Albuquerque - The U.S. premiere of In The Footsteps of Abraham, directed by Mexican filmmaker Daniel Goldberg will highlight the second year of ¡Celébrate! The Jewish Experience in Spanish Speaking Countries to be held in Albuquerque, November 3 – 10 ¡Celébrate! is an unprecedented week of events highlighting the extraordinary historic and contemporary journey of the Jewish people after their expulsion from Spain in 1492.

“This year we are screening four outstanding films, two with their directors, music with the incomparable Consuelo Luz and wine tastings at the Slate Street Café”, notes Susan Seligman, New Mexico Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Regional Director and organizer of the event.
All events except for the wine tastings will be held at the National Hispanic Cultural Center’s (NHCC) Bank of America Theatre and are FREE to the public. Tickets can be obtained from the NHCC box office or by calling 505/724-4771.

Seligman notes that thousands of people from all backgrounds attended the week-long festival last year. “¡Celébrate! is not a Jewish event, it is not a Hispanic event, but a community event about discovering one’s roots and how those roots shape our lives and cultures,” she said.
Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez, NHCC Executive Director adds, “The NHCC is honored to be working with the Anti-Defamation League and other important partners once again to celebrate the Jewish experience in Spanish-speaking countries. Last year’s festival was incredible with myriad activities taking place throughout the city. It was wonderful seeing the response and interest by the public. I am confident that this year’s celebration will be just as impactful and further educate the public as to this important part of our history. “

¡Celébrate! which was developed by ADL in New Mexico will be going national in 5-10 cities throughout the country, through partnerships between the ADL and the Mexican Foreign Ministry. For more information visit www.adl.org/celebratefestival. The program is organized by the New Mexico Anti-Defamation League with major funding provided by the Isaac Liberman Foundation.

PARTNERS WHO HAVE MADE THIS PROGRAM POSSIBLE INCLUDE:
The Mexican Consulate, the Mexican Foreign Ministry, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Instituto Cervantes, The Latin American and Iberian Institute at UNM, The NM Endowment for the Humanities, The Sokolove/Singer/Buchwald families, Congregation Albert, Slate Street Café, The Society for Crypto-Judaic Studies, The New Mexico Jewish Historical Society and the Department of Cinematic Arts, UNM.