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The highlight of The Jüdische Kulturbund project is the production of a Documentary Film dedicated to extensive and rarely seen archival footage of the German Jewish Cultural Association—the Jüdische Kulturbund. By 1936, there were Kulturbund organizations in 49 cities across Germany, and 70,000 people were subscribing members of the Kulturbund. The organization included some of the finest musicians of the time and younger performers who later became internationally recognized. It was also the only source for culture and entertainment for German Jews.

The Documentary Film will be produced by Gail Prensky who is based in the Washington DC area.

To date, we have filmed interviews with fifteen Kulturbund survivors. They are eager to share their first-hand accounts in the film. We will tell legacy stories, including:

• Hannah Kroner’s life as a dance teacher in New York whose dance studio is celebrating its 62nd year in 2009.
• Ernst Lenart’s life as an actor on stage, television, and film who enjoyed representation in 1936 by agent Billy Morris.
• A core of Frankfurt Kulturbund musicians left Germany in 1936 to form the Palestine Symphony, which that later became the Israeli Philharmonic.
• Rudolf Schwarz who was fired from the Berlin Philharmonic in 1933, becoming the Berlin Kulturbund conductor. Surviving the horrors of Nazi Germany, he moved to England where he later mentored Simon Rattle. Simon Rattle is now the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic.

The film will also be full of the glorious music that sustained them all, including Mahler’s "Resurrection" symphony, Mozart’s "The Marriage of Figaro" and the piece that gives the book its name, Carl Nielsen’s Fourth Symphony—"The Inextinguishable” symphony. Distribution plans include a limited theatrical release and various film festivals, as well domestic and international broadcasters and the Internet. Please contact us at info@judischekulturbund.com if you are interested in discussing distribution plans for the film.