Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival: Matzo and Mistletoe and Ethics on the Edge of Life March 23, 2007

'Matzo and Mistletoe' is the documentary film that asks the question "Is Jewish more than bagels?" Six years ago, a Rabbi asked filmmaker Kate Feiffer if she was Jewish. As a non-practicing Jew who celebrated Christmas, she had no answer. 'Matzo and Mistletoe,' which explores issues of religious and ethnic identity with heart and humor, became her answer. The film features her father and mother, Jules Feiffer and Judy Feiffer, as well as Mike Wallace, Alan Dershowitz and others. In 'Ethics on the Edge of Life,' for over thirty years, the question of whether religiously motivated arguments are appropriate in public policy discussions has become a highly charged debate in American politics. Many people who feel deeply about issues such as abortion and embryonic stem-cell research are influenced by their religious beliefs and traditions. This documentary film-in-progress explores how the professors and students of a university community address these issues.