Check out your local library for the latest in Jewish DVDs

You know how much we love books…but movies have an important place in our hearts and on our library shelves, too. We gathered to talk about some recent DVD releases, and some old favorites.

JUDY: From a very esoteric subject, Levirate marriage (which states that an unmarried brother must marry the widow of his deceased brother in order to carry on the family name), come two intriguing and romantic films. “I Love You Rosa” came out in 1972 and was nominated for the Pomme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Set in late 19th Century Jerusalem, it tells the story of Rosa, a widow, and Nissim, her 11-year-old brother-in-law. Nissim takes his obligation very seriously, while Rosa treats him like a child. Despite the difficulties, romance ensues. This film is based on the life of the director’s mother.

AMY: That was such a charming film. Now, on the same subject we also have “Loving Leah,” a Hallmark Hall of Fame production. This one is a modern telling of a similar story, in which there are two brothers, far apart in age and in levels of Jewish observance. The elder, Orthodox brother dies, leaving a younger wife. When the more secular brother marries the widow, the new living arrangement enables her to spread her wings as she has longed to do.

ANNE: Moving away from romance to some very serious concerns, let’s talk about “Waltz With Bashir.” By using anima- tion, director Ari Folman was able to establish enough “distance” so that he could tackle the very painful subject of the 1982 Lebanon War. The film is based on Folman’s own experiences, and in making this film, Folman says his repressed memories resurfaced. One question this film raises is: Can a documentary still be a documentary if it’s animated?

AMY: I think that’s a great question, and the best way to answer is for people to view the film and decide for themselves. It’s interesting that when Folman traveled in the U.S. to discuss and screen the film, he had the support of the Israeli government, despite the anti-war message of “Waltz With Bashir.”

JUDY: Moving on to lighter fare, “Old Jews Telling Jokes” is exactly what the title says it is. Here we have people age 60+, standing in front of a white screen, giving their favorite jokes their best shots. These are not professional comedians; they are just regular folks sharing their best gags. Some are slightly risqué, so be forewarned. I sent this one home with someone whose mother needed a good post-op laugh, and it was great medicine.

ANNE: To switch the focus from amateur comedy to professionally acted drama, we can look at Valerie Harper’s portrayal of Golda Meir in “Golda’s Balcony.” Harper found this a challenging role, because Meir was such a remarkable woman. The story revolves around the critical days of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The hugely popular stage play has been well adapted for home viewers.

AMY: Another inspiring, but little-known, woman is the subject of “DNA: Secret of Photo 51,” produced by the television series NOVA. This film brings us the life of Rosalind Franklin, a pioneering British biologist whose work was crucial to the discovery of the double-helix structure by Watson and Crick. Franklin, who was passionately devoted to Jewish causes as well as to science, sadly died before the vital work she did came to fruition.

JUDY: She was a brilliant woman in an era of male-dominated science. Without her work, Crick and Watson would never have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

ANNE: It seems like we’re gravitating toward historical figures, and along those lines, the Bielski brothers, Jewish partisans who escaped into the forests of Eastern Europe during the Second World War, are the subject of “Defiance.” Filled with action and suspense, and starring Daniel Craig as Tuvia, the leader, this was a box-office hit now available for home viewing. One viewer noted that “this is a fast-paced, graphic story of a not-often told heroic episode of the Holocaust.”

AMY: Some years ago, Canadian author Anne Michaels wrote a wonderful novel called “Fugitive Pieces.” It has been made into a film, of the same name, now available on DVD. In this sensitive story, Jakob, a child whose family was brutally killed during the Holocaust, is rescued while hiding in the woods. His rescuer, a Greek archeologist, takes the boy with him back to Greece and later to Canada, where they both hope to forget the past.

JUDY: Jakob finds love with a much-younger Israeli woman and is ultimately freed from the legacy of the past.

So many DVDs to choose from…we invite you to visit our libraries and take home a great film today.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Anne Bressman is the librarian at the Katz JCC and Temple Emanuel; Judy Brookover is at Temple Beth Sholom; and Amy Kaplan is at Cong. Beth El. . abressman@jfednsnj.org