Citizens United To Protect The Maurice River - Alliance - Documentary Film & Panel Discussion / 12-4-24

CU Maurice River, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Counties, presents the full-length documentary, ALLIANCE, at the Levoy Theatre on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. This film examines the foundational history of the Alliance Colony, the first successful Jewish farming community in the United States, which happened to be in the Maurice River Watershed.

From the clutch of a tyrannical czar in 1882 to the sandy soils of southern New Jersey, forty-three Russian Jewish families escaped persecution to partake in a first-time social experiment—to form a cooperative agricultural-based community, settling on a hill overlooking the Maurice River. This film tells the unique true story of family, immigration, connection, and growth. Their story from its roots to the present day deserves to be widely broadcast. It is an American story with life lessons that resonate both nationally and internationally.

CU Maurice River is proud to present this film to our members and community, many of whom are descendants of the Alliance Colony or one of the other Jewish communities settled in the 1880s-1890s in southern New Jersey. CU's Program Manager, Kimberly Spiegel, is a descendent of Samuel Spiegel, a founder of the Norma Colony settled in 1891, who farmed sweet potatoes along the Maurice River.

Come to learn more about the pioneer farmers and stewards of this culturally significant people who utilized the abundant natural resources along the Maurice River. Alliance Beach on the Maurice was a center of seasonal social life for these communities who swam, picnicked, and recreated here as well.

After the film, please stay for a moderated panel discussion and Q&A with ALLIANCE director and Executive Producer of the film, Susan Kehnemui Donnelly, Jay Greenblatt, Tom Kinsella, and Nachum Helig.

Please visit www.alliancefilm.com for more information on this film and Stockton University's Alliance Heritage website to learn more about the history of this community at www.allianceheritagecenter.com.