NJ Jewish Film Festival: Colleyville

April 2 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Post-screening Q&A with filmmaker Dani Menkin and Colleyville hostage crisis survivor Jeff Cohen on Zoom

Director: Dani Menkin
2024, USA, 80 minutes
English with English subtitles
Feature

Ticket Price: $15

On January 15, 2022, an armed man entered Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, during a livestreamed Shabbat service and held Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three congregants hostage at gunpoint for 11 harrowing hours. Thanks to the rabbi and congregants’ courageous and level-headed management of the crisis, all four hostages left the synagogue alive. Documentarian Dani Menkin (NJJFF films On the Map and Aulcie) reconstructs this dramatic event using exclusive access to the synagogue’s surveillance camera footage and interviews with the participants inside and outside the synagogue. All too aware of the hatred and threats that Jews around the world continue to face, Colleyville offers a profound example of human and communal resilience.

JCC MetroWest NJ is one of Federation’s community partners, and we are proud to support this year’s NJJFF, which promotes Jewish culture, identity, and community by showcasing the work of Jewish artists.

We invite you to explore the full schedule to learn more about each film and to purchase tickets.

This film is powered by Federation’s Synagogue Initiative. Look for our professionals at the screening!