Rafting to Bombay: Three Generations of Jewish Survival in India
VIEW EVENT DETAILS"(Director Erez) Laufer has a gift for capturing human emotion and in conveying it to the audience... His film reminds the world that the consequences of grave wrong-doing span generations as well as continents, and that single actions can have effects lasting a lifetime."
— Ed Vollans, UK Jewish Film Festival
Rafting to Bombay is the story of how five year old Nahum and his mother escaped the Nazis in Poland, crossed Europe by train and sailed on a raft on the Tigris River until they reached the exotic and fascinating India of monkeys, elephants, and Rajas. But Nahum's childhood experience, which is remembered as an enchanting fantasy, was in reality, a chilling story of a last-minute escape.
While filming Rafting to Bombay in 2008, Israeli director Erez Laufer finds himself caught in the worst terror attacks in the history of Mumbai. As the drama of the terrorist takeover of the Chabad House unfolds, the Laufer family recounts how they found refuge in India in the 1940s after fleeing the Nazis. Past and present collide as the family history is echoed in a contemporary war, and a little known story emerges of the Jewish refugees who found a safe haven in Mumbai during World War II.
It is a tale of three generations: grandmother, son, and grandson telling one story — Rafting to Bombay. From a child's memory of a hopeful and romantic journey, to the mother's horrific reality, and finally to the cruel encounter of past and present time.
This film has been shown in numerous film festivals, including ones in Mumbai, Jerusalem, Seattle, and Washington DC.
Nissim Reuben currently works as Program Director: Indian-Jewish American Relations at American Jewish Committee. Drawing on his unique personal background of being both Indian and Jewish and as part of his professional commitment and personal passion, Nissim travels around the country networking Indian and Jewish students, community leaders, artists, doctors and business professionals. Every year since 2004, Nissim has arranged for American Jewish leaders to meet with the Indian Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Foreign Secretary. He is also an Honorary Faculty Fellow at the Office of the Dean, School of International Service at American University. He has an MA in International Affairs from American University and an MA in Economics from India. He is fluent in English, Hebrew, Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi.
Maina Chawla Singh, Associate Professor, University of Delhi has lectured widely at international institutions including at Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, Cornell, and the Library of Congress. Between 2005-8, Dr. Singh researched and lectured in Israel at Bar-Ilan, Haifa, and Tel Aviv universities. She was Haddasah-Brandeis Scholar-in-Residence (2008) and Fellow, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University (2009). Her recent book Being Indian, Being Israeli: Migration, Ethnicity, and Gender in the Jewish Homeland (New Delhi: 2009), is based on extensive fieldwork research and over 150 interviews conducted among Indian Jewish communities in Israel. She is currently Scholar-in-Residence at American University and has spoken widely at Jewish community events and Jewish Film Festivals across the US.
Dr. Singh's book Being Indian, Being Israeli will be available for purchase for $20.00.
Indian snacks will be served for the screening.
— Ed Vollans, UK Jewish Film Festival
Rafting to Bombay is the story of how five year old Nahum and his mother escaped the Nazis in Poland, crossed Europe by train and sailed on a raft on the Tigris River until they reached the exotic and fascinating India of monkeys, elephants, and Rajas. But Nahum's childhood experience, which is remembered as an enchanting fantasy, was in reality, a chilling story of a last-minute escape.
While filming Rafting to Bombay in 2008, Israeli director Erez Laufer finds himself caught in the worst terror attacks in the history of Mumbai. As the drama of the terrorist takeover of the Chabad House unfolds, the Laufer family recounts how they found refuge in India in the 1940s after fleeing the Nazis. Past and present collide as the family history is echoed in a contemporary war, and a little known story emerges of the Jewish refugees who found a safe haven in Mumbai during World War II.
It is a tale of three generations: grandmother, son, and grandson telling one story — Rafting to Bombay. From a child's memory of a hopeful and romantic journey, to the mother's horrific reality, and finally to the cruel encounter of past and present time.
This film has been shown in numerous film festivals, including ones in Mumbai, Jerusalem, Seattle, and Washington DC.
Nissim Reuben currently works as Program Director: Indian-Jewish American Relations at American Jewish Committee. Drawing on his unique personal background of being both Indian and Jewish and as part of his professional commitment and personal passion, Nissim travels around the country networking Indian and Jewish students, community leaders, artists, doctors and business professionals. Every year since 2004, Nissim has arranged for American Jewish leaders to meet with the Indian Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Foreign Secretary. He is also an Honorary Faculty Fellow at the Office of the Dean, School of International Service at American University. He has an MA in International Affairs from American University and an MA in Economics from India. He is fluent in English, Hebrew, Hindi, Gujarati, and Marathi.
Maina Chawla Singh, Associate Professor, University of Delhi has lectured widely at international institutions including at Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, Cornell, and the Library of Congress. Between 2005-8, Dr. Singh researched and lectured in Israel at Bar-Ilan, Haifa, and Tel Aviv universities. She was Haddasah-Brandeis Scholar-in-Residence (2008) and Fellow, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, Brandeis University (2009). Her recent book Being Indian, Being Israeli: Migration, Ethnicity, and Gender in the Jewish Homeland (New Delhi: 2009), is based on extensive fieldwork research and over 150 interviews conducted among Indian Jewish communities in Israel. She is currently Scholar-in-Residence at American University and has spoken widely at Jewish community events and Jewish Film Festivals across the US.
Dr. Singh's book Being Indian, Being Israeli will be available for purchase for $20.00.
Indian snacks will be served for the screening.
Event Details
Wed 06 Apr 2011
Asia Society Washington The Cinnabar Room Whittemore House, 2nd Flr. 1526 New Hampshire Ave, NW Washington, D.C.
Asia Society members: $15 non-members: $20 students: $10 (ID required). RSVPs are required by 12:00 pm on April 5.