Chef and caterer Marilee Kinsella, who served as director of <a href="http://sajfs.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spokane Area Jewish Family Services</a> in 2014 and more recently catered SAJFS luncheons, now lives in Chicago. In this cooking demonstration Zoomed to us live from the Windy City, she showed us how to make a few dishes from or inspired by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levantine_cuisine#:~:text=Levantine%20cuisine%20is%20the%20traditional,area%20of%20the%20Eastern%20Mediterranean.&amp;text=Perhaps%20the%20most%20distinctive%20aspect,tabbouleh%2C%20hummus%20and%20baba%20ghanoush." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Levantine cuisine</a>, the culinary tradition featured in Breaking Bread. Specifically, Marilee demonstrated how to mix up our own <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Za%27atar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">za’atar</a> seasoning blend, then used it to make <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hummus</a>.&nbsp;Finally, using the hummus as a base, she made a flatbread "pizza" with arugula, tomatoes, feta, toasted pine nuts, za’atar, and olives.

Levantine cuisine cooking demonstration with Marilee Kinsella (recorded)

In this cooking demonstration, chef and caterer Marilee Kinsella showed us how to make a few dishes from or inspired by Levantine cuisine, the culinary tradition featured in "Breaking Bread."

Dr. Jeff Hoffman became a NASA Astronaut in 1978. He participated in five space missions, becoming the first astronaut to log 1,000 hours of flights aboard the space shuttle. Dr. Hoffman has performed four spacewalks, including the first unplanned, contingency spacewalk in NASA’s history and the initial repair/ rescue mission for the Hubble Space Telescope. He was the first Jewish American male astronaut to fly into space. Over five space missions, he chose to bring numerous Jewish objects, the highlight was a small and light Torah scroll that he took with him on his fifth and last mission. Rabbi Shaul Osadchey, Jeff’s spiritual leader, was instrumental in making it possible for Jeff to take a Torah scroll (the Space Torah) into space. Jeff saw the act of bringing religious objects into space as part of bringing his own tradition with him, but bringing the Torah into space had the added symbolic meaning and significance of bringing the holiness of human life into space.

Space Torah

In 1996, NASA astronaut Dr. Jeff Hoffman brought a small Torah scroll on board Space Shuttle Columbia. On Shabbat, while orbiting Earth, he read from the book of Genesis, “In the beginning God created heaven and the earth.” This is a story about inspiration, communities, and a man’s journey.

Rachel Raz, the executive producer of Space Torah, spoke with festival co-chair Neal Schindler about the making of the film, what drew her to Dr. Jeff Hoffman's out-of-this-world true story, and what's next for the Space Torah Project. She also shared some great behind-the-scenes photos and anecdotes related to the film. <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/a2b7e5e442af04f24efb96dd8338f0b9.jpg" width="186" style="max-width: 100%;"> Rachel Raz is a consultant, speaker, educator, and executive producer of <a href="https://spacetorahproject.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Space Torah</a>. She works at the Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education of Hebrew College (Newton, Mass.), where she is the director of the Early Childhood Institute and chair of the Annual Jewish Education Conference. In addition, Rachel directs the Boston-Haifa Early Childhood Educators’ Connection. Rachel serves on the Israeli American Council (IAC) advisory committee of KESHET.&nbsp;She is a board member of UMass Amherst Hillel and the author of the children's books ABC Israel and The Colors of Israel. Rachel has a B.A. from Bar-Ilan University and MJED (Master of Jewish Education) from Hebrew College.

Q&A with "Space Torah" executive producer Rachel Raz (recorded)

Rachel Raz, the executive producer of "Space Torah," spoke with festival co-chair Neal Schindler about the making of the film, what drew her to Dr. Jeff Hoffman's out-of-this-world true story, and what's next for the Space Torah Project.

Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel – the first Muslim Arab to win Israel’s MasterChef – is on a quest to make social change through food. She founded the A-sham Arabic Food Festival, where pairs of Arab and Jewish chefs collaborate on exotic dishes like kishek (a Syrian yogurt soup), and qatayef (a dessert typically served during Ramadan). A film about hope, synergy, and mouthwatering fare, Breaking Bread illustrates what happens when people focus on the person, rather than the religion; on the public, rather than the politicians.

Breaking Bread

Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel -- the first Muslim Arab to win Israel's MasterChef -- founded the A-Sham Food Festival, where pairs of Arab and Jewish chefs collaborate on exotic dishes. A film about hope, synergy, and mouthwatering fare.

Guest moderator Wendy Levy of the Alliance for Media Arts + Culture spoke with Breaking Bread director Beth Elise Hawk about her acclaimed directorial debut, as well as the wonders of Haifa, Anthony Bourdain's demigod-like status, the magnanimity of chefs, and food so delicious-looking it's almost indecent. <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/1827be70181d7a69705b43e8733300e0.png" style="max-width: 100%;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2297377/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beth Elise Hawk</a> executive-produced the MTV television series Eye Candy, based on the book by best-selling author, R. L. Stine.&nbsp;She produced the award-winning feature documentary, Fan-Demanium, and co-produced the feature documentary, I’m Rick James. <a href="https://www.breakingbreadmovie.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Breaking Bread</a> is Beth’s directorial debut. Before making the jump to the creative side, Beth was a Business and Legal Affairs executive at Walt Disney Studios in its feature film department, where she oversaw projects for its Hollywood Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures and Touchstone labels, including such productions as High Fidelity and Mystery, Alaska.&nbsp;She received her Juris Doctor degree from N.Y.U. School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University.

Q&A with "Breaking Bread" director Beth Elise Hawk (recorded)

Guest moderator Wendy Levy spoke with "Breaking Bread" director Beth Elise Hawk about her acclaimed directorial debut, as well as the wonders of Haifa, Anthony Bourdain's demigod-like status, the magnanimity of chefs, and food so delicious-looking it's almost indecent.

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Space Torah & Breaking Bread (with cooking demo and filmmaker Q&As)

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Spokane Jewish Cultural Film Festival

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If you have any questions about the festival, please call 509-747-7394 or email director@sajfs.org. We hope you enjoy!

Since 2005, the Spokane Jewish Cultural Film Festival has brought to Spokane international films that share Jewish life and culture with the community. We continue this year with seven features and two shorts that offer fascinating glimpses into the diversity of Jewish experiences around the world.

Here's what's coming up soon. Can't make it? No sweat. Many live streams will be available for on-demand viewing as well.