In the fall, three Israeli films will be featured in a series that focuses on various aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Three more in this series will be shown next spring – all with the goal of furthering discussions in the Jewish and the greater St. Louis community about issues the films raise.

A special “Can We Talk?” will introduce the series at 7 p.m. Monday, June 17 at the Arts and Education Building at the Jewish Community Center. The event includes the screening of the 20-minute film “Barriers,” which focuses on the complexities and justifications of checkpoints, and a panel discussion and Q&A. Panelists are James Harrison, coordinator of the Webster University Film Series and an adjunct professor there; J. Martin Rochester, political science professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Steve Skrainka, former Givat Haviva (U.S.) board member. The panel will be moderated by Jewish Light editor Ellen Futterman. The event is free but reservations are requested by Friday, June 14 and can be made by calling Diane Maier at 314-442-3190 or emailing her at [email protected].

 Batya Abramson-Goldstein, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, spearheaded the effort to create this new series. “This issue is complex. It’s difficult,” said Abramson-Goldstein, referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “People find it difficult to talk about it, so they don’t want to talk about it.”

The goal of the series is “to be exposed to the issues and to discuss them without shouting at each other,” said Zelda Sparks, director of arts and culture at the JCC.

A panel of four is choosing the films after previewing several candidates. It includes Harrison, Rochester, Sparks and Abramson-Goldstein. The panel has not chosen the films for the 2014 spring series.

The fall lineup includes:

• One Day after Peace,” a documentary about reconciliation in South Africa after the end of apartheid, Sept. 15, at Webster University

• “A Bottle in the Gaza Sea,” a feature film about the communication established between an Israeli girl and a Palestinian boy living in Gaza, Oct. 6 at the JCC

• “Precious Life,” a documentary about a young Palestinian boy from Gaza who receives life-saving treatment at a Tel Aviv hospital and how the interaction of his Palestinian mother and his Jewish Israeli doctor define ideas about the conflict, Dec. 8 at Webster University.