The Dryden will screen The Essential Link: The Story of Wilfrid Israel (Yonatan Nir, Israel 2016, 71 min., Hebrew, German – w/ subtitles) followed by a discussion moderated by Bonnie Abrams with filmmaker Ophir Baer, and Kindertransport survivor Ruth Bernard as part of the RJFF series.

Most of us have heard of the Kindertransport, the program that saved thousands of Jewish children during the WWII. But few have heard of a key player in its success, Wilfrid Israel, a wealthy Jewish businessman and owner of Berlin's largest department store in the 1930s. Although Israel knew some of the 20th Century's most influential people, including Albert Einstein, he seems to have vanished from history. Filmmaker Yonatan Nir set out to discover why, and the quest quickly became surprisingly personal. A history lesson in the shape of a mystery, The Essential Link is a riveting experience.

[source: George Eastman Museum calendar, 2018-Jul-2]