Events

Film Fest: Opening Night: Tatami

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

Drama | 2023 (US release: 2025) | 105 min | Georgia, USA, UK | English, Farsi Directed by Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi Tatami combines the thrill of a sports drama with the excitement of a political thriller. Leila, an Iranian judo athlete, is ordered by her government to fake an injury and withdraw from the world championships rather than […]

Film Fest: The Most Precious of Cargoes

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

Directed by Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi Drama | 105 minutes | English, Farsi with English subtitles Striking watercolor backgrounds convey the harsh landscape beauty in this animated film about a baby thrown from a train bound for Auschwitz and found in the snow by a childless woodcutter’s wife. The child transforms the lives of her adoptive parents, despite the threatening danger from the “hunters […]

Film Fest: Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

Documentary | 2024 | 88 min | USA | English, French, German Director Oren Rudavsky in attendance at this screening. Elie Wiesel's life journey, from his family's deportation to his legacy as a writer and human rights advocate, is narrated in his own eloquent voice. With unique access to personal archives, original interviews and employing hand-painted animation, […]

Film Fest: Classic Film: The Great Dictator

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

Satire | 1940 | 125 min | USA | English The Great Dictator was Charlie Chaplin's first talkie—a bold, satirical attack on Hitler and fascism, years before the United States entered World War II. Chaplin used humor and his uncanny resemblance to Hitler to expose the tyranny and repression. Chaplin produced the film himself after studios warned that it would never be shown in the UK […]

Film Fest: An Evening of Shorts

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

We Have Sinned Before You 2024 | 20 min | Israel | Hebrew On Yom Kippur, a family’s annual unplugged tradition takes an unexpected turn when a forgiveness game exposes buried secrets and long-simmering tensions, transforming a day of atonement into a revealing and emotionally charged reckoning. Guygu 2025 | 7 min | Israel | Hebrew Gugyu is a haunting, imaginative portrait […]

Film Fest: The Sea

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

Drama | 2025 | 93 min | Israel | Arabic, Hebrew Directed by Shai Carmeli-Pollak Israel's official submission for the 2026 Academy Awards portrays Khaled, a Palestinian boy from the West Bank, embarking on a perilous journey to the sea for the first time in his life, despite being denied entry by the Israeli authorities. Determined to fulfill his dream, Khaled takes dangerous risks as he sneaks into […]

Film Fest: The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

Spotlight on October 7 Documentary | 2025 | 95 min | Israel | English This documentary chronicles retired Israeli general Noam Tibon’s heroic efforts to rescue his family from a besieged kibbutz during the October 7 attacks. Using the invaders’ archival and bodycam footage, interviews with survivors and Tibon’s personal accounts, the film unfolds with heart-pounding intensity. Set against the backdrop […]

Film Fest: Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

Documentary | 2024 | 88 min | USA | English, French, German Elie Wiesel's life journey, from his family's deportation to his legacy as a writer and human rights advocate, is narrated in his own eloquent voice. With unique access to personal archives, original interviews and employing hand-painted animation, the film stands as a testament to an […]

Film Fest: Matchmaking 2

Kaplan Theatre @ the J 5601 S. Braeswood, Houston, TX

Comedy | 2024 | 110 min | Israel | Hebrew Directed by Erez Tadmor After breaking box office records with their first film, the characters from Matchmaking return in this endearing romantic comedy set against Ashkenazi and Sephardic cultural tensions. Full of joy, warmth and the ultimate romantic entanglements, this refreshing and feel-good romantic drama brings us back to the pressure […]

Film Fest: French Pastries Culinary Workshop

Cramer-Jacobs Family Culinary Studio @ the J 5601 S Braeswood Blvd, Houston, TX

Join us in the Cramer-Jacobs Family Culinary Studio at the J for a class connected to Once Upon My Mother. Join pastry chef Stefanie Bishop for a hands-on French pastry class where you’ll learn classic techniques for creating elegant, bakery-worthy treats. Master refined skills, work with beautiful ingredients and take home delicious pastries inspired by […]