Levis JCC Sandler Center hosts Highly-Anticipated 3rd Annual Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival

Three Weeks, 40+ Films, Two Thumbs Up

It’s time for ‘lights, camera, action’ as The Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center’s Sandler Center revs up for this year’s newly named Judy Levis Markhoff Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival (BRJFF), which runs from March 10 – March 31, 2019.  Now among the top 10 Jewish Film Festivals in the US, this year’s BRJFF features the best narrative, documentary and short films from around the world.  The broad array of films explores the Jewish experience, culture, history, identity, and topics relevant to Jewish life with a diverse collection of over 44 international and independent premiere films from over 19 countries.  Films will be screened at Cinemark Palace 20 Theaters in Boca Raton from March 10-23 and at Movies of Delray from March 24-30 and at Beifield Auditorium at the Levis JCC Sandler Center on various dates.

The Festival’s opening night on Sunday, March 10 will take audiences on an unlikely adventure with the dark comedy To Dust starring odd couple Matthew Broderick and Géza Röhrig.  To Dust was the winner of both the Audience Award and Best New Narrative Director at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival and is a Palm Beach County Premiere.  Director and South Florida local, Shawn Snyder and the star of the film, Géza Röhrig (star of the Academy Award-winning ‘Son of Saul’) will be making special guest appearances and will host a post-screening discussion. 

The closing night film at Cinemark on March 23 will feature the US Jewish Film Festival Premiere of The Bird Catcher, a Norwegian thriller about a 14-year old girl who had to assume a new identity as a boy in order to navigate her survival on a remote snowbound farm amidst the hostility of Nazi-occupied Norway.  The event will be attended by Director Ross Clarke and Producer Lisa Black.

Fans of the BRJFF will mambo their way into the final closing night of the Festival on March 31 at Zinman Hall with the premiere screening of the documentary ‘Mamboniks,’ a film with a huge connection to the New York transplants of South Florida.  Surprisingly, many of Mambo’s biggest fanatics were Jewish, a diverse, offbeat group of devotees whose zeal for mambo dancing earned them the hipster nickname: “Mambonik.”  Following the film there will be a concert and dance party with several local ‘Mamboniks,’ and the Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated band PALO, who will be performing their own style of Cuban music they call “Afro-Cuban Funk.”

Other not-to-be-missed films:

  • Golda’s Balcony – a film of the original Broadway show starring Tovah Feldshuh
  • The Unorthodox – a film that is one of Israel’s biggest box office hits of the year
  • The Other Story – directed by Avi Nesher, one of Israel’s most renowned filmmakers
  • King Bibi – a film based on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Family Practice – US PREMIERE of a feature situation drama from Switzerland

Additionally, three official entries to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film will premiere at the Festival including Slovakia’s The Interpreter, Austria’s The Waldheim Waltz, and Russia’s Sobibor. 

“Due to the overwhelming success of our last two Festivals, we will be joined by more high-profile producers, directors, actors, and scholars from around the world than ever before.  We have been so touched by the outpouring of support from our community for this Festival and for our year-round programming,” said Wendy Honig, BRJFF Artistic Director. 

The full 2019 Program Guide including dates, show times, a synopsis of each film and theater location is available on bocajff.org.  For individual general admission tickets or information on sponsorships and passes, please call 561-558-2514 or visit the Levis JCC Sandler Center Box Office located at 21050 95th Avenue S., Boca Raton.

8th Annual celebrating everyBODY: a walk for eating disorders awareness to welcome honored Guest Former Seattle Mariners’ Catcher, Mike Marjama

The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness will hold its eighth annual walk for Eating Disorders Awareness “celebrating everyBODY: a walk for eating disorders awareness on Saturday, February 23, 2018 at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton, FL. Registration will begin at 9:00 am, and speaking will commence at 9:30 am. This year’s theme is #NotOneMore with hopes that not one more life is lost, child is taken, or precious time is destroyed by this insidious disease.

The event will feature guest speaker Mike Marjama, Former Catcher for the Seattle Mariner, who was encouraged to cut weight for the wrestling team. The pressure for weight loss led to the development of an eating disorder. Mike was admitted to inpatient treatment for his eating disorder and found his recovery. Mike ultimately gave up a career as an MLB catcher to help people with eating disorders.

The Alliance is expecting 800+ walkers and hopes to raise awareness of eating disorders, positive body image, and recovery. More than 30 exhibitors will be present, as well as a photo booth, kid’s arts and crafts area, and more.

The 4GirlsFoundation is once again the title sponsor of the walk alongside Alsana, Eating Recovery Center, Veritas Collaborative, Walden Behavioral Care, Center for Discovery, Oliver-Pyatt Centers, The Paderewski Family, Timberline Knolls, The Renfrew Center, DI Law, Advanced Recovery Systems, ViaMar Health, Athleta, and many more. They are all coming together to support The Alliance’s mission and goals of building awareness, education, and early intervention of eating disorders.

The Alliance is a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing programs and activities aimed at outreach, education, early intervention, and advocacy for all eating disorders.

Founded in October 2000, The Alliance has worked tirelessly to raise awareness; eliminate secrecy and stigma; promote access to care; and support those susceptible to, currently experiencing, and recovering from eating disorders. The Alliance offers comprehensive services, including: educational presentations to schools, healthcare providers, hospitals, treatment centers, and community agencies; free, clinician-led weekly support groups for those struggling and for their loved ones; support and referrals through both our free help-line and comprehensive referral website, www.findEDhelp.com; and advocacy for eating disorders and mental health legislation. In August 2017, The Alliance opened Psychological Services, which offers direct, low-cost, life-saving treatment to underinsured and uninsured adults in our community. Since its inception, The Alliance has offered presentations on eating disorders, positive body image, and self-esteem to more than 300,000 individuals nationwide.

Spring Break Camps


March 18-22 – Lego Robotics & Minecraft! by Digicamp

Students will build and program Lego EV3 Mindstorms or Lego WeDo Robotics* – designed to help children take ownership of the learning process, enabling them to actively develop the problem-solving skills and collaborative outlook necessary to become creators, not just consumers. This session employs a split day format where students get to spend the morning learning robotics and coding skills, and the afternoon is spent completing cooperative Minecraft challenges. Students will be grouped by ages for appropriate level curriculum. $345

March 25 – Storytelling with Scratch & Minecraft by Digicamp

Kids love to tell stories and in this camp we will teach your children how to use computer programming to tell stories. Using storyboards and sequential planning processes, your children will create a short story using Scratch. The afternoon is spent completing cooperative Minecraft challenges.Only $85 for the day

March 18-22, 25: Spring Break Mini Camp at the J

Offering Camp for K-5th grade: games, sports, crafts and swimming; Indoor Soccer Camp for K-8th grade; and Travel Camp for 3rd-8th grade ($65 per day) $275 per week or $60 per day.

March 18-25 Up, Up and Away at Sugar Sand Park 

Offering a variety of programs including Explorium Spring Break Blast, Computer Animation, Circle of Friends, Fun & Fitness, KidzArt, Puppet Workshop and more.

March 18-22: Ocean Adventure Camp Spring Break 2019

Ages 5-15, Co-Ed, Red Reef Park, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Campers get to experience a unique hands on approach to Marine Science while having the time of their life learning and mastering new water sports like snorkeling, surfing, paddleboarding, sailing, and more. $406 non Boca resident, $325 Boca Resident.

March 18-22: Spring Break Camp at the Y

Ages 5-11 years old, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Join the Y After school staff for a variety of activities including swimming, arts and crafts, sports, games and more. $40 per day for members and $70 per day for non-members.

Levis JCC Sandler Center Pays Tribute to the Catskill Mountains

Levis JCC Sandler Center Pays Tribute to the Catskill Mountains

Memorabilia, Entertainers, Comedians, Artists, Musicians, Speakers and Films

Boca Raton, FL (January 3, 2019) – The Levis JCC Sandler Center will be kicking off 2019 with its ode to the great Catskill Mountains from February 1 – March 3.  With a unique exhibition, a robust calendar of events, and a roster of special guests ranging from Steve Sands, who inspired Patrick Swayze’s character in Dirty Dancing, to Elaine Grossinger Etess of Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel fame, New York transplants will be name-dropping for miles as they take a stroll down memory lane.  Showcasing memorabilia, entertainers, comedians, artists, musicians, speakers, films, and Catskills Scholar in Residence Phil Brown, Greetings from the Catskillswill transcend visitors to those fancy-free summer days that were so instrumental in shaping Jewish American History.  

Greetings from the Catskills Line-Up At-a-Glance:

February 1, 1 p.m.

A Hotel Kid: The Story of Brown’s Hotel with Lonnie Brown Rowley

Sunday, February 3, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Opening Reception at the Judi & Allan Schuman Museum Gallery

Greetings from The Catskills Exhibition: This historical exhibition explores the origins, history and the heyday of the Catskills, formerly the most celebrated Jewish vacation destination in America, through photographs, personal stories, artifacts, mementos, audiovisual display and more.  Each item offers unique insights into the peak of Catskills summer culture. 

Sunday, February 3, 6:00 p.m.

Visiting Scholar, Phil Brown, author and professor: “The Origins and History of the Jewish Catskills”

The Origins and History of the Jewish Catskills featuring Catskills Scholar in Residence, Phil Brown.  Brown is the founder of the Catskills Institute and author of Catskill Culture: A Mountain Rat’s Memories of the Great Jewish Resort Area

February 7, 7:30 p.m.

Rhythm & Jews starring Stewie Stone – A retrospective of Stone’s career as an A-list opener for show business greats. 

February 12, 2:30 p.m.

Stop at the Red Apple with Elaine Freed Lindenblatt

The entertaining inside story of how Rueben Freed’s roadside eatery became the famous Red Apple Rest, told directly from the owner’s daughter. 

Greetings from the Catskills Line-Up At-a-Glance:

February 1, 1 p.m.

A Hotel Kid: The Story of Brown’s Hotel with Lonnie Brown Rowley

Sunday, February 3, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Opening Reception at the Judi & Allan Schuman Museum Gallery

Greetings from The Catskills Exhibition: This historical exhibition explores the origins, history and the heyday of the Catskills, formerly the most celebrated Jewish vacation destination in America, through photographs, personal stories, artifacts, mementos, audiovisual display and more.  Each item offers unique insights into the peak of Catskills summer culture. 

Sunday, February 3, 6:00 p.m.

Visiting Scholar, Phil Brown, author and professor: “The Origins and History of the Jewish Catskills”

The Origins and History of the Jewish Catskills featuring Catskills Scholar in Residence, Phil Brown.  Brown is the founder of the Catskills Institute and author of Catskill Culture: A Mountain Rat’s Memories of the Great Jewish Resort Area

February 7, 7:30 p.m.

Rhythm & Jews starring Stewie Stone – A retrospective of Stone’s career as an A-list opener for show business greats. 

February 12, 2:30 p.m.

Stop at the Red Apple with Elaine Freed Lindenblatt

The entertaining inside story of how Rueben Freed’s roadside eatery became the famous Red Apple Rest, told directly from the owner’s daughter. 

February 13, 7:30 p.m.

Sal Richards Live!

Sal Richards was an original headliner at the Laurels Hotel. 

February 14, 2:30 p.m.

A Conversation with Honorary Grand Chair Elaine Grossinger Etess of Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel fame

Sharing Catskill stories with Barry Lewis, editor of the Times Herald-Record.  This is a rare chance to hear about the rise and eventual demise of the Borscht Belt from one of the truly iconic figures of its era. 

February 17, 2:00 p.m.,

The Second Annual Jam Concert by Marshall Turkin Classic Jazz Ensemble

Special Appearances by songstress Glenda Grainger, pianist Gary Lawrence, and bassist Don Coffman, who have long histories of performing at the various Catskill resorts. 

February 26, 7:30 p.m.

From 2nd Avenue to the Catskills with the Harry Frank Band

2nd Avenue Musical Theater, Klezmer, and Yiddish favorites and lots of comedy too; with the greatest musicians and artists who performed on the grand stages of the Catskills multiple resorts.  

The Levis JCC Sandler Center is perpetuating a new standard in cultural arts and encourages local residents and those that reside far beyond county lines to attend and share their Catskills stories and memories. 

Event tickets range from free to $40.  A Catskills Showcase Pass is available for $199 and includes the entire month of events.  For details and additional programs, please call the Sandler Center at 561-558-2520 or visit www.levisjcc.org/culture.  The Levis JCC Sandler Center is located at 21050 95th Avenue S. in Boca Raton.