Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent
JOACHIM PRINZ: I SHALL NOT BE SILENT
Dir. Rachel Eskin Fisher and Rachel Nierenberg Pasternak (57min, USA, 2014)
A captivating and moving portrait of Joachim Prinz—one of the most
outspoken rabbis living under the Nazi regime who went on to become a
leading American civil rights activist. Through footage, archival
recordings, interviews with notable contemporaries and family members, Joachim Prinz: I Shall Not Be Silent
traces the life of a man who was an unwavering voice for justice,
unconcerned with the popularity of his positions. In recalling the
historical alliance between Jews and African-Americans during his visit
to Israel in 2013, President Barack Obama singled out Rabbi Joachim
Prinz for his brave crusade against prejudice.
“I speak to you
as an American Jew. I was the rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin
under the Hitler regime. I learned many things. The most important thing
that I learned in my life is that bigotry and hatred are not the most
urgent problem. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most
shameful, and the most tragic problem is silence” –Rabbi Joachim Prinz,
the March on Washington, 1963.
Rabbi Deborah Prinz, Executive director of the Achieve Foundation of South Orange & Maplewood (NJ), a local education foundation. She is chairperson of the New Jersey Jewish Film Festival and a director of GreenFaith, New Jersey’s interfaith coalition for the environment.
Jonathan Prinz served alongside his father as a rabbi of Temple B'nai Abraham during the 1960s. After leaving the pulpit, he spent nearly a decade as an executive on Wall Street. Since that time he has been a consultant in corporate and brand communications.
Aaron Jenkins, Executive Director, Operation Understanding DC (OUDC)
Shira Singelenberg, Student, Alumna University of Maryland Baltimore (OUDC)
Operation Understanding DC's mission is to build a generation of African American and Jewish community leaders who promote respect, understanding and cooperation while working to eradicate racism, anti-Semitism and all forms of discrimination.