FILM & TV

From Tuesday 15 September

Legend of Destruction

Gigi Dar’s animated historical drama revisits the Jewish Civil War and the Great Jewish Revolt against the Roman Empire (70 CE). Instead of featuring moving graphics, the 2021 film uses over 1,500 vivid, original still paintings paired with dynamic voiceovers by Oscar Isaac, Evangeline Lilly and Elliott Gould to explore how Ben Batiach, a young, idealistic man, becomes radicalised and leads a violent rebellion that sparks a domestic conflict.

ONLINE. www.legendofdestruction.com

Available indefinitely

The Last Spy

Age is just a number for 102-year-old Peter Sichel who, despite heavy dissuasion from the CIA, tells the unredacted story of his life as a spymaster in the OSS, America’s first intelligence agency. His memoirs reveal the lesser-known side of espionage throughout the Cold War, the accusations of him being a Soviet spy and questions over his allegiances. Katharina Otto-Bernstein presents the true story of a man who lived an extraordinary life through his rose-tinted glasses with wit and wisdom.

FREE. ONLINE. www.thelastspy.film

Orphan

Set in Hungary, 1957, a boy is reunited with his mother shortly after the failed revolution against Soviet rule. After being told his father died during the war, the boy longs to confront the truth. Hungarian director, writer and producer László Nemes, best known for the Oscar-winning Holocaust drama Son of Saul, presents the complexities of a Jewish community rebuilding itself following destruction in this new film. Read more about Orphan in the Spring 2026 issue of JR.

www.mubi.com

Stork of Hope

Based on true events, Stork of Hope tells the story of two brothers, Ilya and Sascha, who lose both their parents when they’re just eight and 12. The film traces the brothers’ harrowing journey, which sees them separated for 65 years before a long-awaited reunion. Directed by Alexander Franskevich-Leie, Stork of Hope is a poignant reminder that even in the darkest days of war, love and hope can prevail for a lifetime. Available to stream in the UK from 5 January.

FREE. ONLINE. www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/stork-of-hope

Book of Joshua: Walls of Jericho

In biblical Judaism, Joshua was instructed by Hashem to lead a procession while carrying holy texts around the fortress of Jericho for seven days. This intricately animated feature film recounts the story, where poorly armed Israelites faced the fierce soldiers of the city and managed to bring the mighty walls crashing down with their faith.

FREE. ONLINE. www.partingseasproductions.com

Solomon & Gaenor

In what may be the only time you will hear Welsh and Yiddish spoken in the same film, Solomon & Gaenor is an Oscar-nominated classic shining a rare spotlight on the little-known Welsh Jewish community. The touching and memorable love story focuses on two young people –Jewish Solomon, who hides his Orthodox heritage, and Christian Gaenor, who wants to escape her stifling family life. Both risk their families’ wrath amidst a looming miner’s strike in the background, provoking tensions and prejudices, further threatening the lovers’ happiness.

£3.99. ONLINE. https://ukjewishfilm.org

Other People’s Children

A bittersweet drama following Rachel, a single Jewish woman nearing 40, who appears content with the life that sees her falling in love with Ali and his four-year-old daughter Leila. However, their relationship, while filling Rachel with joy, only serves to remind her of her own childlessness, resurfacing feelings of regret about not becoming a parent when she had the chance. A bittersweet drama following Rachel, a single Jewish woman nearing 40, who appears content with the life that sees her falling in love with Ali and his four-year-old daughter Leila. However, their relationship, while filling Rachel with joy, only serves to remind her of her own childlessness, resurfacing feelings of regret about not becoming a parent when she had the chance.

£4.99. ONLINE. https://ukjewishfilm.org

Daughter of the Waves: Memoirs of Growing Up in Pre-War Palestine

The relaunch of Ruth Jordan’s autobiography. This poignant memoir follows her upbringing in British Mandate Palestine, as well as her career as a journalist – she was the first female news presenter on the BBC World Service Hebrew Section – and beyond. Jordan’s children, Sharon and Oran Kivity, share their mother’s journey 40 years after the book’s first launch, and speak to a former colleague of Jordan’s, the journalist, author and music expert Norman Lebrecht, to remember her life and work.

FREE. ONLINE. www.youtube.com/watch?v=411_740BUBg

Birds of Passage

Hormazd Narielwalla’s 11th ‘bookwork’ (a piece of art that folds into a book) draws comparisons between certain members of gay communities and birds, both moving from country to country seeking somewhere to live safely and comfortably. It is inspired by the artist’s own motivation for migrating to the UK from India to celebrate his sexuality and creativity. Learn more in this intimate, video exploration of the artwork presented by the Ben Uri Gallery and narrated by Dr Shaun Cole, who wrote the introduction to Birds of Passage.

FREE. ONLINE. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuRrVGnoNCI

Servant of the People

When Jewish comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy co-wrote and starred in Servant of the People, a comedy series about a history teacher (Zelenskyy) who finds himself elected president, little did he know that life was to imitate art. Flash forward seven years since the show first aired, and Zelenskyy is not only Ukraine's heroic leader, but a household name internationally. It's no surprise then, that Channel 4 opted to interrupt its usual schedule of Sunday night reruns to screen the first three episodes. Catch up with them now on All 4. Read our review of Servant of the People on the JR blog.

FREE. ONLINE. www.channel4.com/programmes/servant-of-the-people 

MUSIC

AVailable indefinitely

Alex Weiser: In a Dark Blue Night

Following his Pulitzer Prize-nominated album And All the Days Were Purple, a love letter to New York City, Alex Weiser introduces his new album, In a Dark Blue Night, comprising of two song cycles exploring the city from complementary perspectives. The first cycle features five settings of Yiddish poetry, written by newly arrived immigrants to New York over the 1800s and 1900s, and the second, told through the recorded memories of Weiser’s late grandmother, features vivid, buoyant adventures about childhood in the bustling world of Coney Island in the late 1930s and 40s. Combined, the two cycles explore a little-known chapter of New York City’s history.

£7.93. Online download. www.alexweiser.bandcamp.com

Faiths in Tune

Get a taste of Faiths in Tune, the interfaith music festival that takes place annually in various locations around the world. This playlist of 20 videos features previous performances from different years and countries.

FREE. ONLINE. www.youtube.com/CoexistinterfaithOrgplus 

Music That Survived the Nazis

There’s a common idea that music created in Nazi Germany was only for propoganda. Historian Shirli Gibson clears up this misconception with a handful of rare and newly discovered recordings that show just how varied German musical output of the period was. In the first episode, she explores the music of the Jewish Culture League, as well two Jewish record labels, Lukraphon and Semer. Part Two is focused on music-making in the concentration camps and ghettos during World War II. Gibson takes a look at the stories that influenced the creative responses in a variety of ways. 

FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct3c7z?utm

TALKS

Monday 12 October

Shanghai: The Port of Last Resort

Author Paul French looks into the 20,000 Jewish refugees who fled Germany and Austria in the late 1930s for Shanghai. He’ll also talk about his research into the young, mostly female Jews who then went on to the Portuguese-controlled Macao, who hoped to end up In the UK or US.

7.30pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.jcc.scot

Tuesday 13 October

October 7 in Graphic Novels

Israeli cartoonist Asaf Hanuka and writer and actor Omri Rose appear in conversation with Jonathan Sandler, exploring how they both retold the stories of the 7 October attacks. Hanuka is the co-creator of The Day Everything Changed: Ten Stories from October 7th and Rose co-wrote Echoes of October; both graphic novels revealed various aspects about the trauma, memories and experiences of the atrocities.

6.30pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.jewishliteraryfoundation.co.uk

Tuesday 13 October

Synagogues Under Changing Moroccan Rule

Architectural designer, curator, researcher and author Dr Dana Avrish explores how Moroccan Jews maintained their religious and communal identities amidst political, legal, social and cultural shifts under Muslim and colonial regimes.

7pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.harif.org

Monday 19 October

British Jews in 2026

Dr Jonathan Boyd of the Institute for Jewish Policy Research presents a fresh perspective on the evolution of British Jewry. He’ll explore how demographic trends, sociological forces, technological developments and political dynamics are shaping the experiences and perceptions of Britain’s Jews, and consider what these changes mean for the future sustainability of Jewish communities in the UK.

8pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.manchesterjewishstudies.org

Tuesday 27 October

Reaching Israel from Yemen and Aden: A Shared Jewish Struggle

Benjamin Berman-Gladstone (University of Pennsylvania) discusses how 20th-century Yemeni and Adeni Jews, who were divided by borders and cultural differences, found solidarity in their determination to move to Israel.

7.30pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.harif.org

Thursday 5 November

From the Creation of the World to the Creation of a Foetus: Pregnancy in Jewish Mystical and Magical Sources

Andrea Gondos discusses how Jews in the Middle Ages used magic, religious practice and traditional medicine to protect pregnant women and babies. She’ll touch on amulets that were worn, special prayers and sacred words that were said, herb and foods that were consumed and specific rituals that were performed to protect the expecting. Gondos explores the notion of pregnancy as a spiritual connection to the wider universe and will show an 18th-century Jewish birth amulet thought to repel Lilith – a mystical figure believed to threaten prenatal women, babies and newborns.

6pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanities/institute-jewish-studies

Tuesday 10 November

Did Zionists Cause Jews to Leave Arab Countries?

Lyn Julius discusses the exodus of Jews from Arab countries in the mid-20th century, and whether Zionists were behind it. Hear about the theory of ‘false-flag’ attacks – strikes that were said to be caused by Zionists, but made to look as though someone else carried them out – and whether they actually happened, who was responsible and how much they contributed to Jews leaving places such as Iraq and Egypt.  

7.30pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.harif.org

Wednesday 11 November

Gaze Matters - When Does a Picture Become an Idol?

At first glance, the Torah seems clear that idolatry is strictly condemned, yet it also commands the creation of visual artefacts. Beniamino Fortis looks at how and why the devotion to imagery happens, drawing on biblical texts, Greek philosophy and modern picture theories, arguing that idolisation doesn’t come from the appearance of an object but the way it is perceived. He’ll take a closer look at pictures, presence, representation and visual understanding to see why some pieces become so precious and why others don’t.

6pm. FREE. ONLINE. www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanities/institute-jewish-studies

Available indefinitely

Jewish Medieval History at the Tower of London

Curator Charles Farris, Dr Rory MacLellan (University of Winchester) and historian Professor Miri Rubin (Queen Mary University of London) discuss the medieval Jewish community that once existed in England, drawing on research from Historic Royal Palaces, which has provided a nuanced picture of life at the time. Read more about Jewish Medieval History at the Tower of London in the Winter 2026 issue of JR.

FREE. ONLINE. www.historicroyalpalaces.libsyn.com/jewish-medieval-history-at-the-tower-of-london

Our Freedom: Then and Now

London’s JW3 marked 80 years since the end of World War II with an exhibition by people aged 18-35, exploring how the Holocaust is remembered by younger generations. This new podcast, featuring participants and artists who took part in the display, delves into what freedom means today for those living in the shadows of survivors, and how the stories of their ancestors shape their own sense of liberation.

FREE. ONLINE. www.production8x.podbean.com

What is the Right Pronoun to use for God?

Within its texts, Judaism affirms God’s supremacy beyond gender, however in further teachings and tradition, there is an overwhelming use of masculine imagery. This recording, made by Rabbi Louis Jacobs in 2005, argues the importance of neutral pronouns within the religion, especially for queer and non-binary worshippers to feel a sense of belonging, and to promote gender diversity.

FREE. ONLINE. www.buzzsprout.com/1859010/episodes/18036034

Bearing Witness: Documenting 7 October and its Aftermath

The National Library of Israel’s Bearing Witness Archive is an initiative that documents the events of 7 October and the aftermath. This discussion, which originally took place at Jewish Book Week, features the library’s head of collections Raqual Ukeles and historian Ilan Troen exploring the unprecedented scale of online coverage, vigils, rallies and memorials that have resulted from the Israel-Gaza war.

FREE. ONLINE. www.jewishliteraryfoundation.co.uk/videos/bearing-witness-documenting-7-october-its-aftermath

The Romani Holocaust

The destruction of the Roma by the Nazi state is sparsely understood and documented. Dr Barbara Warnock, Senior Curator and Head of Education at the Wiener Holocaust Library, is featured in this documentary about the Roma Genocide, which also features a representation of the first-hand account of a Sinti survivor of Auschwitz, held in the library’s archives.

FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6r9x

Auld Lang Schmooze

Edinburgh Jewish Cultural Centre’s podcast kicks off with an in-depth conversation with Jewish Renaissance editor Rebecca Taylor and writer David Ian Neville, talking about JR’s Summer 2023 issue and how each edition of the magazine is planned and produced.

FREE. ONLINE. www.jcc.scot

I Belong to Glazgoy

Dr Phil Alexander pieces together the story of Isaac Hirshow, a virtuosic Russian Jewish synagogue cantor and composer, who was one of thousands of Jewish immigrants who arrived in Glasgow from Warsaw in 1922. Alexander excavates Hirshow’s story through archive, oral history, poetry, early recordings and specially performed music.

FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001n1x7

The Black Cantor

Thomas LaRue Jones, an African-American tenor, was known as the Black Cantor, singing Jewish music in the early decades of the 20th century. His soulful voice and perfect Yiddish pronunciation propelled him to fame, performing in synagogues and theatres across America’s East Coast and around Europe. However, after his death in 1954, LaRue Jones all but disappeared from history, leaving behind only one recording, made in 1923. Journalist Maria Margaronis unpacks the mystery of the Black Cantor’s career, looking at what drew him to the music, what his life tells us about race, faith and identity in America 100 years ago, and why he was so quickly forgotten.

FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fj1ylk

The Cockney Yiddish Podcast

Historians Nadia Valman and Vivi Lachs’ new podcast explores the unknown popular Yiddish culture of London’s East End against a backdrop of stories and songs from the 1880s to the 1950s. With special guests, including broadcaster Alan Dein and actor and comedian David Schneider, the hosts journey through music halls and street markets to revive London’s old East End. There are seven episodes in the series, six in English and one in Yiddish.

FREE. ONLINE. www.cockneyyiddish.org

Jewish Quest: Between the Lines Series

This weekly podcast provides a space where Jewish conversation can be free of denominational constraints, inspiring a deep love and knowledge of Jewish learning, teaching and debate. Previous speakers include Zvi Koenigsberg, Professor Mark Leuchter, Dr Kristine Henriksen Garroway and Chazan Jaclyn Chernett.

FREE. ONLINE. https://jewishquest.org 

Anne Frank’s Stepsister: How I Survived Auschwitz 

This raw and unfiltered two-part documentary offers a rare insight into the Frank family’s experience during the Holocaust. It’s a personal account by Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s step-sister and friend, who describes Anne humorously as ‘Miss Quack-Quack’ (a reference to her chatty personality). In the first episode, Schloss describes her life before Auschwitz and her family’s eventual capture. In part two, she focuses on her experience of the liberation of Auschwitz and her efforts to keep her brother Heinz’s memory alive.  

FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct1k4b 

Hardtalk: David Baddiel

BBC World Service presenter Stephen Sacker speaks to writer and comedian David Baddiel, who has a gift for finding the funny in some of the darkest corners of the human psyche. Now he is taking on modern culture, which is often toxic, and asks: is comedy becoming a victim of the culture wars? Baddiel gives as good as he gets in this frank, intelligent one-to-one interview that lives up to its name.

FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct1n6f

London’s Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony 2022

The capital marked Holocaust Memorial Day online again this year, featuring a moving address by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, alongside testimonies by Holocaust survivor Steven Frank BEM and Eric Murangwa Eugene MBE, survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Violinist Emmanuel Bach opened and closed the event with renditions of Bach’s Sola Sonatas. Watch the entire live-stream of the ceremony on the Mayor’s Office London YouTube channel. 

FREE. ONLINE. www.jmi.org.uk 

Opera Arias Reinvented and Holocaust Survivor Rachel Levy

Celebrate the achievements of Jewish women in this two-part podcast. Hear from violinist Charlotte Maclet about the award-winning, all-female string quartet Zaïde, and Rachel Levy, who is one of seven Holocaust survivors featured in the Portraits of the Holocaust project commissioned by the Prince of Wales.

FREE. ONLINE. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013rn0

How Things are Done in Odessa

The city of Odesa has been at the heart of attacks by Russia in its war against Ukraine. It is famously fiercely independent from Moscow and Kyiv, and its legendary past and position as a nexus of global trade has given the city a distinctive character. Narrating this Odesan story are musician Alec Kopyt, shipping proprietor Roman Morgenshtern, journalist Vlad Davidzon, translator Boris Dralyuk, and poets Boris and Lyudmila Khersonsky.sav

FREE. ONLINE. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0ctvzj8

The Exchange - Breaking with Tradition

Former Chasidic Jew Emily and ex-Amish person John both grew up in strict religious communities that heavily governed their lives and maintained a degree of separation from the ‘secular’ world. Together, they discuss the challenges of living with rules they found impossible to relate to and the difficulties they faced while adjusting to life on ‘the outside’.

FREE. ONLINE. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001brqg 

THEATRE

Available indefinitely

The End of the Night

A chance to stream Ben Brown’s phenomenal play, The End of the Night, directed by Alan Strachan and performed at Park Theatre. A singular meeting between a Jew and a Nazi during World War II is the main focus. As the war is coming to an end, Dr Felix Kersten, Himmler’s personal physiotherapist, uses his unique position of influence to facilitate a meeting between the architect of the Holocaust and Swedish Jew Norbert Masur, a member of the World Jewish Congress. Can Masur and Kersten turn Himmler’s thoughts away from the downfall of the Third Reich and towards a course of action that could save thousands of lives? It’s a joint attempt to release the last surviving Jews from concentration camps, contrary to Hitler’s orders that no Jew should outlast the regime. Read our review of The End of the Night on the JR blog and hear our interview with playwright Ben Brown on JR OutLoud.

From £20/a. ONLINE. https://originaltheatreonline.com 

Otvetka

Under the shadow of an imminent Russian attack, a woman tries to hold her shattered life together after the father of her unborn child is killed in the Donbas region by a sniper. Suddenly, her phone pings with a delighted message from a friend on the other side of the border, inviting her to a wedding. How will she respond? Written by leading Ukrainian playwright Neda Nezhdana, this explosive monodrama confronts not only the war between Russia and Ukraine, but increased unrest sparked by fake news around the world. Dedicated to Ukrainian opera singer Vasyl Slipak, who went to war as a volunteer and died in the trenches of Donbas after being shot by a sniper, Otvetka (meaning ‘answers’ and ‘retaliation’ in Ukrainian) is currently being performed in Ukraine, despite constant interruptions from air-raid sirens. This stream is part of Finborough Theatre’s new digital initiative, #FinboroughFrontier, and part of the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Reading Series, a collaboration with the Theatre of Playwrights in Kyiv to read new Ukrainian plays around the world.

FREE. ONLINE. www.youtube.com/finboroughtheatre