Film producer Nancy Spielberg, sister of Academy Award-winning director, screenwriter and producer Steven Spielberg, was the guest of honor on Monday at a Taglit-Birthright Israel film event at the Cinema City movie theater near Tel Aviv. Spielberg was invited to discuss the process of making her 2014 documentary "Above and Beyond," which recounts the story of Jewish pilots from abroad who volunteered to fight for Israel in the 1948 War of Independence, also known as the "Machal" ("Volunteers from abroad") members. During the event, Nancy Spielberg met 24-year-old Ben Lichtman from Virginia, the grandson of the late American pilot Gideon Lichtman, one of the film's heroes. Philanthropist and businessman Sheldon Adelson and his wife Dr. Miriam Adelson, major donors to the Taglit-Birthright program, also attended the event, presenting Lichtman with an award for his grandfather's tremendous contribution to the State of Israel. Sheldon and Dr. Miriam Adelson own the company that is the primary shareholder of Israel Hayom.
Credit:Moshe Ben-Simhon
The film recounts the personal stories of the young pilots whose actions served as the beginning of the Israeli Air Force. "Above And Beyond" reveals how under-equipped and isolated the Israelis were, how desperately they needed planes and pilots, and how critical the actions of these young American men were for Israel's survival.
