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HIGH SCHOOL MODERATOR’S GUIDE
A JERUSALEM U
PRODUCTION
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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About Beneath the Helmet
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About the Main Characters
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About the Crew
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About Jerusalem U
ABOUT BENEATH THE HELMET
Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front is a coming-of-age story that will touch and speak to
audiences around the world, in particular teenagers and young adults. The film highlights five young Israeli high
school graduates who are drafted into the army to defend their country. At the age of 18, these young people
undergo a demanding, inspiring journey, revealing the core of who they are, who they want to be, and why they
were chosen to be the protectors of a nation. FILM OBJECTIVES
Beneath the Helmet aims to:
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Show the human face of Israeli soldiers
through the stories of the young people
featured in the film.
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Effectively explain the realities facing
Israel—that it is surrounded by enemies
on all sides, and that army service is
done out of necessity, not choice. Israelis
dream about peace, and given the realistic
choice, they would gladly trade in their
guns for plowshares.
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Raise questions for the viewer about the
values that motivate the soldiers in the
film.
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Connect young Jews all over the world to
the Israeli young men and women who are
just like them except for one difference—
they have to serve in the military in order
to defend Israel.
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ABOUT THE MAIN CHARACTERS
FIRST LT. EDEN ADLER
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 Yemenite father, he grew up in the Western Galilee town of
Kfar Vradim.
PRIVATE OREN GILADI
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.
SERGEANT CORAL AMARANI
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 prebasic 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.
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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.
PRIVATE EILON KOHAN
Eilon is a second-generation Israeli, the grandson of refugees who fled from
Nazi Europe to South America and later emigrated to Israel. Eilon 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.
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ABOUT THE CREW
RAPHAEL SHORE, PRODUCER
Raphael is an accomplished filmmaker and the Founder and CEO of Jerusalem U, a
cutting-edge, film-based nonprofit organization created to transform Jewish and Israel
education. He produced the 2010 documentary Crossing the Line: The Intifada Comes to
Campus and the award-winning PBS film, Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big
Difference. Raphael is also Founder and CEO of The Clarion Project.
REBECCA SHORE, PRODUCER, WRITER
Rebecca 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.
WAYNE KOPPING, DIRECTOR/EDITOR
Wayne has directed and edited a number of award-winning films, including the PBS
documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference. His work has been
featured on CNN Headline News, Fox News, New York Times and countless other
publications and blogs.
BARUCH GOLDBER, CO-PRODUCER, WRITER
Baruch was a writer on the acclaimed documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation
Makes a Big Difference. He received his B.F.A. in Playwriting and Theatre Studies from
The Theatre School at DePaul University and spent several years working in Chicago
theatre.
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OREN ROSENFELD, CO-PRODUCER
Born in Jerusalem, Oren was a photojournalist covering the second Palestinian intifada
and major news events around the world. He has produced, directed and filmed
documentaries and investigative reports with the BBC, National Geographic, the
History Channel, and many others.
MIRI BEN-ARI, MUSIC SCORING
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 is
recognized as a musical pioneer.
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 Harmon Kardon. She has performed for US President Barack
Obama, Israel’s President Shimon Peres, and was honored by First Lady Michelle Obama
as a Remarkable Woman. She supports different charitable organizations including the
Jewish Federation and is co-founder and CEO of “Gedenk”(GedenkMovement.org).
For more information about Miri Ben-Ari visit: www.miribenari.com
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ABOUT JERUSALEM U
Jerusalem U is an innovative, film-based education organization
committed to strengthening the emotional and intellectual
connection of Jews to Judaism and Israel. By breaking old molds and
forging new approaches to Jewish and Israel education, Jerusalem
U’s mission is to be a leading portal of Jewish and Israel education
worldwide.
Jerusalem U educates individuals of all ages, offering courses on
contemporary issues, including Israeli history and geopolitics,
Positive Psychology, Leadership and Cinema. These courses merge
the power of film with some of the Jewish world’s most revered
thought-leaders.
Founded in 2007 by its parent company, Imagination Productions,
today Jerusalem U has offices in Jerusalem, New York and
Philadelphia. The organization is headed by Founder and CEO
Rabbi Raphael Shore and President Amy Holtz.
Visit our web site at JerusalemU.org to learn more.