,000 residents. To learn more about how we contribute to a shared vision for the Jewish community, visit www.jewishboca.org or call 561.852.3100.
