Broken Dreams

In 1979 Ido, Albert and Yehuda meet for the first time at the Ravinia Music Festival, home to the Chicago Symphony. While waiting for the concert to begin, Yehuda recounts to his new friends the history of his recent disheartening professional sojourn in Israel. Over the next thirty years, the life cycles of these three Israeli families intersect and interweave in surprising, unexpected, and poignant ways. Albert and Ido also unsuccessfully have attempted to return to Israel. Albert discovers that he has a son from an incidental encounter in the past, a son, who in turn falls in love with and marries Ido's daughter. Like many Israelis who live in the States, the three men continue to read Israeli newspapers on a daily basis, often vociferously responding to editorials which offend their sensibilities. They passionately argue about politics and religion just as they did long years ago on Friday nights in Israel. The peace process, the so-called "territories," the "right," the "left," Judaism, the ultra-Orthodox, and the education of Israeli children in the US, are among the topics which are frequently discussed. In 2008 their life journeys merge yet again when the families meet once more at Ravinia, now profoundly aware of the role which the music festival has played in linking their destinies.