Hollywood Luminary Charles Fox to Appear at the Avon Theatre for an Exclusive Showing of 100 Voices, A Journey Home

Hollywood composer Charles Fox, best known for his Grammy Award winning song, Killing Me Softly with his Song, is flying in from Hollywood for a personal appearance at the exclusive showing April 4, 2013 of the film 100 Voices, a Journey Home at the Avon Theatre in Stamford.  As musical director of the film, Fox will meet and greet donors at a benefit pre-film wine reception and offer a post-film Q&A.  Charles Fox is also known for a host of award-winning film scores and TV theme songs including Goodbye Columbus, European Vacation, and Nine to Five, Love, American Style, Love Boat, Laverne and Shirley and Happy Days.

Congregation Shir Ami and the Avon Theatre in Stamford are co-sponsoring this exclusive showing of the critically acclaimed documentary, 100 Voices, A Journey Home the evening of Thursday, April 4, 2013.  Featured at many film festivals world-wide and voted one of the top 10 films of the year by Sun Publication, this 90-minute film chronicles the 2009 musical voyage of American cantors to Poland to present a series of concerts under the direction of Hollywood composer Charles Fox in major concert halls from Warsaw to Krakow, culminating in an emotional memorial at Auschwitz.  The New York Times noted that “the film’s strength lies precisely in the voices of the cantors…excellent and moving raconteurs.” The Los Angeles Times called 100 Voices, A Journey Home “a reason to rejoice…a warmhearted documentary…The tour footage is emotional.” 

“The showing of 100 Voices, a Journey Home on April 4 is very timely,” noted Rabbi Axe of Congregation Shir Ami, “since Yom Hashoah or Holocaust Memorial Day is observed this year on Sunday, April 7.”  “Just as Yom Hashoah is followed one week later by Yom Haatzmaut in celebration of the birth of Israel,” Axe further explained, “the film recalls a dark time in history and celebrates the resurgence of interest in the Jewish contribution to the cultural life of pre-World War II Poland.

Charles Fox and Congregation Shir Ami are inextricably intertwined because Shir Ami’s beautiful Torah (the first five books of the bible) and Charles Fox’s father both come from the same Polish village of Szydlowiec.  The Shir Ami Torah was saved from the Holocaust by a Catholic family in Szydlowiec on the day the Jews were deported, and Charles Fox’s father was born and spent his early years in Szydlowiec before immigrating to America.  “Our interest in this film,” noted Ray Marschall, immediate past president of Shir Ami and co-chair for the event, “comes from our relationship with Charles Fox through our mutual connection to Szydlowiec.”

“When I discovered the Torah on a trip to Poland and brought it back to our congregation,” noted Barry Stein, co-chair of the event, “I reached out to the survivors of Szydlowiec who are living here in the United States, mostly in New York.  They were awed to reconnect with their childhood Torah and we offered to bring it each year to their annual memorial service.” 

Charles Fox also reached out to the survivors because of their connection to his father and attended one of their annual memorial services. “And that’s how we met,” added Rabbi Axe, “which led to this event.” To make the evening complete, survivors from Szydlowiec and their families will also be in attendance.

Tickets for the film only at $11 ($6 if you are a member of the Avon) can be purchased from the Avon Box Office (203) 967-3660.  $50 Patron Tickets include the benefit Pre-Film Wine Reception at Quattro Pazzi at 6:00pm to meet and greet Charles Fox personally before going across the street to the Avon Theatre and are available by contacting Shir Ami directly, beverlyshirami@gmail.com or (203) 504.2424.