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Israel Independence Day gala kicks off with premiere
Updated: May 27, 2012 8:18AM
Israel’s Independence Day celebration kicks off with the community-wide Chicago premiere screening of “Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference” and an exhibit of Israel’s 64 years of innovation Thursday at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Boulevard Skokie.
The exhibit opens at 5:30 p.m. and the screening, with remarks by the film’s Associate Producer and Chicago native, David Coleman, begins at 7 p.m. Guests will be welcomed by the Chicago Bear’s Gabe Carimi, who will pose for photos and sign autographs. Dan Proft, WLS Radio and Fred Cohen, Maccabi USA will also attend. There will be Goodie bags.
“Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference,” is a 55-minute documentary produced by JerusalemOnlineU.com portraying Israel ‘beyond the conflict,’ an often unreported side of this small country’s accomplishments in technology, agriculture and medicine. It is narrated by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, a New York Times Bestselling author and former Harvard professor famous for teaching the university’s most popular course, “Positive Psychology.”
Ben-Shahar examines universal core character strengths and how they enable Israeli’s to overcome challenges and turn a desert into a flourishing society. “This film doesn’t exist in a universe of its own – it is within the context of the conflict in the region,” said Ben-Shahar, “By shifting the focus onto the resilience of the Jewish people in the face of adversity, we hope it may help ultimately in helping to counter the conflict.”
Tickets cost $15, for adults; and $10, children under 13, for the film and the exhibit at the box office in person, by phone at (847) 673-6300 or online at www.IsraelInsideTheMovie.com/Chicago.
The event is sponsored by CAMERA, Chicago Torah Network, Israel Bonds, JerusalemOnlineU.com, JET-Jewish Education Team, StandWithUs, The Israel Project and Volunteers for Israel.
