And the Gates Opened: Women in the Rabbinate

Aired 2004-05 on ABC and 2005-06 on NBC. Produced by Diva Communications 

Presented by The Jewish Theological Seminary In May of 1985 Amy Eilberg made Conservative Jewish history as she stood to receive Smicha, rabbinic ordination, from The Jewish Theological Seminary. This landmark event in the history of the 118 year old movement represented a seismic shift for Conservative Jews world wide and the long term impact is only just beginning to be felt. As JTS prepared to celebrate the 20th anniversary of women’s ordination, this documentary explores the history leading up to the entry of women into the rabbinate and investigates the legacy this new paradigm is creating for the next generation of religious and lay leaders. From 1972 when the Reform movement first ordained Sally Priesand to today when a young Bat Mitzvah girl can hope to one day be a rabbi; “women rabbis have gradually begun reshaping the contours of Conservative Judaism, providing fresh perspectives on Jewish tradition and new models of gendered behavior in Jewish practice.” {Tradition Renewed Volume Two "The Politics of Women’s Ordination" Beth S. Wenger}

To purchase a copy of the film call  212 397-7259.

Lifting Their Spirit: Camps for Ill Children

Aired 2007-08. Camping opportunities for disadvantaged and chronically ill children have grown over the decades. These special programs often bring needed spiritual, and even physical gains so often needed by both the children and their families.

The Celebration of Easter from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Aired 2011-12 on NBC and 2012-13 on ABC. Produced by the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Join in the celebration of Easter from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the patronal church of the United States and the nation’s preeminent Marian shrine, located in Washington, D.C.  The Most Reverend Barry C. Knestout, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, is celebrant and homilist of the Solemn Mass of Easter from the beautiful Crypt Church of the Basilica.

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic church in North America and ranks among the ten largest churches in the world.  Rivaling the great sanctuaries of Europe and the world in art, architecture, historical importance, and significance as a center of worship, the Basilica receives nearly one million visitors annually.  Among those who have visited are Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, and Mother Teresa.  The Basilica is open 365 days a year.  All are welcome.

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For more information, please visit www.nationalshrine.com

A Place for All: Faith and Community for People with Disabilities

Aired 2009-10 and 2011-12 on NBC. Presented by a Consortium of Jewish Organizations,  Produced by Diva Communications

It is a startling number. According to the CDC, 1 out of 5 Americans has at least one disability. The fact is, we’re all going to be disabled one way or another. Time takes care of that. Things happen in life. But how we cope with that disability and how we deal with other people with disabilities – well, that’s a choice. A learned response. We need to change attitudes, remove barriers, and create a truly inclusive community.

A Place for All: Faith and Community for Persons with Disabilities explored how faiths have moved toward inclusivity as they help ease the social isolation that often plagues the one out of five Americans with disabilities. This program highlighted the stories of people with disabilities who had been welcomed as valued members of their religious communities, where they had celebrated baptisms, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and annual events, as well as the stories of those who had found strength in their faith allowing them and others to see past their disabilities.

To purchase a DVD copy 

A Peace of Bread: Faith, Food and the Future

Aired 2011-12. Presented by a Consortium of Jewish Organizations; Produced by Diva Communications Hunger is perhaps the most enduring affliction in the history of the world – from Biblical times to present day – and one to which it seems there is no easy solution. A Peace of Bread: Faith, Food, and the Future explores the work not only of the steadfast caregivers in soup kitchens and food pantries, but also that of a new generation of anti-hunger activists – all of whom driven by faith in a brighter future. Agricultural sustainability, social network community building, creative entrepreneurship, advocacy to reshape food policy – these are just some of the ways in which faith based groups are bringing a new perspective to an old problem. With 36 million people suffering from hunger in our nation, the issue requires a combined effort from many visionaries. David Scherer (a.k.a. AGAPE*) uses the power of music to raise hunger awareness amongst youth across a 100+ show tour every year. As a young college student, Eli Winkelman founded Challah for Hunger to raise money and awareness for hunger through the production and sale of challah bread. The organization has since grown to over 40 chapters in schools across the nation and beyond. The young men of Gozanga’s College High School’s Campus Kitchen spend their summers cooking and delivering meals to the less fortunate in the shadow of the nation’s capitol. At the Jewish Farm School in upstate New York, Nati Passow works toward a long-held dream of agricultural sustainability. Participants connect to their faith by working the land and growing food for the cause. With a generous grant from Odyssey Networks and the support of the New York Board of Rabbis, the National Council of Churches, Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Presbyterian Church in America, Bread for the World, the Union for Reform Judaism, and the Westside Campaign to End Hunger, A Peace of Bread hopes to restore a nation’s conviction that we can eliminate hunger. All it takes is a few creative solutions, the will to end hunger and a lot of big hearts.

To purchase a DVD copy 

We Shall Not Be Moved: The Catholic Sisters of New Orleans

Aired 2001-02. Produced by New Group Media When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, six Catholic communities of Sisters lost more than convents, chapels, cars and motherhouses. They also lost ministries that served the families of New Orleans through their high schools, daycare sites, community centers and senior nursing home facilities. The Sisters faced a soul-size dilemma: To remain and rebuild---or to walk away. Mindful of their long New Orleans legacies and the massive needs surrounding them, they chose to stay---and to continue their service in the city they love.

DVD available at www.weshallnotbemovedmovie.com or call 1-800-354-3504

All of the Above: Single, Clergy, Mother

Aired 2013-14 on ABC. Many female rabbis and cantors in the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative movements of Judaism face an interesting quandary. On one hand, “Be fruitful and multiply” is the Torah’s first commandment followed later by, “For you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Imagine the dilemma if you wish to be fruitful and holy, but you’re female, a rabbi or cantor…who is single.

All of the Above: Single, Clergy, Mother highlights the stories of four single, female rabbis/cantors who adopt children or attempt medical procedures to create families of their own. A revealing new film, it explores the choices demanded of Jewish women and the often-competing desires of motherhood and faith.

More than simply a niche film about the confluence of circumstances for four specific Jewish women, All of the Above is a larger rumination on both what it means to be a Jewish-American woman today who wants to “have it all,” (spiritually, professionally and emotionally), and an object lesson for Jewish girls on the rightness and humanity of such a desire.

Rabbi Lisa Gelber, Associate Dean, The Rabbinical School, JTS Rabbi Felicia Sol, B’nai Jeshurun, New York Cantorial Student Basya Schechter, Musician/Composer, Pharaoh’s Daughter Rabbi Julie Greenberg, Congregation Leyv Ha-Ir, Philadelphia

All of the Above: Single, Clergy, Mother reveals the complicated, intriguing, sometimes frustrating, and ultimately fulfilling journey that is both unique and common to all Jewish- American women: a journey worthy of exultation and one that will define the future of Jewish women for years to come.

Divine Prescription: Stories of Faith, Health and Community

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Aired 2012-13. Produced by Diva Communications Presented by the New York Board of Rabbis Who cares for those who are sick but have no resources to combat their illness? Divine Prescription, a one-hour interfaith documentary, examines some of the amazing people who do just that, understanding the veracity of the oft quoted Talmud precept: "Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved the entire world." By offering a broad array of physical and mental health programs to all people who are sick or suffering, regardless of their ability to pay, faith groups are implementing the principles of their holy texts on a daily basis. In the words of one of the people of faith who volunteers their time to care for the sick, “If you take your faith seriously in any way, you realize that is part of the deal. It’s something we are called to do.”

Click here to purchase a DVD copy

Building a Basilica

Aired 2013-14. Building a Basilica “Among the churches of America, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Victory is, for many reasons, to be counted as one of the greatest. This sanctuary is truly a masterpiece, in the nobility of its lines, in the splendor of its marbles, in its massive solidarity, and in its artistic finish..."

-Quoted from the Apostolic Decree by Pope Pius X

When asked to recall Father Nelson Baker, many describe a man who was a protector of people and a strong advocate for the rights of the disadvantaged. Others refer to him as a visionary and a shrewd businessman who was able to turn desperate situations around. All remember him as a spiritual leader of incredible faith with a steadfast devotion to the Blessed Mother as Our Lady of Victory.

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In 1921, at the age of 79, Msgr. Nelson Baker contacted Architect Emile Uhlrich with plans to build a church dedicated to the Blessed Mother, in Lackawanna, NY.  It was to be a place of wondrous beauty and radiating hope to all who enter its doors.

Emile Uhlrich, born an orphan in Epinal, France, was educated at the Ecole Fenelon, the Lycee St. Nicholas, and the Ecole des Beaux Arts. At age 18 Emile moved to the United States and in 1900 was naturalized. He soon became a successful architect specializing in church design in Cleveland, Ohio.

Within five years, the priest and the architect built a church that was a true architectural wonder. Building costs came to $3.2 million, which was paid for before church doors open in 1926.

Iron from steel giant Bethlehem Steel and marble from Georgian Marble company would house hundreds of paintings, sculptures, mosaics and stained glass from world renown artists.

Today Our Lady of Victory Basilica carries the title of National Shrine and Minor Basilica. It is considered to be Emile Uhlrich’s pinnacle work.

And for the priest who started it all, Msgr. Nelson Baker, he has been named Servant of God the first step toward sainthood.

“Building a Basilica” produced by Daybreak TV Productions, Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, tells the story of this national shrine through vast archive materials including drawings and hundreds of letters from Fr. Baker, Emile Ulhrich,  builders, artists and contractors.

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Fierce Goodbye: Living in the Shadow of Suicide

Aired 2012-13. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA; Produced by Mennonite Media Over four million people a year in the U.S. mourn the tragic suicide deaths of family members. In the award-winning Fierce Goodbye documentary, you'll meet some courageous, beautiful people who share their deepest moments of despair, grief, pain and finally hope as they cope with the aftermath of suicide. Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Greek Orthodox theologians, and scholars and people working in the mental health field, provide insights in dealing with the aftermath of suicide.  A groundbreaking look at the role of faith and suicide.

Fierce Goodbye: Living in the Shadow of Suicide, is a groundbreaking look at faith perspectives on the taboo subject of suicide and how families find hope and healing. The hour-long documentary is hosted by Judy Collins, folksinger and author of a memoir on suicide, Sanity and Grace, and brings to light stories of families and friends as they face difficult, unanswerable questions following suicide. Mental health experts including Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, Johns Hopkins University, and Sheri Davis Molock, George Washington University, weigh in on the stigma of mental illness and suicide. Biblical scholar G. Lloyd Carr and author of the book,Fierce Goodbye, and theologians from Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Jewish and Protestant faiths share their views on what the Bible and their traditions have taught about suicide and how those views are changing. The documentary features an original musical score by Emmy-award winning composer, David Cottrell.

www.fiercegoodbye.com

DVD available at http://www.MennoMedia.org/FierceGoodbye

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(un)Common Sounds

Aired 2013-14 on ABC. Daunting headlines come from Egypt, from Syria, from Lebanon: another day, another bombing. Where are the encouraging examples of people of faith and conscience working together for the common good?   [un]CommonSounds follows musicians and scholars eager to create a new song that crosses religious and cultural barriers. They gather in Beirut, Lebanon and Yogyakarta, Indonesia for concerts and conferences, to perform rock, folk, pop, classical, and Arabic music together.  What happens when we listen closely to one another’s songs?   [un]CommonSounds explores how music can foster sustainable peace amongst Muslims and Christians. This endeavor is led by ethnomusicologist Roberta R. King, PhD and scholar Sooi Ling Tan, PhD from the Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.  As an international, interdenominational school, the Seminary is familiar with the crossing of cultures and traditions.  Yet, the challenges of securing visas and gathering the musicians prove daunting. If we struggle to get to the same location, how difficult will it be to get on the same page for peace?   Can the deep listening necessary for making music together enhance our ability to understand each other’s beliefs and practices?

With eighteen faith traditions recognized by the Lebanese government, we see a country striving to overcome the regional conflicts that press in from multiple sides.  In Beirut, signs of hope emerge from the Classical Arabic Music Ensemble led by Dr. Nidaa Abou-Mrad.  They demonstrate how the sacred chants of early Christians sound remarkably similar to Muslims’ enduring call to prayer.  The Watar School for Music taps into the shared folk songs that unite the Lebanese people.  An all ages choir led by Nizar Fares, of SuperStar fame (American Idol in Lebanon) illustrates how voices and faiths can merge into one united song.  The silience of the Lebanese people shines through.

While we often associate Islam with the Middle East, Indonesia is the country with the largest population of Muslims. The Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies in Yogyakarta hosts a diverse cross section of arts, faiths, and practices.  In Bandung, Irfan Amalee leads a team who work with high school students to reclaim the meaning of Islam as “peace.”  A punk rock band, The Mahad, rehearses their positive anthems that echo bands like U2.  Sumatran ethnomusicologists Irwansyah Harahap and Rithaony Hutajulu lead the world music group, Suarasama at a closing night concert that lifts up Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad.   Commissioned to write a tune that captures the heart of the conference, Irwansyah unveils, “We Share.”  With Rithaony on lead vocals, musicians from the United States, Egypt, and Indonesia gather to celebrate the things “We Share” in common.  Space is created for each performer to offer praise to their God in their own language and yet, the music comes together in soaring, swirling harmonies.   This is the hope embedded in [un]Common Sounds:  people sharing a song that elevates their beliefs while honoring and listening to each other.

For more info:  www.songsforpeaceproject.org

http://vimeo.com/32183684

Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America

Aired 2013-14.  

“Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America,” is a one-hour documentary narrated by noted NPR and ABC news analyst Cokie Roberts, and featuring interviews with historians, journalists and sister. This film brings to life the inspiring, virtually untold, 300-year story of Catholic women religious who have greatly and at times sacrificially contributed to the American landscape. It examines the courage (mostly quiet but at times outspoken), entrepreneurial spirit, and indomitable faith exercised by these women during many dramatic moments in U.S. history. The film is an outgrowth of the highly successful touring exhibit (2009 - 2012) of the same title, sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the film’s executive producer.

The documentary has been selected for NBC’s “Horizons of the Spirit” series in partnership with the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission.

Local viewers’ calls, emails or letters to their local stations increase the possibilities of a station airing this program.

https://vimeo.com/72112238

A Killer in the Dark: Combating Malaria

Aired 2011-12 and 2013-14 on NBC. Presented by the National Council of Churches USA; Produced by United Methodist Communications As a young mother tucks her children into bed in West Africa, the night brings ominous uncertainty. She may not know the cause, but her children risk falling ill and dying. Across the ocean, the best scientific minds labor to find an answer to what she calls, “the killer in the dark”; others know it as the mosquito-borne disease called malaria.

NCIS star Pauley Perrette hosts this compelling documentary about the quest of the scientific and faith communities to combat this preventable and treatable disease. Although solutions are sought in laboratories around the world, there is power in the pews as people of faith mount a intricate campaign against the mosquito. How are these faithful followers helping to drive-down the number of malaria-related deaths and what is the lasting impact of their efforts?

Watch the compelling story unfold in An Extraordinary Effort to Catch a Killer in the Dark.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9sLQJbos3w

Exploring Religions

Aired 2013-14. There are many religions, and varied denominations within one religion in our world. This program will explore three of them; Buddhism, Christian Science and Jainism. As always we will hear directly from the followers of these faith communities and learn of their beliefs, their traditions and their rituals.

Religions Fight to Expose Human Trafficking

Aired 2013-14. The virtual enslavement of some vulnerable people such as farm workers, domestic slaves, and other forms of human abuse is a shocking problem. Various faith communities are working to expose this horror and to rescue those suffering from such abuses. We will hear from various groups who are on the front lines, and giving both a voice to the problems and working to help victims to overcome such abuses.

Spiritual But Not Religious

Aired 2013-14. Today many people refer to themselves as being more Spiritual than Religious and this program will explore the various meanings of this phrase. People spanning a range of ages and traditions will be telling us about their understanding of what Spiritual, but not Religious means for them. Scholars and others will add to our understanding of the variety of religious and spiritual beliefs present in modern life.

A Journey of Spirit

Aired 2012-13 on NBC. A Journey of Spirit is a wonderfully vibrant and moving film that makes us laugh, cry and sing! This inspirational story of the pre-eminent Jewish singer/songwriter Debbie Friedman, offers insights into the woman and her music, and the influence of her music across boundaries of religion, culture, age and gender. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, a quiet revolution began in the world of liberal American Judaism. At the heart of the revolution was singer/songwriter Debbie Friedman. Influenced by American folk music, Friedman began writing and performing her own folk songs, incorporating Jewish themes and liturgy. Her music quickly caught on with young people all over the United States, and by 1972 she had released her first album "Sing Unto God."  Although her popular reception was immeasurable, her reception by the Reform establishment was less warm. Cantors felt threatened. They feared that the genre known as "Debbie Friedman" would infiltrate the synagogue and that would be the end of nusach, or traditional Jewish modes.

Combining English and Hebrew and speaking in an inclusive, egalitarian language, Debbie Friedman has confronted traditionalists, combated gender roles and managed to transform Jewish sacred music so that it is accessible to a large and diverse audience. Through Debbie Friedman’s story, Ann Coppel explores the transformation of liberal Jewish worship over the past 30 years, weaving in interviews with live concert footage that will make anyone who’s ever set foot in summer camp, tap their feet and sing along.

A Journey of Spirit lets us experience the positive influence that one determined woman can have on the spiritual lives of Jews, as well as the infinite power of music to generate community, spirituality, and healing. Ann Coppel’s thought-provoking documentary educates and challenges viewers of all denominations.

View the trailer:

I Believe You: Faiths' Response to Intimate Partner Violence

Aired 2011-12. Produced by Diva Communications 

I Believe You: Faiths’ Response to Intimate Partner Violence, is an extraordinary interfaith documentary that explores the stories of survivors of abuse and the response of faith groups to address their needs.

Produced with the support of The New York Board of Rabbis, United Methodist Women, Presbyterian Women, the Evangelical Church in America, Odyssey Networks and a consortium of Muslim organizations, this one-hour program, features the music of Janis Ian.

From rural programs such as the Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center in Missouri to urban programs such as First Step in Michigan, from prevention programs such as Healthy Relationships held at Camp Herzl in Wisconsin, to recognition programs like the Mikveh Attendants program in New Jersey, from support groups at Emma’s Place in Minnesota to healing programs at Mayyim Hayyim in Massachusetts, faith groups are exploring ways to support, advocate for and help aid the healing of those who have been harmed by abuse.

The program is filled with the hard won wisdom of survivors and the insight and understanding of clergy and program leaders including:

The Reverend Barbara Certa-Werner, Executive Director, Harbor House; Antonia Clemente, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Trinity Healing Center; Rabbi Mark Dratch, Founder, JSAFE; The Reverend Dr. Marie M. Fortune, Founder FaithTrust Institute; Rabbi Lisa Gelber, Associate Dean, The Rabbinical School, The Jewish Theological Seminary; Rabbi Diana Gerson, Executive Director of Dayenu, Enough Silence!; Imam Khalid Latif, Executive Director, The Islamic Center, NYU, and Chaplain, NYPD; Robina Niaz, Founder and Executive Director, The Turning Point- Services for Muslim Women and Families; Harriett Jane Olson, Chief Executive Officer, United Methodist Women; Dr. Nancy Nason-Clark, Founder, The Rave Project (Religion and Violence E-Learning Project); The Reverend Diane Smalley, survivor and former Co-Moderator, Presbyterians Against Domestic Violence; The Reverend Ann Tiemeyer, Program Director, Women’s Ministry, National Council of Churches; Reverend Traci C. West, Ph.D., author, Wounds of the Spirit: Black Women, Violence, and Racism. It has been said that if people of faith do not advocate for justice, we are complicit in the perpetuation of this crisis. I Believe You: Faiths’ Response to Intimate Partner Violence goes a long way to give voice to the stories of survivors, make clear the assistance faith groups can provide, and offer encouragement and direction for women trapped in abusive relationships.

I Believe You: Faiths’ Response to Intimate Partner Violence is made possible in part by the generous support of Odyssey Networks, United Methodist Women, The New York Board of Rabbis, National Council of Churches USA, Presbyterian Women, and ELCA Women''s Ministry and ELCA Justice for Women Program.

Click here to purchase a DVD copy 

A Gathering of the Faithful

Key religious leaders at this second World Parliament (including NCC President Syngman Rhee) are interviewed about the work of the Parliament as it seeks to meet social needs and enhance interfaith cooperation.