'Near Normal Man' Film Screening

Join us for a screening of the documentary film "Near Normal Man" and a post-screening conversation/Q&A with Holocaust survivor Ben Stern and producer/director Charlene Stern.

The half-hour, poignant, non-graphic film tells of the resilience of the human spirit. It is a story of confronting evil at its most personal level and how to prevail over hate - not with more violence, but with wisdom, courage, kindness and reason.

The film is told in a first-hand account by Ben Stern, a Polish Jew, who survived two ghettos, nine concentration camps and two death marches. He emerged alive, only to face the Nazis again 30 years later, planning a march in Skokie, Illinois, his adopted hometown. Ben didn't want them marching. His rabbi told him to "stay home, close the shades and let them pass."

Leading a small group of Holocaust survivors, Ben waged a fiercely public battle against the Nazis, ACLU and Chicago Jewish leadership. He sent out petitions across America and got 750,000 signatures opposing the Nazi march. He received death threats for almost a year. When the Illinois Supreme Court upheld their right to march, Ben prepared for the worst.

Shortly before the date of the march, the Nazis learned that 60,000 Jews and Christians planned to show up and counter-demonstrate. The mayor of Skokie told the Nazis he couldn't guarantee their safety, even with the Illinois National Guard and police from neighboring states.

The Nazis canceled the march. Ben sparked a fierce debate between hate speech and the first amendment that continues today.

For additional information, please see: nearnormalman.org.

As part of the JCC Without Walls program, the "Near Normal Man" screening/Q&A has been taken to several local schools and communities. If you are interested in bringing the program to your school or community, please contact Heather Shaw at hshaw [at] paloaltojcc.org.

$10 Students | $12 Members and J-Pass holders | $15 General Public.