USC Shoah Foundation and the Museum of Jewish Heritage to Host New York Premiere of Strand Releasing’s My Name Is Sara

USC Shoah Foundation and the Museum of Jewish Heritage are joining forces on July 12 to host the official New York City premiere of My Name Is Sara, a feature film based on the true story of a young girl’s survival during the Holocaust while hiding in plain sight in the Ukrainian countryside.

Produced in association with USC Shoah Foundation, the film was an Official Selection at over 50 festivals internationally, taking home five Best Feature Awards. Strand Releasing will bring the movie to New York theatres on July 13, 2022 and nationwide beginning July 22, 2022.

“The film's powerful message of resilience in the face of hatred can serve as an inspiration to everyone committed to countering antisemitism and xenophobia,” said Dr. Kori Street, Interim Finci-Viterbi Executive Director of USC Shoah Foundation. “As the keeper of Sara's story and tens of thousands of others like hers, we are honored to share it with a wide audience and to host this premiere with our longtime partner, the Museum of Jewish Heritage.” 

My Name Is Sara tells the true story of 13-year-old Sara Góralnik, a young Polish Jew whose family was killed by Nazis in September of 1942. After escaping a ghetto and making a grueling escape to the Ukrainian countryside, Sara finds refuge in a small village where she is taken in by a farmer and his young wife, and passing as an Orthodox Christian, hides in plain sight until the end of the war.

Sara soon discovers the dark secrets of her employers’ marriage, compounding the great secret she is striving to protect: her Jewish identity.

“We are very pleased to join our partners at USC Shoah Foundation to premiere the film in our Edmond J. Safra Hall and serve as the New York City premiere location of this essential film,” said Jack Kliger, President and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage. “As we focus on Ukraine in our programming this month, learning Sara’s story of survival in a part of Ukraine that suffered grievously during the Holocaust gives context to the war currently raging in the region. And, as we have seen a resurgence of violence, antisemitism, and hate recently, this story underscores the title of our new exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do.

There will be a reception before the film and a conversation will follow the screening featuring Zuzanna Surowy, the star of the film who portrays Sara, Director/Producer Steven Oritt, and Executive Producers USC Shoah Foundation Executive Committee Board Members Mickey Shapiro and Andy Intrater. Mickey Shapiro is the son of Sara, on whom the film is based. The conversation will be moderated by Jessica Shaw, host of The Pop Culture Spotlight on SiriusXM.

My Name Is Sara is directed by Steven Oritt, and produced by Steven Oritt and Justyna Pawlak in association with USC Shoah Foundation. It was written by David Himmelstein, and executive produced by Mickey Shapiro and Andy Intrater, and stars newcomer Zuzanna Surowy in a breakout role as the titular character Sara.  

About the Museum Of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust 

The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is New York’s contribution to the global responsibility to never forget. The Museum is committed to the crucial mission of educating diverse visitors about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The third-largest Holocaust museum in the world and the second-largest in North America, The Museum of Jewish Heritage anchors the southernmost tip of Manhattan, completing the cultural and educational landscape it shares with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. For more information, visit mjhnyc.org. 

Each year, the Museum presents over 60 public programs, connecting our community in person and virtually through lectures, book talks, concerts, and more. For more info visit: mjhnyc.org/events.