Films at TI: Chelsea, The Jewish Years

Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 12:30–1:45 PM | Onsite

Chelsea, The Jewish Years

Chelsea, The Jewish Years celebrates Chelsea’s influential role as a Jewish immigrant haven in American history. Funded in part by the Chelsea Cultural Heritage Grant, Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and the Chelsea Cultural Council, the film explores the city’s Jewish roots and enduring multicultural legacy.

The film is part of the Chelsea Gateway Project, founded by Ellen Rovner, Ph.D., who leads tours that connect Chelsea’s immigrant communities through shared history. Drawing on her family’s deep Chelsea roots and historical research, Ellen brings the city’s past to life.

Register to join us. Contact cajl@tisrael.org with questions.

About the Filmmaker

A fourth-generation Chelsea native, Ellen Rovner believes that celebrating immigrant heritage strengthens our collective future. A cultural and culinary anthropologist, she has taught at Boston University and been a Visiting Scholar at the Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center. Her work engages community activists, leaders, and artists in experiential social change.

About the Facilitator

Herbert L. Selesnick, Ph.D., an organizational consultant and community leader, holds degrees from MIT in physics, management, and political communication. Formerly Vice President at Harbridge House and co-founder of Sterling & Selesnick, he has guided hundreds of organizations in collaborative change. He now serves as Secretary of the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center Advisory Council, co-founder of the Jewish Chelsea Museum, and Community Engagement Coordinator at Temple Emmanuel of Chelsea.