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NEWS RELEASE

Jewish Studies Program at CSUN to
Sponsor Free Screening of WWII Documentary

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Oct. 19, 2006) -- The Jewish Studies Program at Cal State Northridge is continuing its film series with the screening of the World War II documentary, The Ritchie Boys, on Sunday, Oct. 29.

Open to the public, the free screening will be held at Fallbrook Laemmle Theater at 6731 Fallbrook Ave. in West Hills at 10:30 a.m.

The 90 minute film will be followed by a question and answer period led by the Jewish Studies Program faculty.

The Ritchie Boys details the story of a group of Jewish teenagers who fled Nazi Germany only to later return as part of an elite intelligence unit formed by the United States military. The young men made ideal soldiers for the United States, knowing the German language and culture better than anybody else. Armed with intelligence and psychological warfare training at Camp Ritchie in Maryland, the men returned to Europe to interrogate captured German soldiers, defectors and civilians.

Now in their 80s, the men reunite in this documentary to reflect on their experiences.

"It hardly seems possible, yet outstanding documentaries on World War II continue to be made," said Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times. "Christian Bauer’s The Ritchie Boys is one of the best."

Director Christian Bauer spent ten years researching and producing the documentary.

"I’m happy that the men who once were the ‘Ritchie Boys’ are still around to tell their stories," said Bauer. "For me, and most other Germans, they came as liberators. I’m ashamed that Germans drove them out of the country in which they were born. I mourn the families they lost in the holocaust.

"I hope that you will love each one of them as much as I do--for what they went through, and for the difference they made. For their courage, their charm, their wit, and for the intensity with which they tell us about their fight."

Seating is limited. To reserve a seat, call (818) 677-4724 or e-mail jewish.studies@csun.edu. A maximum of four seats may be reserved. Please indicate if you are a member of one of the following sponsoring synagogues: Adat Ari El, Shomrei Torah, Temple Aliyah, Temple Judea or Valley Beth Shalom.

For more information, contact the Jewish Studies Program at (818) 677-3007.