An Interview with Eva Weinerman, one of the stars of the JFS Kesher Film "Where Can I Go"!
I had the pleasure of speaking with Eva Weinerman, one of the stars of the Jewish Family Services (JFS) and Justice Theater Project’s film, “Where Can I Go/ Wo Ahin soll Ich Geh’n” earlier this week. Eva gave me some insight on what it was like being in a documentary, and what she would like people to take away from the film.
Rebecca Allen: Hi Eva, thank you for speaking with me! How did you hear about and get involved in the Kesher program at JFS?
Eva Weinerman: You’re welcome. Barbara [Kaynan, Kesher Coordinator and Therapist at JFS and co-director of the film] reached out to me and informed me of the program. We discussed that we would be on Zoom reflecting our experiences before, during, and after World War II.
RA: What was it like being involved in a documentary?
EW: In one way I enjoyed it, and in another way it was hard, because it brought up a lot of memories. I enjoyed being with a group of people who felt as I did, coming from the same situation. It helped put some closure on my experiences. When I saw the film, it brought up a lot of painful memories of my childhood and the childhood I could have had if this hadn’t have happened: Grandparents I could have seen that I never saw, aunts and uncles that I never saw that were killed. I had pushed those feelings down and in the filming process they came up through me. It was good to have those feelings come up, it was a release and helped me decide I want to teach children what really happened.
RA: That is amazing to hear, I’m glad you want to help educate the next generation.
EW: Of course. I want people see this film so they can understand what happened then, during the Holocaust, and that it should not happen again today.
RA: Is there anything surprising that the public may not know about filming a documentary?
EW: What people may not know is that the staff was wonderful in working with us and making us feel comfortable. Barbara helped us feel relaxed and created an environment with us where we could enjoy talking and bringing up these subjects. This helped us in making the film, especially wanting to make sure the film was done right. Jesse [Bonnell, co-director] and Barbara worked with us to make sure the film was done in a way we wanted. Each step of the way, they showed us moments so we could choose if we wanted to leave moments as they were or if we had anything we wanted to correct.
RA: That is great to hear. What would you like people to take away from the film after watching it?
EW: I want people to know that the Holocaust started with individual hate crimes against Jews, just like we are seeing today against Asian-Americans, Black people and people of color, and we don’t want that to ever happen again. That’s why we’re sharing the film to show what really happened so we can learn from it and stop what’s going on today. I want people to know from watching this film that they are not just watching history, they are watching a reflection of their present.
RA: Eva, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I can’t wait to see this film!
EW: Thank you!
The JFS and Justice Theater Project’s film, “Where Can I Go/ Wo Ahin soll Ich Geh’n” is premiering on Thursday, April 8th. Click here to get your tickets for the watch party, and click here to find out more about the co-directors and other participants in the film.
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