Advanced search

A musical depicting a critical time in the life of Dona Gracia Nasi, a 16th century Jewish woman who, upon the death of her husband and brother-in-law, deftly managed at a young age her family's vast business empire in Portugal and beyond, spent the bulk of her fortune on philanthropy, and through quick moves and narrow escapes rescued thousands of Jews in Spain, Portugal and Italy from the Inquisition. As a "converso" (Marrano), Dona Gracia Nasi and her fellow Jews lived incognito for most of their lives, openly practicing Judaism only later in life.

A musical depicting a Jewish family and their community in early 20th century Eastern Europe, an adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof but with a few notable differences and plot twists, mainly aligning the story with more traditional Orthodox Jewish customs - to illustrate the importance of tradition in Jewish life.

Brundibar is a children's opera written and composed in Czechoslovakia in 1938 and performed by child prisoners in the Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II. This video contains a theatrical production of Brundibar performed by a children's cast and chorus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in May 2019, preceded by an orchestral medley composed by Rabbi Michel Twerski and by Kindertotenlieder, three songs composed by Gustav Mahler.

A schizophrenic filmmaker, tormented by Critical Studies terminology, reluctantly undergoes a lobotomy to be cured of her anxieties. Although the surgery seems to have affected her hearing more than her mental condition, in the end she becomes a Productive Member of Society.

A musical based on a remarkable true story from 17th century Poland of a young girl who, fleeing a pogrom with her rabbi father, becomes separated from him in a forest and is found by the King's hunting party. The child is raised in the royal household along with the princess, and the lifelong friendship between the two girls leads to dramatic results for the Polish Jewish community.

A man and a woman meet at a live butterfly exhibit, and the butterflies reappear and reverberate through their lives in powerful and surprising ways. When the couple encounters relationship problems, each person goes through his or her own metamorphosis and takes a chance on the other.

A musical telling an Americana-themed story illustrating Jewish immigration to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the early 1900s, particularly focusing on the attitudes and actions of the assimilated German-American Jews and the newly arrived Eastern European Jews, the community services provided to the immigrants by the Settlement House, and the genesis of the famous Settlement House Cookbook.

One day in the life of a humble Milwaukee clerical worker. This music video showcases the work of Chris Wellin, who formed the band Whispering Campaign. He wrote the music and lyrics for the song Another Day, inspired by his experiences living in Milwaukee, where this video was shot.

Two innovative programs in Milwaukee help seniors with functional impairment or memory loss.

While photographing a band playing the song "Wrong Man On Your Mind," a photographer gets to thinking about her relationship with the wrong man in her own life. This is the second music video showcasing the work of Chris Wellin, professor by day and musician/songwriter/arranger by night. Chris formed the band Whispering Campaign, featuring Chris on guitar, bass and drums; Rory Bolton on piano; and Cathy Nicholson, Chris and Rory on vocals.

A journey through the complexity, stresses, beauty and joy of the contemporary world via a music waveform and visual narrative. Christopher Wellin is the composer and guitarist in this instrumental track entitled "Science Fiction." This music video illustrates Chris's vision of the post-Modern condition in which people live today, transitioning through and adapting to a broad array of places, realities and environments--but there's a coexistence in our experience of these places and possibilities. In this film I convey our collectively navigating the complexity, discordance, harshness and alienation of urban and futuristic environments, while still finding beauty, warmth, rejuvenation and hope in natural landscapes, light and color.

Five-year-old Bobby accompanies Grandma to the supermarket to buy prunes because her "medicine isn't working." He doesn't want to submit to this torture, but at the store they enjoy several adventures, including a fight over a prized prune package, Grandma making a citizen's arrest of a shoplifting grandfather, and what may be Grandma's last chance for romance. Bobby gains new respect for Grandma while enduring these adventures.

A celebration of Hasidic haberdashery, this film describes the qualities of "Mendel's black hats" and the men who wear them. Using mainly documentary footage of a Hasidic rabbi on the streets of Los Angeles, the film delves into what it means to be Hasidic, as symbolized by the signature black hat.

A unique recorder method book for children focuses on Jewish music and the historical importance of music in Judaism.

A musical based upon the true story of Lisa Jura, a child musical prodigy, who was sent on the Kindertransport to London before World War II. The musical combines Jura's poignant story with a fictional tale of joy and hope a la Mary Poppins to convey an inspiring message of never giving up when all seems lost. It's a tale of courage and survival and a celebration of the power of music to lift the human spirit.

Performance on June 17, 2022 by boys at Yeshiva Elementary School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Instructor: Mr. Guy Fiorentini; Assistant Instructor: Rabbi Eliezer Cooper; Program Conception and Development: Mrs. Marty Fox. Presented by RUACH, Inc.

(Extended version includes a 2-minute segment of behind-the-scenes footage at the beginning, introducing the characters.) While photographing a band playing the song "Wrong Man On Your Mind," a photographer gets to thinking about her relationship with the wrong man in her own life. This is the second music video showcasing the work of Chris Wellin, professor by day and musician/songwriter/arranger by night. Chris formed the band Whispering Campaign, featuring Chris on guitar, bass and drums; Rory Bolton on piano; and Cathy Nicholson, Chris and Rory on vocals.

A middle-aged husband and wife doing domestic chores together silently reflect upon each other and their marriage and decide whether to stay or leave. An experimental short film made by Debra Zarne, created around and punctuated by a pre-existing piece of experimental music composed by Yehuda Yannay.