THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2026 | 7:30–10 PM: Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston screens “Once Upon My Mother” in its Kaplan Theater. Tickets are $16 members and $21 public. The 2026 Audience Choice Feature Film Winner at the Houston Jewish Film Festival, “Once Upon My Mother” will be preceded by a screening of “We Have Sinned Before You,” which was the 2026 Audience Choice Short Film Award Winner.

Inspired by Roland Perez’s bestselling memoir, Once Upon My Mother transports audiences to 1963 France, where Esther Perez, a Moroccan-Jewish immigrant and mother of six, refuses to accept doctors’ dire predictions about her newborn son’s disability. Fueled by fierce devotion, humor and faith, she embarks on a lifelong quest to secure his future. Anchored by a luminous performance from Leïla Bekhti, this vibrant, music-filled crowd-pleaser celebrates maternal love, resilience and hope.