Events
Past Events
Our past events reflect the museum’s ongoing commitment to education, dialogue, and action. From film screenings and lectures to community conversations and cultural programs, each event has offered opportunities to learn, connect, and be inspired by voices that challenge intolerance and encourage understanding.
Keep Exploring
Screening
The Optimist
Date & Time
Location
Museum of Tolerance 9786 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035
FREE UNDERGROUND PARKING
About
Based on a true story, The Optimist follows Holocaust survivor Herbert Heller and the unlikely friendship that transforms two lives. At 15, Herbert escaped the Auschwitz-Birkenau death march, carrying the weight of silence for six decades. When he finally breaks that silence, he forms a life-saving bond with Abby, a troubled teenager confronting her own pain. Together, they discover hope, healing, and the transformative power of being truly seen.
The film concludes with a special musical performance by violinist Jenny Scheinman.
A Q&A will follow the screening featuring director Finn Taylor, producer Jeanine Thomas, actors Stephen Lang and Luke David Blumm, and Herbert’s grandson, Daniel Cohen.
Guests are invited to a reception immediately following the conversation.
This event is offered free of charge. RSVP required. Register here.
More Upcoming Events
Panel
Artists in Conversation: Memory & Resilience
Don’t miss this profound dialogue on how survivors and their descendants use art to reclaim their history, sustain their identity, and ensure the world never forgets.
Speaker
A Conversation with Renowned Author Ben M. Freeman
Join world-renowned author Ben M. Freeman at the Museum of Tolerance for an unfiltered look at the Jewish Pride trilogy. Be inspired by Ben’s beliefs on how an unshakable connection to identity is the most powerful tool we have against modern hate.
