Virtual Lobbies are back! Join us for hosted, live dialogues unpacking some of the biggest conversation-starters of the festival. Centering around core themes, our handpicked experts facilitate conversations that provide historical and cultural context, while inviting participants to share their perspectives. These are Zooms you won’t want to miss!
Greener Pastures
Sunday, February 20 at Noon
Marijuana legislation is highly uneven at the present, with many states having legalized and/or decriminalized its recreational use, and others having given it the green light for medical use. CBD, THC, FDA, DEA: what does it all mean? Let’s hash it out.
Guests Include:
- Moderator: Noah Gardenswartz - Comedian and Writer
- Nakita Hemingway - Farmer & Entrepreneur
- Rabbi Michael Bernstein - Rabbi at Gesher L'Torah
- Joel Dworkin - HAMSA Program Director, JF&CS
Plan A / The Survivor
Tuesday, February 22 at 7:00 PM
Survival is in our blood, yet in our relentless pursuit of life over death we at times face desperation, blurred morality, and a skewed sense of justice. The emotional decisions we must make in the face of life-or-death judgments can ultimately blind us to what’s right.
Guests Include:
- Moderator: Paul R. Wolpe - Director of the Center for Ethics, Emory University
- Alan Haft - Son of Harry; Author of Harry Haft: The Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano
The Specials
Wednesday, February 23 at Noon
Individuals with physical or mental disabilities often end up on the fringes of society. What can we do to support and care for these people and make our world more accessible? Let’s discuss a future that considers the needs of all, including those who have been marginalized.
Guests Include:
- Moderator: Maria Saporta - Journalist
- Annie Garrett - Jewish Abilities Alliance
- Elizabeth Greenfield - Marcus Autism Center
Blue Box
Thursday, February 24 at 7:00 PM
The State of Israel has long been a topic of complicated socio-political, economic, and inter-religious controversy. As new truths about the country’s creation come to light, the layers of complexity increase…and sometimes new knowledge brings discomfort.
Guests Include:
- Moderator: Dov Wilker - Regional Director, AJC Atlanta
- Dr. Kenneth Stein - Professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern History and Israeli Studies at Emory University
Ahed’s Knee
Saturday, February 26 at 7:00 PM
Arthouse films, riddled with deep metaphors, whimsical visual language, and nonlinear storytelling, can feel unapproachable. Join us as we break down the cinematic vocabulary and complex mise en scène that makes Ahed’s Knee both brilliant and perplexing.
Guests Include:
- Moderator: Dr. Matthew Bernstein - Goodrich C. White Professor of Film and Media, Emory Unversity
1618 / Xueta Island
Sunday, February 27 at Noon
Reverberations of the Hispanophone diaspora still impact many Jewish descendants, each grappling with finding a place in their faith, community, and/or the world at large. Many have lingering questions about their predecessors who were forced to uproot or convert.
Guests Include:
- Moderator: Dr. Hazel Gold - Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Core Faculty of the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies, Emory University
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