An important, yet little-known slice of history is coming to Beth Israel’s Men’s Club.”An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines,” is a documentary by multi-awarded Filipino-American producer & director Mr. Noel “Sonny” Izon and associate producer and SDSU history lecturer Bonnie Harris, Ph.D.

Men’s Club is thrilled to host both guests at the next Monthly Forum. They will join us as we will screen a 16-minute version of the documentary “An Open Door”, followed by a Q & A with both producers. This timely documentary depicts a previously rather unknown episode in the history of the Philippines. The documentary tells the story of the rescue of destitute Jewish refugees fleeing the Third Reich in the late 1930s before the outbreak of WWII.

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About the producers:

Noel Izon is an independent filmmaker based in College Heights, MD. He was born in Tondo, Manila in 1946, the year the Philippines attained full independence. He moved to the United States in 1967. He has been involved in creative and broadcast design and production for over four decades. He has filmed internationally in Asia, Europe, South Africa, the United States and Israel and has won many national awards for his work.

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Bonnie M. Harris, Ph.D., Associate Producer, Holocaust Scholar and Consulting Historian for the award-winning feature documentary “An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines,” is a lifetime resident of Southern California, born and raised in the Los Angeles area, having resided in San Diego County for the last 35 years. Dr. Harris is well published on this under-examined site of Holocaust rescue and is regarded as an expert in her field on this history.

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There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event is held virtually on Zoom. After registering, you will receive an email containing information on how to join the event.