The Assembly

Southeast US Premiere

In this musical-themed film, Hershey Fedler (also in the festival with his film Musical Tales of the Venetian Jewish Ghetto) sets out to tell the story of the late Eva Libitzky, a Holocaust survivor from Poland who spent much of her life sharing her story at school assemblies in America. Her hope was that — through education — history would never repeat itself. But Felder has done more than that in this remarkable film, weaving an unexpected tale of resilience, hope, bravery, and the quest for identity.

The story unfolds through the voice of Eva Libitzky herself, captured in old film clips, as well as the actress who portrays her in the film and eight students who accompanied Felder and his film crew to Poland. Despite Eva Libitzky's passing in Florida a few years ago at the age of 97, The Assembly resonates with the voices and involvement of her former students profoundly impacted by her. To create a greater insight into her impact, Felder flew these students to Poland, where they retraced Eva Libitzky's footsteps from her childhood home in Lodz to the Jewish ghettos and cemeteries in Warsaw and Lodz, culminating at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum. These students serve as unscripted observers, often visibly moved as they absorb Eva Libitzky's powerful story.

Much like Felder's other works, which are largely told through music, this captivating film features each of the recruited students performing musical theater songs, intercut with their personal narratives. While their life experiences differ from Libitzky and other Holocaust survivors, their backgrounds echo similar and universal themes of loss of family, poverty, discrimination, and their search for faith, identity, and home. Despite the harrowing tales of murder and grief that fill The Assembly, the film also showcases moments of joy through song and dance, celebrating life, community, and the indomitable human spirit.

Accompanying the film premiere is a discussion with director Hershey Felder. To view the conversation please click here.