Thursday, October 1, 2026
Cedarhurst-based film director and editor David Jasse took to Central Avenue last month to film a short educational film for the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation Worldwide Tisha B’Av Event.
The foundation, based in New York, is dedicated to promoting positive speech and ethical behavior, and had recently launched a Shabbat table program to encourage families to see the positive in their lives, and the organization’s weekly newsletter highlights stories of inspiration.
“We wanted to bring a story to life,” Bracha Skolnick, the foundation’s creative manager, said. “Sometimes we have a story for the kids, and we’re trying to make it really interactive.”
The short film, “It’s Aderaba Time at the Kleins,” which was shot in several locations, features a father recounting his day for his two sons. He tells them he met an old camp friend who invited him for a steak lunch instead of pizza. The friend left before the bill came, sticking him with a $300 tab. The lesson: sometimes friends involve you in situations that seem welcoming but have hidden downsides.
Aderaba is an Aramaic word meaning on the contrary or just the opposite. The foundation is using the word to bring awareness of positive speech to children.
Skolnick served as the producer on set during the filming, representing the foundation.
“We tried to make it fun by bringing the story to life,” she said, “and I think the audience really enjoyed it, because it was light but gave a real message.”
The film debuted in a unique worldwide release on Tisha B’Av, Aug. 3. Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av on the Jewish calendar, is the saddest day of the year for Jews. It is the culmination of the Three Weeks, during which they mark the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE with a fast day.
The Central Avenue filming took place on July 15, and featured Graze Smokehouse and Cafe Chocolat. The crew also filmed scenes at the Lawrence Long Island Rail Road station and a number of nearby storefronts.
“Graze was really gracious,” Skolnick said. “They let us film there, they gave us a lot of food for free and their waiters got involved. We improvised and added in a lot of scenes. It ended up being really funny, especially in the restaurant, with the flaming dessert.”
Jasse has worked extensively with the foundation, and Skolnick has known him for over five years. “We researched David because he’s really talented and has a good sense of just helping us bring a story to life,” she said. “He could figure out how many locations we need and how many actors, makes sure the script is camera-friendly and brings in a really talented crew.”
Jasse was notified about the production only a week prior to filming, and brought in his friend Shmuel Hoffman to be the director of photography.
“I’ve been working with the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation for 20 years, so they trust me to do their films,” Jasse said. “It’s nice to work in Cedarhurst, in the sense that nobody bothered you.”
While he usually shoots documentary-style films, Jasse welcomed a narrative project as a change of pace. “It was very exciting to do a narrative piece with actors, restaurants, props and with food,” he said. “It was fun to make a little short film. As a filmmaker, you have to keep making films. It’s easy when it’s local!”
He enjoyed working with the actors, and shooting scenes in a Far Rockaway home, on July 15.
“The children they cast for this thing were tremendous,” Jasse added. “The house they lent us was absolutely beautiful. The actors were really flexible and funny.”
Jasse edited the film overnight on July 15 after completing shooting to make the tight deadline for the Tisha B’Av debut. The film was sent out to 50,000 people around the world via email.
Hoffman, who divides his time between New York and Philadelphia, and has been friends with Jasse for 20 years.
“I was living in Israel, and Jasse was eyeing my, work and when I moved to the U.S he hired me — he was one of my first collaborators/producers when I came here,” Hoffman said. “We’ve been working together ever since.”
Hoffman used a Segway while filming in Cedarhurst, scooting around the streets to get the best shots. He is no newcomer to the Five Towns, and visualized where each shot was going to be taken before beginning production.
“Jasse and I are very aligned (in) that we don’t need to close down streets,” Hoffman said. “We live with that there will be interruptions, and pieces come onto the frame we don’t want. We have a way of making it look real, but in the end it still looks pretty and well thought out.”
