press kit - Beneath the Helmet

PRESS KIT
Sergeant Coral Amarani
ABOUT THE FILM
Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front is a new featurelength documentary film from Jerusalem U, the creators of the PBSfeatured documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference.
Beneath The Helmet is a coming-of-age story that highlights five young
Israeli high school graduates, who are drafted into the army to defend
their country. At the age of 18, away from their homes, family and friends,
these young individuals undergo a demanding journey, revealing the core
of who they are and who they want to be.
The filmmakers were granted an unprecedented access into the lives of
these young people, which allowed them to create a unique and intimate
documentary that brings to the screen rarely seen human faces to the
men and women who are the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces.
THE STARS OF THE FILM
Coral is from the
affluent
seaside
neighborhood of
Herzliya Pituach.
An only child, she
originally planned
on evading army service but changed
her mind at the end of high school.
She is now a drill sergeant at Michvei
Alon, a pre-basic training program
that helps soldiers successfully
integrate into the IDF. She is
responsible for the basic military
training, education and welfare of
twelve soldiers, many of whom come
from foreign countries.
Private Mekonan Abeba
Mekonan is in basic
training with the
101st Paratrooper
Brigade. At age 12,
Mekonan emigrated
from
Ethiopia.
Hours before boarding the plane
for Israel, his father passed away,
hurling the family into a tumultuous
period of grief and having to cope
with the unknown in a new land.
Mekonan is being raised by his
mother in a two-room apartment
in Bnei Brak, which he shares with
nine other family members.
First Lt. Eden Adler
Private Elon Kohan
Private Oren Giladi
Eden is a commander in the
101st Paratrooper
Brigade
basic
training base. At 21,
he is directly responsible for the
lives, safety and operational effectiveness of 42 recruits and three
sergeants. The son of an American
mother and a Yemeni father, he
grew up in the Western Galilee
town of Kfar Vradim.
Elon is a secondgeneration Israeli,
the grandson of
refugees who fled
from Nazi Europe
to South America
and later emigrated to Israel. Elon
was raised in Ashdod. As the oldest
of three siblings, he is the first to be
drafted into the army, and this has
been a major milestone for both him
and his family.
A
lone
soldier
from Switzerland,
Oren is doing basic
training with the
101st Paratrooper
Brigade in the
Negev Desert. He left Israel at the
age of five and voluntarily returned
at the age of 18 to fulfill his military
service. When on leave, he lives with
his “adopted” family in Ramat Gan.
One of his best friends is Mekonan
Abeba, whom he met on the bus while
traveling from Michvei Alon to the
paratrooper base.
THE FILMMAKERS
Raphael Shore Executive Producer
Raphael Shore is an accomplished filmmaker, and Founder
and CEO of Jerusalem U, a cutting-edge, film-based nonprofit
organization created to transform Jewish and Israel education.
Shore has produced several highly acclaimed documentaries
including his PBS film, Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a
Big Difference. Shore also produced the ground breaking, award
winning documentary film Honor Diaries.
RAPHAEL SHORE
Wayne Kopping Director and Editor
Kopping is an experienced and respected filmmaker, whose
documentaries have been seen by over 40,000,000 people
worldwide. He recently directed and edited Jerusalem U’s
PBS release Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big
Difference.
WAYNE KOPPING
Wayne’s work has been featured on CNN and Fox News,
as well as in The New York Times and countless other
publications and blogs.
Rebecca Shore Producer and Writer
Shore was a writer on the widely-viewed documentary Israel
Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference. This popular
film was screened on PBS across the United States. She is an
artist, educator and lecturer.
REBECCA SHORE
Oren Rosenfeld Co-producer
Rosenfeld was born in Jerusalem. He is a photojournalist who
has covered major news events around the world, including
Operation Protective Edge in Gaza this summer. He has
produced, directed and filmed documentaries and investigative
reports with the BBC, National Geographic, the History
Channel and many others.
OREN ROSENFELD
Baruch Goldberg Co Producer and Writer
Goldberg was a writer on the acclaimed documentary
Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference and
a researcher for several other documentaries. Goldberg
received his B.F.A. in Playwriting & Theatre Studies from The
Theatre School at DePaul University and spent several years
working in Chicago theatre.
BARUCH GOLDBERG
Aviv Regev Lieutenant
As a deputy platoon commander in the 101st Paratrooper
Brigade, Aviv was responsible for the safety and logistical
needs of his soldiers. He grew up in the Golan Heights and
spent several years in New Jersey when he was a child. At 23,
he was in charge of 120 soldiers and was Eden Adler’s direct
commander. Having now completed his army service, Aviv will
be commencing studies at the Technion in Haifa.
AVIV REGEV
Music Scoring and Production
MIRI BEN-ARI
MIRI BEN-ARI is a Grammy Award-winning violinist/producer/humanitarian, UN
Goodwill Ambassador of Music to the United Nations Associations Brazil and Global
Brand Ambassador for Harman Kardon. Originally from Israel, she has created her
own unique sound - a revolutionary fusion of classical soul and dance music.
She has helped sell millions of records by collaborating with other Grammy Awardwinning artists such as Kanye West, Jay Z, Wyclef Jean, Alicia Keyes, Wynton Marsalis,
Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson and Armin van Buren.
Ben-Ari has been the face of many promotional campaigns, including: Reebok,
Vodafone, Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Harman Kardon. She has performed for US President
Barack Obama, Israel President Shimon Peres and was honored by First Lady MichelIe
Obama as a Remarkable Woman, Jewish Federation and co-founder and CEO of
Gedenk (GedenkMovement.org).
For more information about Miri Ben-Ari visit: www.miribenari.com
JERUSALEM U
ENGAGES millions of people across the globe with our award-winning films.
EDUCATES young Jews by providing exceptional educational programs that inspire a
deeper connection to Israel and Judaism.
EMPOWERS the best and brightest Millennials to advocate for Israel and to develop groundbreaking
solutions for the needs of the Jewish people.
Jerusalem U creates and distributes innovative and stimulating films and film-based educational programs
with the goal of making young Jews feel proud of being Jewish and emotionally connected to Israel.
Jerusalem U’s previous film, ‘Israel Inside’, hosted by world-renowned former Harvard lecturer Dr. Tal Ben
Shahar, examines the core characteristics that enable Israelis to overcome challenges and turn a barren
desert into a flourishing nation. This award-winning documentary film has been seen by over 2 million
people, in 28 countries, and featured on PBS, Comcast on Demand and El Al flights to Israel.
Electronic Press Kit available at: BeneathHelmet.com/EPK
For more info contact:
Karean Peretz
Email: karean@jerusalemu.org
Mobile: +972-53-533-0369
Mobile: +1-646-335-0280
www.BeneathHelmet.com