New Orleans celebrates Israel; views Spielberg film

By ALAN SMASON

As the final hours waned on Yom Hazikaron, Israel Memorial Day, the New Orleans Jewish community gathered at the National World War II Museum to stand in solidarity with the Jewish State and to welcome the arrival of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day.

Producer Nancy Spielberg speaks at the National World War II Museum following the showing of her film “Above and Beyond.” (Photo by Alan Smason)

They did so first with solemnity and ceremony as members of the New Orleans Rabbinic Council gave readings to make the audience mindful of the 23,085 victims lost during the Israeli war for independence and all other conflicts up through last summer’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.

Following welcoming remarks from National World War II Museum Board president Dr Nick Mueller and Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans president Morton Katz, past Federation president Alan Franco ascended the stage. Franco, who served as a host for the reception in BB’s Stage Door Canteen, introduced his friend, film producer Nancy Speilberg, to address the expectant crowd who had gathered to see her film “Above and Beyond.”

The film, which took almost two years to conceive and edit, was filmed in Israel and had several computer-generated (CG) effects added by George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic company. It tells the story of a band of ragtag, expatriate American, British, South African and Canadian pilots, who, in violation of the law and at great peril to themselves, smuggled planes out of the U.S., flew them to Europe and eventually to Palestine, where they were instrumental in providing relief to Jews fighting for independence in 1948.

Spielberg said the idea for the film had literally come to her after she was sent an obituary on Al Schwimmer, one of the Americans considered chiefly responsible for the creation of the Israel Air Force. She was intrigued and when she began to do the research on those who were still alive, she was amazed at what they had accomplished.

Film producer Nancy Spielberg and friend Alan Franco, who served as host for the event in BB’s Stage Door Canteen. (Photo by Alan Smason)

Following a short introduction by Spielberg who gave background on the Machal, the Hebrew acronym for “volunteers from beyond the land” as the pilots and others came to be called, the sold out audience of 200 moved into the Solomon Victory Theater to view a screening of the documentary film.

The film was directed by Roberta Grossman (“Hava Nagila: The Movie” and “Blessed is the Match”), who was suggested to Spielberg as a likely collaborator by more than one source during the early planning phase for the film. Grossman captured the espirit de corps among the men and their joie de vivre as young rakes and adventure seekers.

“I had not seen her work but quickly set about watching “Blessed is The Match” and “Hava (Nagila),” Spielberg admitted to the CCJN. ‘Blessed’ had a lot of recreations and I specifically wanted to see how she dealt with that. That’s what sold me first, and then watching how well she handled the subject matter and how well she interviewed sealed the deal.”

“I am so honored that this film is the community’s Yom Hazikaron program at the museum and I do feel that this is the perfect place- the perfect crossroad for this film,” Spielberg continued. “Here we have a group of American veterans who felt it was their duty, or part of their continued responsibility from their service in WWII,  to ensure that the survivors that were pouring out of the camps they had just liberated found safety in their homeland.”

Spielberg’s father Arnold had been slated to attend with her, but the 98-year-old World War II veteran was denied permission to travel due to health concerns.

“My father was part of the Burma Bridge Busters bomb squadron,” Spielberg noted. “He was Army, but flew in B-25s doing radio communications. As I was filming, editing and scoring, I kept him in the loop and asked for his advice and opinion on every step.”

The elder Spielberg took an active role in helping to shape the final version of the film. “He was very helpful and eager to be a part of the process,” related the daughter. “He’s so sharp and has a great eye.  When he saw the film the first time, we were in Israel at a special private screening of 600 people. He was so very proud- he cried! He’s my biggest fan!”

Nancy Spielberg displays the Gary Rosenthal-designed tzedakah box in the shape of a streetcar presented to her by Alan Franco on behalf of Jewish Federation. (Photo by Alan Smason)

Among the biggest regrets Spielberg admitted was the fact that she had not undertaken the project a decade prior, when she would have had Schwimmer and others to add their thoughts to the project. Schwimmer’s actions, which violated the U.S. Neutrality Acts, cost him his American citizenship from 1950 until he received a pardon from President Bill Clinton in 2000. Schwimmer never campaigned for a pardon, insisting that his right to help the nascent Jewish State as a Jew was not a criminal act.

Spielberg met with former Israel President Shimon Peres and interviewed him for the documentary. Schwimmer, who went on to create Israel Aerospace Industries and act as its CEO, received the Israel Prize for his lifelong commitment to Israel. “Above and Beyond” reveals that Schwimmer arranged for the purchase of surplus World War II planes and their reflagging to Panamanian registry.

Peres spoke in hushed tones about Schwimmer. “He was a quiet figure, getting things done in the background,” Spielberg stated. “He was almost like the ‘Godfather.'”

Since the principal filming ended and the documentary film has been shown, two of its main cast of characters have expired. “It’s the final moment we have to listen,” Spielberg said. “We captured a story that would have been gone.”