By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Sunday's showing of Exodus to kick off the cultural festival Artbeat of Israel took on special significance for Mazal Rosenblatt.

The 62-year-old Amberley Village resident, who helped organize the three-week arts festival, has lived in Jerusalem and was an extra in the 1961 movie.

She was among an estimated 900 people that attended the free showing of the film, based on the Leon Uris bestseller on the post-Holocaust struggle to build a Jewish homeland.

IF YOU GO

The Artbeat of Israel continues through Nov. 24. For more information contact the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati at (513) 985-1500 or visit www.jewishcincinnati.org: • Today: "Kippur," 7:30 p.m. at Esquire in Clifton • Tuesday: Seeds of Sun jazz ensemble, 7 p.m. at University of Cincinnati Hillel in Clifton • Wednesday: Seeds of Sun jazz ensemble, 7:30 p.m. at Hillel at Miami University in Oxford; and "Kippur," 7:30 p.m. at Esquire in Clifton • Thursday: Seeds of Sun jazz ensemble, 1 p.m. at Isaac. M. Wise Center in Amberley Village • Saturday: "Passover Fever," 7:30 p.m. at Northern Hills Synagogue, Springfield Township • Sunday: "Time of Favor," 2 p.m. at Mariemont • Nov. 11 and Nov. 13: "Time of Favor," 7:30 p.m. at Mariemont • Nov. 16: Hora Galgalim "Hora on Wheels," 7:30 p.m. at Music Hall Ballroom • Nov. 17: Lecture and book signing of Aaron Levin's Testament at the Creation of the State of Israel, 9:30 p.m. at Beth Adam in Remington and 1 p.m. at Temple Sholom in Amberley • Nov. 17: "Love Inventory," 2 p.m. at the Esquire in Clifton • Nov. 18 and Nov. 20: "Love Inventory," 7:30 p.m. at the Esquire in Clifton • Nov. 21: Tutti Solisti Chamber Players, 7:30 p.m. at Congregation Ohav Shalom in Sycamore Township • Nov. 24: Lecture and book signing of Mitchell Bard's Israel: Myth and Facts, 7 p.m., and Taste of Israel, 12-9 p.m., at Adath Israel Synagogue in Amberley

"It was a part of history," Ms. Rosenblatt said. "It was by itself an excitement and an event that I will never forget."

Artbeat of Israel, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, includes dance, film, music, literature and food of Israel.

Jewish Cincinnatians are hoping to expose the Tristate to the Israeli cultural arts scene, especially in this time of terror and political upheaval in Israel.

"In the last two years, when you hear Israel on the news, it's connected to war and bombings and terrorism," said Noga Maliniak, Jewish Federation community shlicha. "But this is not Israel. Israel is so much more than that.

"Israel is a beautiful country that loves the arts."

Events include several movies, concerts and book signings that represent historical and contemporary Israeli arts.

Highlighting the festival is Hora Galgalim's "Hora on Wheels," a troupe of disabled IDF soldiers who perform folk and modern dances from their wheelchairs.

They take the stage Nov. 16 at the Music Hall ballroom downtown.

All the events - including a lecture on the myths and facts of Israel by foreign policy analyst Mitchell Bard, the executive director of the nonprofit American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise - are open to the general public.

"It's not just for Jewish people - it's for everybody," Ms. Maliniak said. "There's nothing here that really deals with politics or religion. ... We just want to associate Israel with more than just war and violence."

Artbeat also will be a learning experience for Ryan Youkilis of Amberley Village. His mom, Abbie, hoped Sunday's showing of Exodus would help the 8-year-old better understand Jewish history.

"I want him to understand why Israel is so important, especially with everything that's going on right now," Abbie Youkilis said.

"I just felt that this was the right time, because it's about the age I really started learning about the Holocaust."

Sunday's movie also served as a kickoff to the Jewish Federation's 2003 fund-raising campaign. By the spring, the federation hopes to raise $6.6 million for a variety of social and educational programs locally and oversees, said Elliot Karp, the federation's chief development officer.

"It's a way to show our support for Israel," said Randy Miller of Montgomery, who watched Exodus with his 15-year-old son, Jeremy.

"Especially in the light of all that's been going on, I thought it was important to be here," he said.

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com