By Dina Gold
It’s not every day that a movie is made about a Georgetowner. Mind you, this is no ordinary Georgetowner, but former Senator Joe Lieberman (D-Ct.). Many of us regularly used to see him strolling through our community on a Saturday on the way, often with wife Hadassah and other family members plus Secret Service agents, to and from his home in Hillandale to Kesher Israel modern orthodox synagogue at 2801 N Street NW.
Eight months after his death in March 2024 at the age of 82, the Edlavitch DCJCC’s independent movie theater will screen the world premiere of Centered: Joe Lieberman for five nights from November 17-21. Produced and directed by Jonathan Gruber (“Upheaval: The Journey of Menachem Begin” and “Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story”), who has lived in Silver Spring since 2007, this documentary charts the former Connecticut senator’s considerable achievements and personal story.
Lieberman was the first Jew to stand as a vice presidential candidate for a major party in the U.S. when he was asked by Al Gore to be his running mate in the 2000 election. Despite winning the popular vote, the Democratic ticket ultimately lost the deciding Electoral College vote to George W. Bush.
“There are very few modern politicians, aside from presidents, who are more consequential than Joe Lieberman”, Gruber said. “His North Star was discourse over discord, which is sorely lacking in today’s political climate.”
Sen. Lieberman meets with President Bill Clinton in 1995. Official White House Photo
Gruber was offered exclusive access to home movies and had the privilege of filming over seven hours of interviews with Lieberman. The documentary not only takes a deep dive into Lieberman’s over 40 years of public service, it also covers his childhood living, until the age of 8, in his very religious grandmother’s house, his reminiscences on who influenced his astonishing political trajectory, how Yale University raised his expectations about what he could achieve and his commitment to Orthodox Judaism.
We hear from Hadassah, Joe’s wife of more than four decades, his sisters Ellie and Rietta as well as contributions from Rebecca and Matthew (his two children with first wife Betty), his stepson, Rabbi Ethan Tucker and Hani, Joe and Hadassah’s daughter.
“I’m fed up with the partisanship and the bitterness in our politics, there’s too much personal hatred,” Lieberman stated in the opening minute of the film. Here was a man who firmly believed in putting principles above party—a resolve that resonates today in the light of more recent political acrimony. He was quintessentially a moderate, saying “It’s important to be open to civilized, respectful debate with people to try to find common ground and get something done.”
Sen. Lieberman speaking with students at the school in New Haven where he voted on his reelection day, 1994. Photo by Jim Kennedy.
Lieberman’s accomplishments were many and varied as attested to by his numerous past colleagues across the political spectrum as well as an assortment of former staff, policy advisers and campaign personnel.
Deeply committed to environmental issues throughout his life, Lieberman was also pivotal, together with former Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), in establishing the 9/11 Commission and its report and subsequent creation of the Department of Homeland Security. He was behind the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, and played critical roles in reforming cybersecurity, in sponsoring the bill to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, and in protecting children from exposure to violence and inappropriate content in the entertainment industry. When the political centrism organization “No Labels” was started in 2010, he became its founding chairman.
At the end of the film, Lieberman explained: “I take my inspiration from Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson said he believed in a little political rebellion every so often, which was as important in politics as storms are in the natural world. I take it he meant to remove the dead wood.”
Now that’s a thought to conjure with!
Tickets can be purchased here.
Dina Gold is a former London-based BBC TV reporter and producer who now lives in Georgetown.
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