Kol Nidre

The original, long-lost classic by Yiddish cinema pioneer Joseph Seiden is restored to its former glory.

A bissel of this, a bissel of that, Kol Nidre has a little bit of everything. This iconic film was first screened in New York in September 1937 and has been delighting audiences ever since. This musical melodrama tells the story of Jenny, a young woman torn between two childhood boyfriends. Refusing to marry Joseph, who has become a rabbi, she elopes instead – causing scandal. Surprisingly risqué for its time, Kol Nidre is a rousing tearjerker that explores assimilation, cultural identity, family, and generational conflict, gender roles, and marital expectations.

Starring Lili Liliana and Leon Liebgold, the renowned Polish husband and wife (who also star in The Dybbuk), comedienne Yetta Zwerling and entertainer Cantor Leibele Waldman, with music by Sholem Secunda.