Shttl is a 2022 Ukrainian–French drama written and directed by Ady Walter. It was filmed in Ukraine six months before the 2022 Russian invasion. The missing 'e' in the title (normally spelled "shtetl") is a reference to a 1969 novel which doesn't contain the letter. The absence represents the void left behind in the Sho’ah by its murdered victims
Walters’ film follows the journey of Mendele, an aspiring filmmaker, who has left his Hasidic community and joined the Red Army. On June 21, 1941, he returns to his shtetl in Western Ukraine, along with his Ukrainian best friend, Demyan. They plan to run away with the Rebbe's daughter, Yuna. However, she is already set to marry Folie, a zealous Hasid hoping to succeed the Rebbe as leader of the shtetl.
The Soviet Union has already been infiltrating the shtetl, indoctrinating the community with Soviet propaganda, and threatening the Jewish way of life. The conflict of contemporary ideologies is inflamed by Mendele's presence, as he speaks with old friends and intervenes in local matters.
Meanwhile, just across the border with the part of Poland under German occupation, Nazi Germany is preparing for their imminent invasion of the Soviet Union.
The Synagogue has arranged a special viewing of Shttl with our friends at Menemsha Films, the largest distributor of Jewish films in the world. The window is January 6 through January 11. Please call the Synagogue at (918) 583-7121 or e-mail rbolusky@bnaiemunah.com to claim the link and password for this viewing and let us know if you have any difficulty locating the program.
Blatt + Blue is the longest-running project at the Synagogue dating from the height of the pandemic. The series expresses the Synagogue’s commitments to an inclusive and pluralistic vision. Film and television enthusiasts David Blatt and Alice Blue begin each session with a summary of the featured material, which means that you’ll be able to follow the conversation even if you have to delay your viewing of the material itself. After that, it’s questions and comments from the Zoom Room audience.
Join the moderated discussion in the Synagogue Zoom Room. The Zoom meeting ID is 918 583 7121, and the session will conclude at 8:00 p.m., with all the regular security protocols in place. If there is a film or broadcast you’d like to see in these sessions in the future, please reach out to the Synagogue with your suggestions.