News
November 2009
Survivors Screen Footage of Restored Riga Synagogue
A screening of footage from Rumbula's Echo was featured at this year's annual memorial service of the Jewish Survivors of Latvia - USA, in New York City. The service was held November 15 at the Park East Synagogue. Many of the group's elderly survivors were unable to travel to Riga for the August re-dedication of its synagogue, after a total restoration. Of the 40 synagogues and minyanim (daly prayer groups) in Riga, this was the only one to survive the buring of synagogues on July 4, 1941. Rumbula's Echo filmed the restored shul and re-dedication ceremony, and so was able to share this with the survivorse. Only a minute or so of this footage will be in the documentary. So we hastily (for filmmaking - about 100 hours of work) assembled footage about the synagogue for the survivors. Called Renewal on Peitavas Street, it is about how the survival of a synagogue symbolizes the survival of a community and of Jewry. After filming more interviews, we expect to make Renewal on Peitavas Street into a separate, short documentary that is a "daughter film" of Rumbula's Echo.
October 2009
Researcher in Latvia
In September, Lina Ferbere became Rumbula's Echo's researcher in Latvia. Ms. Ferbere is also interview coordinator and translator during the films' shoots in Latvia. She has worked for the Councl of Jewish Communities of Latvia and as a translator. Ms. Ferbere spent a great deal of time helping out on the set of the Hallmark/CBS-TV movie, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, starring Anna Paquin, and filmed in Riga. Lina Ferbere's 7 year old daugher played the role of Miriam, the first girl saved by Irena Sendler.
September 2009
Excellent Footage from Initial Filming
Initial filming for Rumbula's Echo has produced excellent footage. All U.S. and Latvian members of the crew were very moved by their intial experience filming Rumbula's Echo. Some were permanently changed by it.
Before going overseas, our U.S. crew did a one-day shoot in the Chicago area. Then, in Latvia, August 23-September 4, the Rumbula's Echo crew filmed the Jewish Community today, Holocaust memorials, interviews about Soviet times and usually lengthy interviews with survivors. A few highlights from the initial filming follow.
Rare Female Survivor Saved by a Pin and Former Classmate
Filming began in Glenview, IL, with Sia Hertsberg. She told Rumbula's Echo about her life as a young teenage girl in the Riga Ghetto. There, her attempted rape by a 30 year old Latvian collaborator was foiled by a small pin in her pajamas, and a former schoolmate who distracted him. This led Sia and her mother to hide rather than leave their apartment as ordered. By doing so, they escaped the march to Rumbula. This began a series of even more difficult travails, all of which Sia Hertzberg survived - some by a thread. We spent a full day filming the story of Sia's life during the Shoah, and some information about her life before and after the war.
Vibrant Life in Riga's Modern Jewish Community Filmed
Rumbula's Echo documented the rededication of Riga's 104 year old synagogue after a major restoration. We also shot the bi-annual conference about Baltic Jewry, Jews in a Changing World, the 20th anniversary celebration of the Simon Dubnov Jewish Day School and a photo exhibit of portraits of elder members of Riga's Jewish community. The crew also interviewed and filmed in both of Riga's Jewish schools, at the Shamir religious community and the Liepaja Jewish museum. Mitch Lieber then interviewed the chair of the University of Latvia's Judaic Studies Center about Jewish life in the country today.
Filming the Riga Ghetto and Rumbula
The crew did initial filming in the Riga Ghetto, and scouted locations there for a winter shoot of scenes that will evoke late 1941, when most of the Latvian Ghetto was liquidated at Rumbula. At the Rumbula Memorial, Steven Springfield, president of Jewish Survivors of Latvia USA, spoke on camera as he searched for the jagged stone inscribed with the name of his family, in memory of the 16 of his relatives killed there. In small towns and at Skede near Liepaja, we filmed memorials marking locations where senseless murder occurred.
Celebrations and Fear in Soviet Times
Aryeh Grinman of Israel took us on a mini tour of the main sanctuary of Riga's only operating synagogue. He showed where he was called to the Torah for his bar mitzvah, and where his wedding chuppah (canopy) was placed. Ambassador Elie Valk, from Israel, also lived in Riga in Soviet times. In the synagogue's basement chapel, he told stories of how Jews even avoided their child's bar mitzvah, for fear of losing their job or worse. Michael Friedman, of Riga, described the KGB condoned matzah factory that his father operated in the synagogue's basement.
Survivors Describe the Unimaginable, and History
Survivor Alexander Bergman heads Latvia's Holocaust survivor group. He told us how 4 of a group of 100 people were picked and he was one of the 4. The rest were shot. This happened again with 2 out of 50, and he was one of the 2. Historian and survivor Marger Vesterman told of his escape from a work truck to the woods, and his near starvation. He verified the provenance of a photo often labeled as "believed to be Jews marching tor Rumbula." Mr. Vesterman received the photo from the photographer and spoke of him by name and profession, verifying for history that the only known photo of the Rumbula aktions is indeed that. Israel Houlin, told us about the terror of life in the Dvinsk (Daugavpils) ghetto. He also described his time at Lenta, the work camp in Riga overseen by Sherwitz, who some scholars believe was a Polish Jew masquerading as a Nazi. Sherwitz treated Jews relatively well, and so Jews wanted to be assigned to Lenta.
August 2009
Principal Photography Begins August 19, 2009
Principal photography begins August 19, in the Chicago area with Sia Hertzberg. This is followed by filming in Latvia August 25 - September 3, 2009. This includes the re-dedication of Riga, Latvia's recently restored synagogue August 26. A return trip to film in Latvia in winter, as well as filming in the U.S., Europe, Israel and Australia will be scheduled for late 2009 and the first part of 2010.
PBS Sound Veteran Pooler Joins Crew
Rich Pooler, sound recordist for PBS documentaries on P.O.V., Frontline, Independent Lens and Nova, joined Rumbula's Echo as field sound recordist.
Emmy Winner Bernard Joins Team
Sheila Curran Bernard, winner of the Emmy Award for PBS' Eye on the Prize, and author of Documentary Storytelling and Archival Storytelling, joined Rumbula's Echo as a consultant.
July 2009
Claims Conference Funds Filming
The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (German war reparations) awarded its first film grants. Among the recipients is Rumbula's Echo, which will receive funds for a bit more than one week's filming.
April 2009
A United States foundation awarded Rumbula's Echo a grant that funds one week's filming. Also, an individual gift received funds 1/2 day of filming.
February 2009
The Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research Grants Matching Funds for Production of Rumbula's Echo. The grant will help fund Rumbula's Echo filming and archival research in Latvia. The Task Force is the chief international coordinating agency on the Holocaust. It is composed of the governments of 26 countries plus key NGOs such as Yad Vashem, the Claims Conference and U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
January 2009
Rozansky Family Fund Supports Production. The Rozansky Family Fund, based in Chicago, funded production of Rumbula's Echo. The family foundation is led by Phil Rozansky, president of Tower Media.
December 2008
Prof. Stranga Joins Panel of Historical Advisers. Professor Aivars Stranga, chair of the University of Latvia's Department of Latvian History at the, joined Rumbula's Echo as its fifth historical adviser. Professor Stranga chairs the Holocaust Working Group of Latvia's Commission of Historians.
More Archival Photos. Rumbula's Echo expands its stock of archival photos with the purchase of 29 photos from Yad Vashem and the Bundesarchiv (German National Archives) for use in the trailer and documentary. Archival photos previously acquired are from Edward Anders, the Archive of the Association of Latvian and Estonian Jews in Israel, the Museum Jews in Latvia and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Additionally the documentary previously acquired initial pre-war and war era footage.
November 2008
Initial Rumbula's Echo Trailer Available. An excerpt from the 10 minute trailer for Rumbula's Echo is complete and available for viewing. Contact us to arrange to see it.
NY Memorial Service Filmed. A small Rumbula's Echo crew filmed the Jewish Survivor's of Latvia annual memorial service in New York on November 16. This "B roll" was filmed in advance of production due to the timing of this special event. A brief excerpt may be used in the film.
October 2008
Prof. Lefkovitz to be Outside Evaluator. Dr. Elliot Lefkovoitz has agreed to be outside evaluator for the production of stage Rumbula's Echo. For major funders, he will evaluate whether the documentary met its filming goals. Dr. Lefkovitz is professor of Holocaust Studies at Spertus College and Loyola University (Chicago) and producer of 5 Holocaust documentaries.
August 2008
Seed Funding Received. The Association of Latvian and Estonian Jews in Israel made a grant of seed funds to Rumbula's Echo. A matching grant of seed funds was also made by the Jewish Survivors of Latvia - USA.
Family Reunion Filmed. Mitchell Lieber filmed a reunion of U.S. and Israeli branches of the family that reunite after 90 years at the conclusion of Rumbula's Echo. This footage is of a family Bar Mitzvah at the Western Wall and the first meeting of first cousins Sonia Roth (in her 90's) from Latvia/Israel and Mirah Rostov (in her 80's) from Kansas City, Missouri. This high-definition footage was shot in advance of production, due to the timing of this special event. Brief excerpts may be used in the film.
May 2008
Treatment Registered with WGA. A detailed version of the treatment (story of the film) for Rumbula's Echo was registered with the WGA, Writer's Guild of America.
December 2007
Fifth World Reunion of Latvian Jews Filmed. Mitchell Lieber filmed the Fifth World Reunion of Latvian Jews, in Israel. The 5 day reunion began in late November an was attended by Latvian Jews from 8 countries. This "B roll" was filmed in advance of production due to the timing of this special event. One or two brief excerpts may be used in the documentary.