"Life Will Smile" Movie Screening

In remembrance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Oshman Family JCC, AJC San Francisco and Consulate General of Greece welcome all to “Life Will Smile,” a compelling 40-minute documentary that tells the story of the complete survival of Europe's only Jewish community during the Holocaust on the Greek island of Zakynthos. During World War II, over six million of our fellow human beings perished. The Nazi's "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" was also carried out throughout German-occupied Greece. But there was one exception: the small Greek island of Zakynthos. “Life Will Smile” recounts the unique story how all 275 members of the Jewish community were protected and saved by their fellow Zakynthians. This unmatched historical event is not widely known. The movie narrates the untold story of the humanism and bravery of the Greek civil society in the small, southernmost Ionian island, where—with courage and commitment—the 35,000 inhabitants saved every single one of their Jewish brothers and sisters. In doing this, they were led by two brave men: Bishop Chrysostomos and Loukás Karrer, the Mayor of Zakynthos. For their fearless action, the two men were honored by Yad Vashem in 1978 as "Righteous Among the Nations." The documentary is narrated by one of the Jewish survivors of Zakynthos, 84-year old Haim Konstantini. At a time when antisemitism and fascism are once more on the rise, this story acts as a reminder of how, when united, humanity can overcome even the darkest of times.