The experience I had making L’Chaim Israel is a journey I will always remember. (Special thanks to JVibe for telling me about the Washington, D.C., Jewish Film Festival’s student documentary contest.) I decided my documentary would answer the question, “What would you give Israel for its 60th birthday?” However, I asked this question with a twist: I interviewed Holocaust survivors to share their wishes and thoughts. 

The significance of interviewing Holocaust survivors is profound because they know firsthand the dire consequences of not having a Jewish homeland. Since survivors are becoming rare, this was an opportunity to seize.

My first interview was with the Holocaust survivor I love the most: Joseph Pinczuk, my zaddie (grandfather). Sadly, my thoughts regarding the fact that survivors are becoming scarcer every day hit home too closely. One week after completing my film, Joseph died. But I’m grateful to have captured his memory as a survivor in a tribute to Israel before he left this world.

This piece of cinema illustrates the layers, love and life of Israel and its people. Each survivor uniquely expresses his or her personal yearning for his or her children, grandchildren and future generations to live safe and free as Jews.

L’Chaim Israel is based upon a poem I wrote, Oh Israel, which was threaded throughout the piece. The inspiration behind my poetry was Elie Wiesel’s book Legends of Our Time and the movie Live and Become.

I recorded my voiceover on one audio track and wove it together with another audio track containing the song When I First Saw You, from the 2006 motion picture Dreamgirls. It took several months of research, collecting pertinent photographs and movies.

In fact, another family member of mine was integrated into my tribute, as seen in the black and white footage of Israel. My great-grandmother, Isabel Belarsky, and great-grandfather, David Damashek, supplied me with a film to use in my project that was created almost 60 years ago when Israel became a nation. The film stars my great-great-grandfather, Sidor Belarsky, who was a famous cantor and opera singer.  

In essence, I wanted to give L’Chaim Israel a Spike Lee vibe and make it contemporary, blending current music with a mix of past and present imagery. The film is in memory of my granddad, George Polansky, my bubbie (grandmother), Fania Pinczuk, and now my zaddie.

Michele Pinczuk is a teen journalist who freelances for several publications, including The New York Times. She lives in the Washington, D.C., area. Michele loves New York and Saturday Night Live. Her role models are Gilda Radner, Golda Meir, her grandmom, mom and Aunt Sylvia. She’s also a member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board.