‘Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog’

The City of West Hollywood will host a film screening of Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog in recognition of International Holocaust Day of Remembrance. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the film’s writer and director Lynn Roth. This free event will take place on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 6 p.m. in the City of West Hollywood’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. RSVP is requested at https://shepherdfilmscreening.splashthat.com.

Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog chronicles the unbreakable bond between a boy and his dog, Kaleb, a beloved German Shepherd, during the 1930s in Germany. The film is based on the award-winning and bestselling novel The Jewish Dog by Asher Kravitz and tells the story largely from the dog’s perspective. The film was released both nationally and internationally and has been featured at many film festivals, including the Toronto Jewish Film Festival and the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, where it won Best Feature Film.

Lynn Roth is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker. She also directed the award-winning feature film The Little Traitor based on famed Israeli novel Panther in the Basement by Amos Oz, which starred Alfred Molina. As well as serving as executive producer for the highly acclaimed series, The Paper Chase, Lynn has the distinction of being the first female showrunner for a dramatic television series.

The City of West Hollywood has a long history of commemorating victims of the Holocaust as part of recognition of a Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust, Yom HaShoah. Yom HaShoah is observed as the day of commemoration for the approximately six-million Jews and five million others who perished in the Holocaust because of the actions carried out by Nazi Germany and its accessories. The City of West Hollywood is home to many Holocaust survivors and family members of Holocaust survivors.

In addition to Yom HaShoah, in November 2005, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated January 27 each year to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops on January 27, 1945.

In addition to recognition of International Holocaust Day of Remembrance, the City of West Hollywood regularly co-sponsors film screenings and discussions to bring awareness to human rights issues as part of its Human Rights Speakers Series, which encourages communities within West Hollywood and beyond to learn about and discuss human rights issues in a shared cultural and educational experience. For additional information, please visit www.weho.org/hrss.

For more information about this event, please contact Jennifer Del Toro, the City of West Hollywood’s Community and Legislative Affairs Supervisor at (323) 848-6549 or at [email protected].