2021 Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival - Program Book

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

January 23 - February 18, 2021

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PROGRAM BOOK

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Laila Lavan – Live from Tel Aviv Opening Night Page 3 A Cantor’s Head Page 5

Transkids Page 23 Asia Page 26 They Ain’t Ready For Me Page 29 Honeymood Page 32

Every year, the goal of the Film Festival is to build relationships, engage in important dialogues, educate, and entertain. Especially during this difficult time, we are proud to offer this robust program to the community, and are grateful for the continued support of our sponsors, partners, and attendees. This festival is for you and is possible because of you.

My Name is Sara Page 34

Please read on for more information about the Film Festival and the wonderful films and events planned for this year. Enjoy the 2021 Virtual Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival!

Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance Closing Night Page 39

Frances Kahan Cultural Arts Manager

Meet the Committee Page 44 Sponsors & Partners Page 47

Stacey Schimberg Committee Chair

Marc Fisher CEO

All films are not rated and are recommended for mature audiences.

Times listed include the length of the feature films only.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

The Art of Waiting Page 17

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When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit Page 15

Welcome to the 2021 Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival. This year’s lineup of films and events offers quality, diverse content in a new virtual format that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home.

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Sustainable Nation Page 9

Saturday, January 23; 7pm Grab your goody bag, recipe card, and ingredients to follow along with a live custom cocktail demonstration by mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer and join film lecturer Galit Roichman for a cinematic journey to Israel!

Pamela Wiznitzer has a true passion and zest for the industry that is seen and tasted in every drink she serves and also transcends the bar. Since 2006, Pamela has worked throughout NYC at many notable venues and currently oversees the beverage programs for the iconic Big Apple Circus and The Lookup - a rooftop bar in midtown. She was nominated as one of the top 10 bartenders for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 “American Bartender of the Year” award at Tales of the Cocktail and was named the “2014 Bartender of the Year” by the Village Voice. Additionally, she was named as one of Food & Wine Magazine’s top 10 Rising Star Mixologists, an inductee to the “Dames Hall of Fame” in 2015, and one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s “40 Under 40” in 2015.

Wiznitzer has a Master’s degree in Food Studies, with a concentration in spirits and alcohol, from NYU’s Steinhardt School. Pamela is a dual BA graduate of both Barnard College and the Jewish Theological seminary as well as the Beverage Alcohol Resources 5-day program earning top honors by passing the course “Bar Ready.”

Pamela Wiznitzer Mixologist

Wiznitzer has been featured in multiple publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Bloomberg and Esquire, as well as reoccurring media appearances on the Food Network, Vh1, NBC, Fox & Friends and BetterTV.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Though we are at home without planes or plans to cross the ocean to Tel Aviv, we have created the next best thing: our very own Laila Lavan to kick-off the 32nd Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival.

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Tel Aviv’s annual citywide celebration known as “White Night” or in Hebrew, Laila Lavan, is an all-night event that celebrates culture, arts, and community.

The bars, theatres, music clubs, and everything in-between remain open for a festive night for all to enjoy.

Laila Lavan - Live from Tel Aviv

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Opening Night

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2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Roichman has also gained rich experience in Jewish education in Israel and the Diaspora. The fields of Israeli cinema and Jewish education are both interlaced in her lectures, examining the changing face of Israeli society in films and television.

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Galit Roichman is a screenwriter and cinema lecturer.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Literature from Haifa University and a Master’s degree in Cinema Studies from Tel-Aviv University. Roichman has written two screenplays for a children’s TV series and is currently writing a script for a feature film. She lives and works in Tel-Aviv and is a member of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television.

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Galit Roichman Cinema Lecturer

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A Cantor’s Head Saturday, January 23; 7pm - Monday, January 25; 7pm

special event:

Monday, January 25; 7pm Cantor Jack Mendelson in conversation with Rabbinic Fellow Jason Cook.

In partnership with Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati – Guardians and Friends.

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Cantor Mendelson is suddenly let go by the Temple where he has served for 28 years. As he prepares for his final Yom Kippur services, he ponders the decline of traditional Jewish sacred music amidst growing preferences for younger cantors with more modern and engaging liturgical styles. Interviews with Mendelson and his proteges explore the magic of this centuries-old art form and what its loss represents.

Erik Greenberg Anjou is a graduate of Middlebury College (B.A. American Literature), Northwestern University (M.A. Film) and the American Film Institute’s Center for Advanced Film Studies (Directing Fellow). His films have been distributed

by Columbia TriStar, Canal Plus, Ergo Media and Seventh Art Releasing, and have played on distribution platforms including PBS, NESN, Canadian, Polish and Israeli TV, and at over two hundred international film festivals. His documentary “A Cantor’s Tale” (2005) won top prizes at five of those festivals. Erik has a particular passion for Jewish culture and storytelling, and is committed to mining the territory between tradition and modernity as American-Jewish life continues to reshape itself in the 21st century. He has taught and lectured at Middlebury College, the Haverford School, School for Visual Arts, and St. John’s University.

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2019 · Documentary · 87 Minutes director: Erik Greenberg Anjou | language: English short film screening: A Jew Walks Into a Bar

by Jonathan Miller.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Erik Greenberg Anjou Director

In Fall 2021, we’ll rededicate the Chestnut Street Cemetery in honor of its 200th Anniversary! Stay tuned for how you can be involved in the celebrations! jcemcin.org

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Your commitment ensures the future of our community!

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Thank you to our Guardians, JCGC’s Legacy Society members, and to our Friends!

Growing up in Brooklyn, Cantor Jacob Ben-Zion (Jack) Mendelson witnessed the dwindling days of the Golden Age of Hazzanut. Now, as both an international performer and one of the leading Cantorial masters of today, he is passing on his art to a new generation. For over 30 years he has taught at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music of Hebrew Union College, and the H.L. Miller Cantorial School at the Jewish Theological Seminary; both schools have awarded him honorary doctorates. Having retired from the full-time pulpit at Temple Israel Center of White Plains, NY in 2014, Jack teaches at both cantorial schools, concertizes, and often appears as scholar in residence. He is performing The Cantor’s Couch – a one-man show written by Mark Bieler, with original music by Jonathan Comisar, and directed by Tony award nominee Eleanor Reissa. The show has played successfully in cities across the USA, including Palo Alto, Los Angeles, Houston, Minneapolis, Louisville, Westport and Detroit. As well as being the subject of this documentary, sequel to the film A Cantor’s Tale, Cantor Mendelson is also featured in the films: 100 Voices, Journey of Spirit, on the life of Debbie Friedman, Deli Man, directed by Erik Anjou, and Theodore Bikel in the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Cantor Jack Mendelson Speaker

Mazel Tov To Stacey Schimberg, Frances Kahan And the Entire Film Festival Committee For an Amazing Mayerson JCC Jewish and Israeli Film Festival.

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Jason Cook is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. Prior to starting his studies at HUC-JIR, Jason worked in teen engagement at the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, teaching advocacy and how to form Jewish identity to teenagers. Jason earned his undergraduate degree at American University in International Relations with a minor in Religious Studies. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Jason lives in Cincinnati with his wife Phylicia.

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Jason Cook Speaker/Rabbinic Fellow

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Marc & Evelyn Fisher

short film:

A Jew Walks Into a Bar 2018 · Short Documentary · 24 Minutes director: Jonathan Miller | language: English

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Jonathan Miller Director Jon Miller is a Documentary Director and Editor who makes stories about the transformative power of performance. His first feature film, Standing Up premiered at DOC NYC and, along with its companion piece, A Jew Walks Into a Bar, played at film festivals across the world. A veteran TV editor, Jon has cut shows for A&E, Showtime, Netflix, Discovery, Animal Planet, Smithsonian, Science, and the Weather Channel, including the acclaimed series The Circus, 60 Days In, and Yukon Men.

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─Neil Bortz

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“I was taught very early that it was my responsibility to give back and lead a good life.”

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

An ultra-Orthodox Brooklynite struggles to balance his aspirations to become a stand-up comedian with his strict religious lifestyle, and is faced with the choice between his passion and his community.

Sustainable Nation Tuesday, Jan. 26; 7pm - Thursday, Jan. 28; 7pm

Thursday, January 28; 7pm

Discussion with Dean Adrian Parr, College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs, University of Texas at Arlington, a UNESCO water chair and activist; Mike Zelkind, Co-founder and CEO of 80 Acres Farms; and Robert Bilott, attorney and author.

In partnership with Shomrei Olam - Jewish Environmental Advocates of Cincinnati and Jewish National Fund.

MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY

jnf.org/donate SAVE THE DATE

Virtual Breakfast for Israel April 18, 2021 ∙ 10:30 am MORE INFORMATION

Eric Goldstein, Director, Ohio Valley egoldstein.cinci@jnf.org ∙ 513-794-1300 x780

jnf.org ∙ 800.JNF.0099

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

special event:

You can help ensure a strong, prosperous and secure future for the land and people of Israel.

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Sustainable Nation follows three individuals who are doing their part to bring sustainable water solutions to an increasingly thirsty planet. The work of this visionary trio highlights the nexus between food, energy, and water.

This documentary shows how fixing global water issues is not only a matter of life and death, but the start of healing the world.

THE LAND, THE PEOPLE, THE DREAM

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2019 · Documentary · 60 Minutes director: Micah Smith | languages: English, Hebrew, and Luganda

Director’s Note

Micah Smith Director/Editor/Writer

that has resulted in homegrown solutions that are now used around the world. This is the kind of transformation we dream of for the global community. When it comes to water, Israelis are incredible role models for how individuals around the world can have an impact.

It is our hope that by sharing the stories and insights of the people in this small country, our film can have an impact on the global water crisis. While Sustainable Nation tells the stories of just a few people working on issues of water scarcity, the film is ultimately meant to teach the same lesson I learned in 4th grade: every individual has a responsibility to protect the environment, and even the smallest acts can make a difference.

Micah Smith is an award-winning narrative and documentary filmmaker whose films have been featured on Netflix, and have been screened at international film festivals, the UN, British Parliament and US Congress.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Nearly 30 years later, the global water crisis has grown more severe. One in nine people lack access to safe water. The World Health Organization estimates that by 2025 half of the global population will be facing water scarcity. One million people die every

year due to water, sanitation and hygienerelated disease. When my producers and I began this project several years ago, we certainly wanted to make a film that spread awareness about the water crisis, but, ultimately, we wanted to focus on solutions and give audiences hope that we truly can solve this issue. As we began our research, there was one statistic that truly blew me away: Israel leads the world in wastewater recycling, reusing more than 80% of its wastewater, with the next closest country being Spain at 20%. Following up on this we found that in a country that is mainly desert, and after years of drought in the 1980’s and 90’s, Israel has become a water exporter. Over the course of just a few decades, Israelis developed a unique social consciousness around water conservation

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The year was 1989, and I remember sitting in my 4th grade class, listening to our homeroom teacher teaching us about the drought in California and the need to conserve water. While the drought subsided a few years later and the watersaving methods we had learned became unnecessary, I would never forget what I really learned that day: every individual has a responsibility to protect the environment, and even the smallest acts can make a difference.

Adrian Parr Speaker Mike Zelkind Speaker

Parr is the producer of three public humanities projects: the multi-award winning film series (with Sean and Jon Hughes), The Intimate Realities of Water Project, and two online series of short and engaging interviews with prominent activists and eminent scholars – TAFTtalks and H2Otalks – on topics ranging from violence, to migration, water rights, and climate change.

Parr is a writer, public speaker, community organizer, and filmmaker. She has published numerous books and articles and has been interviewed for her views on social and environmental justice by The New York Times, public radio and television. She has published op-eds in The LA Review of Books, Al Jazeera, The World Financial Review, and The European Magazine.

In his prior role, Mike was President, CEO of Sager Creek Vegetable Company, a Division of Del Monte Foods, where he connected with many farmers and valued the role of fresh food in enabling healthier communities.

In 1996, after earning his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science and Mathematics, he ranked #1 in his Master’s in Business Administration class of a top 20 Executive MBA program.

He earned the top Leadership Award: John Robson Scholar, selected for a very prestigious Community Leadership Program by the Wexner Foundation.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

She has served as a UNESCO water chair since 2013 and in 2020 she was appointed to the UNESCO expert committee on education and Agenda 2030. Parr is also the founding signatory of the Geneva Actions on Human Water Security.

In 2011 Parr received the University of Cincinnati Rieveschl Award for Scholarly and Creative Work.

Mike Zelkind, Co-Founder and CEO of 80 Acres Farms (est.

2015) and Board Member of Infinite Acres (est. 2019), is a vertical farming leader providing customers with the freshest and most nutritious fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. Utilizing world-class technology and analytics, 80 Acres Farms offers customers a wide variety of pesticide-free food with a longer shelf-life and the highest food safety standards. 80 Acres utilizes fewer natural resources to produce over 300x more food on less than 1% of the footprint.

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Adrian Parr is an internationally recognized environmental, political, and cultural thinker and activist. She is the Dean of the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Arlington in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and she has served as a UNESCO water chair.

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Robert is a partner in Taft’s Environmental, Litigation, and Product Liability and Personal Injury groups. For more than 30 years, Rob has handled a wide variety of highly complex environmental matters and related toxic tort litigation for a diverse array of clients, including the nation’s first cases involving PFAS drinking water contamination.

In 2017, Rob received the international Right Livelihood Award, also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” for his decades of work on PFAS issues. Rob is the author of the book, Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle against DuPont, and his story is the inspiration for the motion picture, Dark Waters, starring Mark Ruffalo as Rob. His story is also featured in the documentary available on Netflix, The Devil We Know. Rob is a graduate of New College in Sarasota, Florida and has a Juris Doctor degree from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Robert Bilott Speaker

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2021

– Suzette & Michael Fisher Register to play, eat, & support at MayersonJCC.org/JClassic

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All proceeds from the 2021 J Classic fundraiser will benefit the important services & programs of the Mayerson JCC.

Thank you to the JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival Committee and the JCC Staff for all you do producing this wonderful Film Festival!

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Losantiville Country Club

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Want to sponsor a JCC program?

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Mazel Tov to the JCC and the Film Festival Committee for another great festival!

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit Friday, January 29; 7pm - Sunday, January 31; 7pm

Nine-year-old Anna is too busy with schoolwork and friends to notice Hitler’s face glaring from posters plastered all over 1933 Berlin. But when her father suddenly vanishes, and the family is secretly hurried out of Germany, Anna begins to understand life will never be the same. What follows is a courageous adventure full of fear and uncertainty, as Anna and her family navigate unfamiliar lands, and cope with the challenges of being refugees.

In partnership with The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.

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2019 · Historical Family Drama · 119 Minutes director: Caroline Link | language: German

Caroline Link was born in Bad Nauheim in 1964. In 1986 she began her studies in film and television documentary at the University of Television and Film Munich. In 1992 Link began research for the screenplay for Beyond Silence, about deaf parents and their musically gifted daughter.

In 1995 she filmed the drama, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1998, making Link an internationally known director. In 1999 Link once again demonstrated her flair for touching stories with the successful Erich Kästner adaptation, Annaluise & Anton.

For this film as well, she was honored with several national and international awards, including the Bavarian Film Award. Link went on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with Nowhere in Africa (2001). In her next film Exit Marrakech (2013), for which she also wrote the screenplay, Link confronted a German theater director (Ulrich Tukur) producing a play in Morocco with his rebellious sixteen-year-old son, who accuses him of failing in his role as a father. For his performance, Samuel Schneider won the New Faces Award for Best Young Actor in 2014. All About Me (2018), based on Hape Kerkeling’s boyhood memories, has been Link’s most successful film to date with 3.7 million viewers.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Caroline Link Director

Congratulations to the Jewish and Israeli Film Festival Committee and the Mayerson JCC Staff for an amazing virtual film festival. _______________________

In-person museum tours at Union Terminal Weekly digital programs Virtual tours and offerings Educator workshops Corporate trainings Youth activities Cincy Upstander Project Mural Campaign Visit holocaustandhumanity.org

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2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

• • • • • • •

Scott and Patricia Joseph

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Wherever you are, you can engage with the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center’s mission of ensuring the lessons of the Holocaust inspire action today.

The Art of Waiting Sunday, January 31; 7pm - Tuesday, February 2; 7pm

Liran and Tali are happily married, but their lives are missing one thing: a baby. With the biological clock ticking, the film tackles sensitive topics as the couple embark on a physical and emotional rollercoaster of fertility treatments, medical procedures, and regimented lovemaking.

Content Warning: Nudity and Sexual Content. special event:

Tuesday, February 2; 7pm Discussion with Michal Raucher, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Jewish Studies, Rutgers University; Marisa Phillips, JFF-CINCY Advisory Council Chair; Tracy Juran, JFF-CINCY Advisory Council Member; and Rachel Loftspring, Fertility Law Attorney, Essig & Evans.

In partnership with Jewish Fertility Foundation.

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2020 · Romantic Comedy · Drama · 91 Minutes director: Erez Tadmor | language: Hebrew 2019 Ophir Award nominations: Best Director and Best Actress short film screening: Torch by Odeya Rosenak

Before I went into writing the script, I thought my story was too personal; I thought the suffering my wife and I went through would mean nothing to average moviegoers. But the experience was too great to ignore so I wrote and directed a short (22 min) film (SirensOphir Award winner for Best Short 2017) about a couple undergoing fertility treatments, and suddenly realized people indeed showed great interest in the story and the film. The greatest surprise was to find out there are many more couples who went through fertility treatments and share the same emotional rollercoaster we experienced.

So, the idea of making a full-length film came naturally.

Storytelling was easy at first: for better or worse I just wrote real moments I felt were traumatic for me so my character was covered. Then I realized the task is too great so I added actor/writer Roy Assaf, who also plays the leading role in the film, and together we built a story taking place over a longer period. Moreover, the deterioration in the relationship that comes with it. The film was written and directed from both perspectives: my wife’s and mine. I tried, and hopefully with some success, to be as modest and non-bombastic as possible, not seeking to be too much of a romantic but also show the comedy in all this, the comedy of life. I felt the need to stay on the ground, be communicative and very talkative at the eye level of the viewer. The film is about two characters who are trying to do just that in life and still stay in love.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Director’s Note

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Erez Tadmor is an Israeli writer and director who graduated from the Camera Obscura School of the Arts in Tel Aviv.

His debut short film, Moosh, in 2001 won more than forty international film festival awards. His short film Strangers, with Guy Nattiv, a 7-minute drama for 20th Century Fox Searchlight released in 2003 won numerous awards including the 2004 online short competition at Sundance Film Festival. It was the basis for the narrative feature film, Strangers, released in 2007. Tadmor’s second narrative feature film A Matter of Size, codirected with Sharon Maymon and released in 2009, earned critical acclaim.

In 2015, he directed Wounded Land which won the Ophir Awards for Best Director and Best Actor. His most recent film The Art of Waiting won four Ophir Award nominations including Best Director, and has earned praise for its focus on infertility, a subject that was once taboo in Israeli society.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Erez Tadmor Director

Michal Raucher Speaker

Marisa Phillips can be found most days at the Mayerson JCC where she loves being a part of the program team running PJ Library and coming up with creative new programs to engage young families in Cincinnati. After meeting her husband Joel, a British expat, in NYC and getting married, they decided to move back to Cincinnati to start a family. With the help of the Institute of Reproductive Health and modern medicine, Marisa and Joel welcomed boy and girl twins in 2012.

Being involved with Jewish Fertility Foundation as the advisory chair was a perfect marriage of being able to give back to couples struggling with infertility and helping grow our Jewish community.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Dr. Raucher earned her PhD in Religious Studies with a concentration in religious ethics and anthropology from Northwestern University. She has an MA from the University of Pennsylvania in Bioethics, and graduated from the Joint Program with The Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University, earning a BA in Hebrew Bible and a BA in Religion. Before joining the faculty at Rutgers, Michal was an assistant professor of Israel and Modern Jewish Thought in the Department of Judaic Studies at the University of Cincinnati.

Marisa Phillips Speaker

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Michal Raucher, Assistant Professor joined Rutgers University, Department of Jewish Studies in Fall 2018. Her research lies at the intersection of Israel studies, Jewish ethics, and the anthropology of women in Judaism. As a Fulbright Fellow, Dr. Raucher conducted ethnographic research on reproductive ethics of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish women in Israel. Drawing on this research, Michal recently published her first book, Conceiving Agency: Reproductive Authority among Haredi Women, Indiana University Press, 2020.

In Loving Memory of Lucille “Twink” Carothers (1924 - 2018)

Tracy Juran is a Principal Consultant and Employee Owner at Systems Evolution Inc. She moved to Cincinnati in 2011 to pursue a career in IT consulting and in 2013, she met her husband Josh, a Finance Executive, and they were married on New Year’s Eve three years later. They reside in Cincinnati with their son, Lev; dog, Markley; and cat, Misha.

Tracy joined Jewish Fertility Foundation’s founding advisory committee in Cincinnati in 2018 - having undergone fertility treatments herself, she is no stranger to the emotional, physical and financial challenges that women and men face while trying to start a family. She loves to plan parties with friends and travel the world; her favorite destinations include Thailand, Peru, and Israel.

Proudly Supports the

2021 JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival Congratulations on another great year of innovative and entertaining cinema! katzteller.com | 513.721.4532 THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT

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Tracy Juran Speaker

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

…a longtime supporter of the JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival

Rachel Loftspring Speaker Rachel Loftspring is a Partner at Essig & Evans, LLP, where she practices Fertility Law exclusively. As a Fertility Law attorney, Rachel counsels clients from the United States and around the world on family-building through surrogacy as well as egg, sperm, and embryo donation.

Rachel and her husband, Dan, an electrophysiologist at Christ Hospital, are both Cincinnati natives who returned home to raise their family. They have two amazing and opinionated children, a 6 year old daughter and 3 year old son. You can connect with Rachel on Instagram at @FertilityLawAttorney.

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Outside of her legal practice, Rachel is an active participant and advocate in her community. She brought Atlantabased Jewish Fertility Foundation to Cincinnati and serves on its Board of Directors. She is also on the board of AJC Cincinnati and serves on several committees for an array of other organizations.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Rachel graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and from Emory College, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Rachel is a Fellow of the prestigious Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys.

short film:

Torch

2017 · Narrative Short · 17 Minutes director: Odeya Rosenak | language: Hebrew

WHO SAYS YOU CAN’ T HAVE IT ALL?

Menu of Services

Fifteen-year-old Jerusalem resident Noga, lost her father in a terror attack. On Memorial Day, she and her mother go on a journey, which ends at the annual torch-lighting ceremony at the community center. As she lights her torch, she gives voice to her rebellion.

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Odeya Rosenak Writer/Director Odeya Rosenak was born in 1991 in Jerusalem. She began her studies at The Sam Spiegel Film & Television School, Jerusalem in 2012. In 2015, Rosenak wrote and directed her first film Wild. Torch is Rosenak’s graduation film. It has been shown at festivals around the world.

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2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

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Laser removal of red vessels, brown spots and hair removal

Transkids Tuesday, February 2; 7pm - Thursday, February 4; 7pm

Hilla Medalia Director

special event:

Thursday, February 4; 7pm Discussion panelists from Transgender Health Clinic, Division of Adolescent and Transition Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

In partnership with Cincinnati Hillel.

Among her range of titles include ‘To Die in Jerusalem’ 2007 (HBO), ‘After the Storm’ 2009 (MTV), ‘Numbered’ 2012 (ARTE), ‘Dancing in Jaffa’ 2013 (Tribeca, IFC Sundance selects), ‘Web Junkie’ 2014 (Sundance Film Festival, POV (PBS), BBC) ‘The Go Go Boys’ 2014 (Cannes Film Festival), ‘Censored Voices’ 2015, (Sundance Film Festival and Berlinale), ‘Muhi – Generally Temporary’ 2017 (San Francisco Film Festival, HotDocs, AFI, Docaviv), ‘The Oslo Diaries’ 2018 (HBO, Arte, Sundance), ‘Transkids’ 2019 (a five part series for yesDocu and feature film version) and ‘Leftover Women’ 2019 (Arte, Independent Lens- PBS, New York Times Op-Doc). Medalia holds a Master of Arts from Southern Illinois University.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Four Israeli teenagers undergo the process of life-andidentity-saving gender transformation in a country where military service is mandatory and religion is not separated from the state.

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2019 · Documentary · 103 Minutes director: Hilla Medalia | language: Hebrew

Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Hilla Medalia has received four Emmy® nominations. Her projects have garnered critical acclaim and screened internationally in theaters and on television including HBO, MTV, BBC and ARTE.

Dr. Rachel Snedecor was born and raised in Hobart, Indiana. She attended Indiana University Northwest in Gary, Indiana, and graduated with her degree in Biology. She went on to attend Medical School at Indiana University School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Louisville, where she received her initial LGBT Health Competency Certification. In 2019, she finished her fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine (including a LEAH Fellowship). Dr. Snedecor completed her M.S. in Clinical Research in 2019. She has been working with and treating transgender adolescents since 2016 at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. There, she worked in research investigating the shared experiences of transgender youth during the transitioning process, dating violence in gender and sexual minority youth, and she participated in quality improvement projects. Since her years in residency, she has sat on multiple national and regional committees working to improve healthcare access and quality for LGBTQ+ patients.

She started her current position at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in 2019. Her passion for treating gender diverse youth and their families led Dr. Snedecor to her current position in the CCHMC Transgender Clinic. The clinic, part of the Division of Adolescent Medicine, currently serves over 1000 patients from all over the Midwest.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Dr. Rachel Snedecor Speaker

Hospital for Children at Indiana University. She has a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UNC at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Conard has been treating transgender adolescents since 2005 as an attending physician at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She has held her current position at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital since 2012. Her passion and compassion for these patients and their families led her to establish and direct the CCHMC Transgender Clinic. The clinic, part of the Division of Adolescent Medicine, currently serves over 1000 patients from all over the Midwest. When she has down time, Dr. Conard enjoys quilting and geocaching with friends.

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Dr. Lee Ann Conard Speaker

Dr. Lee Ann Conard was born and raised in Troy, Ohio. She attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia, and graduated from Ohio Northern University with a degree in Pharmacy. She went on to attain her degree in Osteopathic Medicine from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. Dr. Conard completed her pediatric residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH, and a fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at Riley

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Jessica Kahn, MD MPH is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She serves as the Associate Chair of Academic Affairs and Career Development at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and as the Rauh Chair and Director of the Division of Adolescent and Transition Medicine at Cincinnati Children’s. Her clinical practice focuses on adolescent and young adult health. Her research program focuses on prevention of cervical cancer and other diseases related to human papillomavirus. She is President of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and has served on the World Health Organization’s HPV Vaccine Advisory Committee. Dr. Kahn received an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, MD from Harvard Medical School, and Master’s in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Dr. Jessica Kahn Speaker

Asia Saturday, February 6; 7pm - Monday, February 8; 7pm

Virtually… The Best Film Festival ever produced – EVER!!

special event:

Monday, February 8; 7pm Discussion led by Karyn Gershon, Executive Director of Project Kesher.

In partnership with StarPoint Home Care.

Director’s Note Asia never chose to be a mother, yet she deeply loves her daughter. While Asia devotes herself to caring for Vika, she still cannot quite understand what she, as a mother, can offer her daughter. Asia’s failed attempts at helping Vika, eventually bring them closer together. Asia gets to know her daughter; her fears and her longings. She learns that what Vika needs most, is her unconditional love.

This is a film about motherhood, sacrifice, and love. It’s about the ability and the choice to take responsibility for another person’s life. Even when it means letting go.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Asia’s motherhood has always been an ongoing struggle with her now 17 year-old daughter, Vika. Asia stumbles to achieve balance between asserting her parental authority and respecting her daughter’s point of view. Vika’s deteriorating health urges Asia to finally find her voice as a mother and embrace and cherish their time together.

Content Warning: Drugs, Alcohol, and Sexual Content.

– Marty and Sally Hiudt & Family

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2020 · Drama · 85 Minutes director: Ruthy Pribar | language: Hebrew 2021 Academy Awards Official Entry: Israel - Best International Feature short film screening: Grey Zone by Gal Sagy.

The Film Festival Committee, the Sponsors, and the Incredible JCC Staff, once again, deserve a tremendous Thank You for another wonderfully well done event You are Truly, and Virtually – the BEST!

Karyn Gershon joined Project Kesher as its Executive Director in 1994. Project Kesher (PK) supports a large network of Jewish women leaders in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Israel, as they advocate for gender equality in their countries and organize grassroots resources to improve the quality of life for women and girls in their communities. She was instrumental in growing its Jewish women’s activist network to more than 180 communities. Karyn has been recognized as one of the Jewish Chicagoans of the Year by The Chicago Jewish News and now lives in New York City.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Born in Israel in 1982, Ruthy Pribar graduated with honors from The Sam Spiegel Film School in 2012.

During her studies she received a scholarship from The America-Israel Cultural Foundation for being a promising director. Her short films Last Calls and The Caregiver have both been screened at many international film festivals, garnering numerous awards. Alongside her work as a film director, Ruthy works as an editor on both fiction and documentary films. Ruthy has participated with her work at Rotterdam’s CineMart, and is an alumna of the Cannes Festival Residency Program. Her work focuses on delicate moments of human emotions and interactions. Asia is her debut feature film.

Karyn Gershon Speaker

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Ruthy Pribar Writer/Director

short film:

Grey Zone 2019 ¡ Narrative Short ¡ 10 Minutes director: Gal Sagy | language: Hebrew On an urban crosswalk, Neta finds herself following a man who touched her abruptly and without her consent.

Relax.

Non-medical home care that puts your loved one first.

Gal Sagy Writer/Director Learn How We Can Help

513-766-3339 StarPointHomeCare.org StarPoint Home Care is a subsidiary of Jewish Family Service of Cincinnati.

Gal Sagy was born in 1991 at Ramon Air-Force Base in Israel. She graduated from Abudi Creative Journalism School and Minshar Film School with honors. In 2016, Sagy published her book Made of Canvas, and in 20172020 wrote and directed three short films. She lives in Tel Aviv and currently works as a director and video editor at an advertising agency.

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Delivering care where you are.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Help is here.

They Ain’t Ready For Me Monday, February 8; 7pm - Wednesday, February 10; 7pm

Tamar Manasseh, a black rabbinical student, leads the fight against gun violence on the south side of Chicago. Tamar’s identity and personality combine to make her a force to be reckoned with, and she hasn’t even hit her stride yet. special event:

Wednesday, February 10; 7pm Tamar Manasseh, Founder and President of MASK: Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killings, and film director Brad Rothschild in conversation with Justin Kirschner, Associate Director of Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati.

In partnership with Jewish Community Relations Council Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.

Brad Rothschild is an award-winning filmmaker whose work focuses on the role of the individual in society. He received a Masters in International Affairs and an MBA, both from Columbia University. In the mid-1990s, he served as the Speechwriter and Director of Communications for the Mission of Israel to the United Nations.

Rothschild produced the documentary feature, Kinderblock 66: Return to Buchenwald. The film has screened in the Jerusalem Film Festival and in over 20 festivals in the United States and around the world. Brad directed the documentary film African Exodus, about the plight of Israel’s African refugees and the documentary film Tree Man, about the people who come to New York City to sell Christmas trees every holiday season. Tree Man won the Audience Award at the St. Lawrence International Film Festival and screened on Netflix. Rothschild’s written work has appeared in The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, The Huffington Post and The Times of Israel.

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2019 · Documentary · 88 Minutes director: Brad Rothschild | language: English short film screening: Dina Malul Fights Back by Amit Saragosi.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Brad Rothschild Director/Producer

Justin Kirschner is the Associate Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati. He’s a community connector who has a passion for using reflective conversation, civic engagement, and partnerships to cocreate just and vibrant communities. Justin has been involved with various social justice, youth mentoring and leadership development endeavors, facilitating cross-cultural exchanges and teaching experiential education. He is a double graduate of Ohio University with a B.A. in Political Science, Minors in Business and Global Leadership and a Master’s in Public and Nonprofit Administration.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Following the shooting death of Lucille Barnes in 2015, Tamar Manasseh, a mother of two who grew up in Englewood and now lives in Bronzeville, rallied several other mothers and established MASK (Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings). In the summer of 2015, Manasseh and other parents in the community took to their local corner daily to let everyone know that they’re watching. MASK’s purpose is to put eyes on the streets, interrupt violence and crime, and teach children to grow up as friends rather than enemies. MASK’s primary mission is to build stronger communities through a focus on violence prevention, food insecurity, and housing. Additionally, MASK partners to ensure that community members have access to necessary city services, opportunities for education and professional skills growth, and economic development. Manasseh has also helped launch MASK initiatives in other Chicago neighborhoods, as well as cities throughout the nation, including Evansville, Indiana, Staten Island, New York, and Memphis, Tennessee.

Justin Kirschner Speaker

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Tamar Manasseh Speaker

2019 ¡ Narrative Short ¡ 24 Minutes director: Amit Saragosi | language: Hebrew Ophir Award nomination: Best Short Film Tired of being pushed around, a cash-strapped single mother and her fellow supermarket clerks fight the system in a modern-day Robin Hood scheme.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

Amit Saragosi Director Join us as our age-old mission of combatting antisemitism and hatred takes on new urgency and relevancy.

Amit Saragosi made his first short film in 2007. Since then he has created another six short films. Dina Malul Fights Back was nominated for the 2019 Israeli Academy Award Best Short Film. Saragosi directs TV commercials and promos in Israel.

The time to ACT is now.

Learn how at jewishcincinnati.org/jcrc.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Dina Malul Fights Back

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short film:

Honeymood Friday, February 12; 7pm - Sunday, February 14; 7pm Honeymood begins at the end. Shortly after their wedding, the bride and groom enter a fancy hotel suite. A seemingly minor issue gets blown out of proportion, the two get into a fight and soon embark on a nocturnal journey across the streets of Jerusalem. Through a series of unexpected encounters, they unwittingly negotiate the terms of their marriage and reflect on the true meaning of their commitment to each other.

In partnership with Young Adult Division Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.

Director’s Note Romantic comedies typically culminate in a wedding, or at least the promise of one. So do many fairy tales. They teach us that a wedding is the ultimate happy ending, resolving all problems and curing all maladies. But I always find myself wondering: what happens next, when all that is left for the newlyweds is to live happily ever after?

The film opens with a long sequence in the hotel. The dream of spending a calm, romantic night together gradually dissolves, and so does the cinematic style of this sequence, which I tried to distinguish from that of the rest of the film. From the moment the two leave the hotel and set out on their nightly adventure, the film maintains an ongoing tension between interior and exterior locations. While the groom is constantly drawn to indoor spaces, the bride longs for the outdoors.

Honeymood is based on a short story I wrote while living in Jerusalem, first as an art - then as a film - student. The entire film takes place over the span of one night, throughout which the main characters stay in their bride and groom “uniforms.” It captures in the most unsystematic way everything that I have learned - until the time of its making - about love.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

This romantic comedy of errors follows a bride and groom on their wedding night. Instead of the romantic night they had planned, the couple gets into a fight. What follows is a dazed, urban odyssey across Jerusalem that confronts them with past loves, repressed doubts, and the lives they have left behind.

Content Warning: Sexual Content.

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2020 · Romantic Comedy · 90 Minutes director: Talya Lavie | language: Hebrew

Somewhat analogically, the film often reflects on its commitment to a particular genre; while it questions the notion of exclusive love and casts doubt on the conviction that weddings cure all heartaches, its cinematographic style is nevertheless inspired by the tradition of classic Hollywood romantic comedies, with its blurry imagery, and softened colors.

June 14 – August 6, 2021

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2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Limited capacity in Talya Lavie won the Israeli Academy Awards for writing order to uphold social and directing Zero Motivation, an Israeli blockbuster which distancing requirements. received multiple international awards including Best Film in Tribeca Film Festival and the Nora Ephron Prize; the film broke the Israeli box-office record of the past two decades, won six Israeli Academy Awards, was awarded Best Film by the Israeli Film Critics Association, and was selected to be one of the three Best Israeli Films of All Time by the most widely read newspaper in Israel. Lavie graduated with merit from the Sam Spiegel Film School in Jerusalem after studying in the animation department in Bezalel Art

BY CINCINNATI FAMILY MAGAZINE READERS Academy in Jerusalem. Her short film Sliding Flora screened ---------------------------------------- Horizontal logo - 1” or smaller ---------------------------------------at New York City’s MoMA, Paris’s Louvre, and in over 40 film festivals worldwide. Her short film The Substitute received Learn more and register: several international awards, notably the Audience Award MayersonJCC.org/Camp in the Berlinale. Honeymood is her second feature film.

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Talya Lavie Director/Screenwriter

Our 8-week traditional camp brings all the fun, friends, adventures, and tradition in a safe and supportive environment.

My Name is Sara Sunday, February 14; 7pm - Tuesday, February 16; 7pm Historical Context

special event :

Tuesday, February 16; 7pm Discussion with Mickey Shapiro, Sara’s son and film executive producer; film director Steven Oritt; Dr. Stephen D. Smith, Finci-Viterbi Executive Director of USC Shoah Foundation, and UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education; moderated by Jodi Elowitz, Director of Education and Engagement at The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.

In partnership with The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.

At the time, eastern Poland was a true melting pot where Jews, Polish Catholics and Ukrainian Eastern Orthodox Christians cohabitated in relative peace for centuries. Jews were the commercial backbone of the area and flourished as tradesmen; the local Ukrainian farmers however, did not fire as well. Poorly educated, oppressed by the Polish nobility and starved by the Soviets during the great famine of the 1930s left many Ukrainians vulnerable and desperate. This complex social context foregrounds this moving and inspirational story of a young girl’s life journey.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Based on the true-life story of 13-year-old Sara Guralnick, a Polish Jew who is taken in by a Ukrainian farmer and his young wife. She soon discovers the dark secrets of her employers’ marriage, compounding the greatest secret she must strive to protect, her true identity.

Content Warning: Nudity, Violence, Sexual Content.

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2019 · Historical Drama · 111 Minutes director: Steven Oritt | languages: English and Polish

In June of 1941, Sara Goralnik was just 11 years old when the German Army invaded her hometown of Korets, in present-day Ukraine. Prior to the war, Korets was part of an independent Poland that encompassed the eastern territory of Ukraine, home to a thriving Jewish community whose history in the region dates back over 1000 years. There, Jews forged a burgeoning merchantclass that in some of the provinces such as Volyn, where Korets sits, comprised as much as twothirds of the local population.

Director’s Note My Name is Sara is my narrative feature film debut – a deeply personal story that was first shared with me in 2014 by the woman who survived it. Her married name was Sara Shapiro and for over fifty years she hid this incredible true story from her own family, choosing to only reveal the secrets of her ordeal much later in life.

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2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

While the film was both developed and financed in the US with an American writer/director, it was cast, shot, edited and posted entirely in Poland. Aside from myself, the entire crew was comprised of top artists from the Polish film industry. Our talented cast includes Poles, Germans, Russians and Ukrainians. The role of a 13-year-old Sara was the most difficult to cast. Our initial attempts to find a professional actress were unsuccessful, so we held open calls in Poland, seeking over 650 girls. Among them, we discovered a talented young woman who despite barely speaking English gave an exceptional performance for a first time actress. My Name is Sara has been the most rewarding project of my career and I am tremendously proud of what the team and I were able to achieve. I feel extremely grateful to be able to share Sara’s story with the world and hope that in doing so, it might shed some light on the darkness of her past.

BUILD A JEWISH COMMUNITY T H AT W I L L C O N T I N U E

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Sara Shapiro passed away recently, but not before she was able to convey in detail, the horrors of what she endured to survive. Her memories were the basis for my film and provided a structure that the screenwriter and I were able to weave into our narrative. Although some of the minor characters in our film were invented, most of the principals were not, and most of the actions that transpire are rooted in true events.

feature awards. My Name is Sara was acquired by Strand Releasing in late 2019.

Oritt then launched James Lucy Productions, whose first project was the documentary short Kid Yamaka, an intimate profile of troubled boxer Zachary Wohlman and his path to redemption through boxing, Judaism and sobriety. The film was selected to the Academy Award-qualifying Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, as well as DOC NYC - and was later acquired by Vice’s Fightland Channel.

James Lucy is currently developing an episodic series for AMC Studios, about a notorious crime family from El Paso, Texas whose quest for the American Dream fueled a 1970’s drug empire, as well as producing Oritt’s narrative feature debut, My Name is Sara. The film appeared in over 25 festivals internationally, taking home 5 best

Thank you to our annual Arts & Ideas sponsors: · The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr. – U.S. Bank Foundation · Susan S. Friedlander · The Rockwern Charitable Foundation · Jen & John Stein

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Steven Oritt’s directing background began in music videos, working with the likes of the Foo Fighters, Muse, OneRepublic, Pete Yorn and Paulina Rubio. From there, he moved into the documentary world with his featurelength debut American Native. The film appeared at 13 international festivals earning 4 best documentary awards.

American Native was acquired by Indican Pictures who released the film in 2015.

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Steven Oritt Director/Producer

Oritt’s follow-up documentary Accidental Climber was recently acquired by Vision Films. The film looks at one man’s attempt to become the oldest American to climb Mt. Everest - what ensued was the worst disaster in mountaineering history.

Dr. Stephen D. Smith Speaker

Mickey Shapiro Speaker

In 2008 Mickey Shapiro became a member of the USC Ambassadors. In 2009 Steven Spielberg and the University of Southern California President, Steven Sample, named Shapiro to the Shoah Foundation Institute Board of Councilors and in 2010 Shapiro was appointed to the Inaugural Chair of the Council of the Shoah Foundation.

Shapiro is a leading philanthropist, with efforts in medicine, education, and community improvement. In 2017 Mr. Shapiro received the Greater Detroit Association of Fundraising Professionals Max M. Fisher Award for Outstanding Philanthropist.

Smith has served as a producer on a number of film and new media projects, including Dimensions in Testimony, and the VR project The Last Goodbye.

In recognition of his work, Smith has become a member of the Order of the British Empire and received the Interfaith Gold Medallion. He also holds two honorary doctorates, and lectures widely on issues relating to the history and collective response to the Holocaust, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

Join the J before February 28 and

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2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

In 2002 Shapiro was appointed to serve on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council by President Bush. Since 2007 Shapiro has been a member of the USHMM Founders Society and in 2011 was appointed to the National Leadership Committee.

Dr. Stephen D. Smith is the Finci-Viterbi Executive Director of USC Shoah Foundation, and holds the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education. Smith founded the UK Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire, England and cofounded the Aegis Trust for the prevention of crimes against humanity and genocide.

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Mickey Shapiro was born in Germany in 1947 in a displaced persons camp as his parents, Asa and Sara Shapiro, were survivors of the Holocaust. The family arrived in the United States in 1949, moved to Detroit, Michigan and has made Michigan their home since. Shapiro is one of Michigan’s top financiers and developers with ownership positions in numerous real estate entities throughout the United States. Shapiro was also the past Director of the Michigan Holocaust Memorial Center.

Jodi Elowitz is the Director of Education & Engagement for the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Elowitz has had a wide range of experiences in the field of Holocaust studies, including; teaching, overseeing numerous educational and community programs, designing workshops, resources, study guides and curriculum for secondary educators and university students. Most recently she was the Project Manager for the creation of the Holocaust gallery and part of the design team that built the museum at Cincinnati’s historic Union Terminal in January 2019.

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Jodi Elowitz Speaker

Ms. Elowitz’s current area of expertise is artistic representation of the Holocaust in film. She has written several articles and has presented her work at conferences and public speaking engagements. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities/Art History and her Master of Liberal Studies degree in Holocaust Studies at the University of Minnesota.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

She has worked as the Outreach & Program Coordinator for the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, at the University of Minnesota, after serving as the Executive Director of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, and the Director of Holocaust Education for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Tuesday, Feb. 16; 7pm Thursday, Feb. 18; 7pm 2020 · Documentary · 95 Minutes director: Shari Rogers | language: English

special event:

Thursday, February 18; 7pm Discussion with Dr. Gary Zola, Executive Director of the American Jewish Archives; Paul M. Booth, Division Manager, City of Cincinnati Office of Human Relations; Pastor Paul M. Booth, Jr., Lead Pastor and founder of Legacy Pointe Church; and film director Dr. Shari Rogers; moderated by Jackie Congedo, Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati.

In partnership with Jewish Federation of Cincinnati - Silver Circle Society and Create Your Jewish Legacy.

Free tickets available for Create Your Jewish Legacy and Jewish Federation Silver Circle donors.

Please contact Reagan Kuhn at rkuhn@jfedcin.org for information and to RSVP.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance

The alliance between African and Jewish Americans began in the early 20th century in response to shared experiences of bigotry and discrimination. This timely documentary revisits the crucial lessons of Black-Jewish cooperation and serves as an urgent call for renewed solidarity in times of rising intolerance.

Content Warning: Violence.

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Closing Night

Group Exercise

Shari Rogers is a clinical therapist and social activist whose work encompasses movie production, writing, educational programming, curriculum development and public speaking.

She is the Co-Executive Producer of Eli Inspiring Future Generations, a PBS documentary examining the impact of Holocaust survivor Eliezer Ayalon, a Yad Vashem tour guide from Israel, and his inspiration to make positive change in the world. Rogers has also been published in “Friendship and Faith, The Wisdom of Women Creating Alliances for Peace.”

Rogers is the president and founder of Spill the Honey, a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) organization committed to promoting human dignity as well as advancing public knowledge of the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement. Through programs, sponsored initiatives, and strategic partnerships, Spill the Honey advances cultural tolerance, draws attention to contemporary injustices, and encourages young people to become compassionate, global citizens. Rogers also serves as a trustee of the Institute for the Study of Global Anti-Semitism and Policy (ISGAP).

The J offers a wide array of FREE Group Ex classes with your membership. From low-impact beginner classes to highintensity advanced classes, there’s something for every skill level. See our schedule at MayersonJCC.org/Fitness.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Spill the Honey has developed and produced Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance, a feature-length documentary film that focuses on a proud chapter in modern American history when two communities of different backgrounds collaborated to transform the moral conscience of the nation. The powerful lessons of this crucial history must be remembered. For too many people today, the history of African Americans and Jews coming together has never been shared nor heard.

We believe that this relationship is, and can be, an inspiration that allows for people now to transcend their differences and cooperate so that future generations can participate in a vibrant pluralism. To date, Spill the Honey has captured more than 150 hours of film interviews with living witnesses to history in a 95 minute documentary.

Shari Rogers Director/Producer

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Spill the Honey

and protection of the cemeteries, monuments, and historic buildings associated with the foreign heritage of United States citizens.

Although HUC-JIR presidents have received appointments to U.S. Commissions, Professor Zola is the first regular member of the College-Institute’s faculty to receive such a Presidential appointment.

Jackie Congedo Speaker Jackie Congedo is the Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Cincinnati, which builds bridges between the Jewish and non-Jewish communities, advocates on behalf of the Jewish community and Israel, fights antisemitism, and promotes social justice.

She has over a decade of strategic communications, public relations, current affairs, and award-winning journalism experience.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

The American Jewish Archives Journal. President Barack Obama appointed Dr. Zola on three separate occasions (2011, 2014, and 2017) to serve as a member of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, an independent agency of the Federal government.

Established by Public Law in 1985, the Commission exists to foster the preservation

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Gary Zola Speaker

Gary Phillip Zola is the Edward M. Ackerman Family Distinguished Professor of the American Jewish Experience & Reform Jewish History at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUCJIR) in Cincinnati, as well as the Executive Director of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA). Zola serves as editor of The Marcus Center’s awardwinning biannual publication,

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Paul M. Booth attended Cincinnati Public Schools. He moved on to graduate from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia with a degree in Business Administration. After beginning his professional career managing public housing, he was appointed to Cincinnati City Council in 1989 to fill an unexpired term and was later appointed again in 1998.

Mr. Booth was Special Assistant to Congressman David S. Mann for one term. He was then elected to Cincinnati City Council for two terms (1999 and 2001). During the Cincinnati protest of 2001, Booth called for mediation with the City leadership and protest group members, appearing on CNN with the same request. In the aftermath of the

Booth has received numerous Awards and Citations. He is a life member of the NAACP, a member of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of National Action Network and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In March 2015, Booth was invited as a guest of Congressman John Lewis to join he, members of Congress and President Obama in Selma, Alabama for the observance of the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

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Paul M. Booth Speaker

Mr. Booth has been active in numerous community organizations. He has served as President, local Branch of the NAACP. During his presidency he called for more AfricanAmerican news anchors on local television stations, and more African-American Judges in the courts. He led delegations to Washington, D.C. for the 25th anniversary of the March on Washington and to Forsyth County, Georgia for the historic Unity March. Booth has served in many respected leadership positions including on the Board of Trustees of United Way and as a member of the Board of Advisors of The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also a past Commissioner of the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission. He was appointed by the Mayor of Cincinnati as Co-Chair of the Economic Inclusion Advisory Council, whose mission is to insure economic opportunity and inclusion for all citizens seeking to do business with the City.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

protest, Booth called for a Cultural Audit of the Cincinnati Police Department and for a review of the rules for use of deadly force. Upon leaving City Council, he was appointed by the Governor of Ohio to consecutive terms on two Commissions; the State Personnel Board of Review, and with the Department of Commerce. Booth currently is Division Manager of the Office of Human Relations for the City of Cincinnati.

A Cincinnati native, Pastor Booth is a graduate of Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Highschool. In addition, he is a graduate of DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Minor in Religious Studies. He completed his Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University concentrating in leadership and ethics. He also graduated from the Harvard Summer Leadership Institute. He pursued a Ph.D. in Values Driven Leadership from the College of Business at Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois.

He presented his research, “African American Leadership: Incubating Ethical Agents for the Twenty-First Century,” at Yale University’s Bouchet Graduate Conference. He is a graduate of C-Change class of 2012, an innovative institute sponsored by the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce that develops top young professionals who will be change agents in Cincinnati and throughout the region.

Pastor Booth has sought to connect with the wider ecclesial community through the Progressive National Baptist Convention, founded by his grandfather, Dr. L. Venchael Booth. Pastor Booth truly has a passion for intergenerational ministry. Pastor Booth’s prophetic message of social consciousness, economic development, and spiritual renewal has afforded him the opportunity to share the platform with distinguished civic, religious and business leaders across the nation.

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Paul M. Booth Jr. is the Lead Pastor and founder of Legacy Pointe Church in the northern corridor of Cincinnati. He previously served as the Executive Pastor of New Prospect Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Before returning to Cincinnati, he was the Youth and College Pastor of the 4,000 member Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

A sixth generation preacher, Pastor Booth is a “young minister with an old anointing.”

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Paul M. Booth, Jr. Speaker

Meet the Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival Committee

Liat Alon Liat Alon, Israel Institute Teaching Fellow at UIUC. In my courses I often refer to and utilize movies and television to discuss Jewish and Israeli societies and cultures. I believe both offer a glimpse into reality and help shed light on social processes and phenomena.

Marcie Bachrach The Jewish and Israeli Film Festival is a favorite of mine, bringing our community together for enriching films. My top pick this year may seem surprising - it’s a 10-minute powerful “short” titled Grey Zone. This thought provoking film stayed with me much longer than the film itself. It is bold and brave, and relates to the #MeToo movement. It is paired with Asia, an emotional award-winning narrative about the relationship between a young mother and her teenage daughter, and how the unexpected changes their bond.

Serving on the Jewish and Israeli Film Festival Committee with these wonderful people is a true highlight. As a member of Christians United for Israel in the Cincinnati area, I cherish the sense of friendship and togetherness created by the Film Festival experience. It is very uplifting and rewarding to be a part of a cause that celebrates Israel and Jewish heritage.

Alison Caller With a background in social work and writing, I find being on the Film Committee to be incredibly interesting and educational. As supporters of the JCC and many other Jewish agencies, our family is happy to do our part in sponsoring this successful Film Festival. In this year’s lineup, my favorite pick is When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. This film, based on the novel of the same name, is an account of a German family fleeing the country at the beginning of Hitler’s ascent. As a member of the intelligentsia, the father must escape, later to be joined by his family. The cinematography and acting are excellent, depicting the family’s experience as refugees in neighboring countries.

Sydney Fine I enjoy being on the Film Festival Committee because I believe that film has the power to educate, entertain, and bring people together. As a committee member, I hope to ensure that there is diversity across the films so that there is something that everyone can relate to, but also something that can widen or shift perspectives.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

As someone with a life-long passion for movies and all things film related, I love being a part of the Mayerson JCC Jewish and Israeli Film Festival. It has been a privilege to be able to chair this event for 5 of the past 7 seasons and work alongside an incredible committee of hard working volunteers. While this year has been challenging in so many ways, we hope to bring you a festival with powerful films and engaging programs that will be enjoyed to the fullest, even from home. One of my favorite films of this season is They Ain’t Ready For Me. I look forward to sharing this powerful and timely documentary with our community.

“See” you at the movies!

Lauren Bowen

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Stacey Schimberg - Committee Chair

Scott Joseph

Sarah Kleymeyer

I served on the Jewish and Israeli Film Festival Committee from 2014-2016. I returned to the committee this year after realizing how much I missed being part of this amazing team. What an extremely challenging year this has been - watching movies at home has joined the long list of cultural events offered virtually. I especially enjoyed the wide range of movies we had the pleasure to preview. The documentaries are enlightening, the comedies are funny, the dramas are intriguing, and the shorts are entertaining.

The accompanying speakers and programs are certain to be extremely worthwhile. This year’s virtual festival will definitely exceed your expectations. It’s great to be back!

Stories can be immensely powerful; some act as “windows”inviting you into a new world to explore or escape into. Or stories can act like “mirrors”- reflecting aspects of ourselves at us, allowing the viewer to see how we identify with players in the story and think critically of ourselves. As a member of the Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival Committee, my favorite aspect is critically analyzing how a film can provide these “windows and mirrors” for the patrons of our festival to bring them a meaningful viewing experience.

Amy Klein I am an OT at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and am passionate about helping kids (and their families) with eating challenges. In addition to watching films, I enjoy spending my free time hanging out with my Dad, Jerry, and dog, Rover.

Terry Stransky This is my third year on the Committee, and certainly the most challenging from a work perspective, and for our ability to present this film series. My favorite film for this year is Shared Legacies. In these fractious and divided times, this film highlights the America that was, and the America we can be. It is a film of unity, of hope, of shared goals. I hope you find this film uplifting.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Blockbuster movies are fine, but I prefer the artsy and thought-provoking style of film. Spending my leisure time pre-screening movies for the Festival is both an honor and a pleasure. The honor is serving as a volunteer member on the Committee; the pleasure is experiencing the broad variety of films, refreshing my Hebrew language skills, contributing to our Jewish community, and engaging with the many terrific people I have met while volunteering.

I enjoy serving on the Film Festival Committee because I love movies and going to the movies. The Committee gives me a chance to see movies before the general community, and to have a say in which ones are included in the festival.

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Cantor Alane Katzew

Paul Spitz

Aaron Weiner

JCC Staff Credits

I have been an avid supporter of The Jewish & Israeli Film Festival for many years and am thrilled to be on the Committee for the first time this season. It is particularly rewarding to serve the Jewish community during this challenging time. Now more than ever, we need ways to connect and be entertained. I always appreciate the diverse and enriching content that the Festival affords. This year will be no exception! When I’m not previewing films, I am a full-time Realtor, and serve on the National Board of Governors with The Human Rights Campaign. I am a Native Cincinnatian and Live in Clifton with my dog, Findlay.

Frances Kahan, Film Festival Director

Ilana Nadel, Operations Associate Ashley Stokar, Director of Marketing Scott Gellen, Senior Graphic Designer Karli Wood, Project Manager Andrea Glazer, Content Marketing Specialist

Ticket Prices All tickets are household viewing.

Additional platform fees apply.

Opening Event Ticket J Member: $14 | Public: $18 Individual Ticket J Member: $10 | Public: $12 Festival Pass: J Member: $92 | Public: $118

To learn more, watch trailers, and purchase tickets for films and live stream events, please visit our website:

MayersonJCC.org/Film.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

I am very happy to be in my third year as a member of the Jewish and Israeli Film Festival Committee. As an avid filmgoer I always enjoy finding new films, genres, and stories that are different from what I might usually enjoy. Even though this has been a difficult year, I am so excited for the Festival because we have so many great films and content to share with the community. Even if we can’t be together in person I know this will be our best Festival yet.

Rick Lefton, Director of Development

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David Wish

Holly Wolfson, Programming Director

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

PRESENTING SPONSOR

DIRECTORS

Dr. Mark Mandell-Brown Evelyn & Marc Fisher Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center Michael & Suzette Fisher Scott & Patricia Joseph

SCREENWRITERS

· Bret & Alison Caller · Comey & Shepherd Realtors · Marcie & Nathan Bachrach · Jean E. Feinberg · Shelly Gerson & Jeff Zipkin · Isaacsohn Family · Paul Heldman & Deborah Kirschner · John Henry Homes · Knue Family · John & Deborah Moffatt

· Nina & Edward Paul · LiveWell Capital Stacey & David Schimberg · Abby & David Schwartz · Terri & Walter Solomon · Jen & John Stein · Sherri & Adam Symson · Weil Kahn Funeral Home · Waldman & Company CPAs

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

Marty & Sally Hiudt

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In Memory of Lucille K. Carothers

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

ACTOR

· Cantor Alane & Rabbi Jan Katzew · Amy Klein · Susan Brenner & Steven Mombach · Cynthia & Bob Rosen · Craig & Anna Sarembock · Sarah Weiss & Todd Schild · Rachel & Steven Schild · Holly & Josh Wolfson

· Andrew & Linda Berger · Jennifer & Eric Dauer · Roanete Naamani & Edward Goldman · Linda & Gary Greenberg · Beth & Louis Guttman · Lara & Ronnen Isakov · Arlene & Bill Katz

· Felicia Zakem & Ken Heldman · Stephen & Sandra Joffe · Mark & Marcy Kanter · Julie & Rick Kantor · Marvin & Gerry Kraus · Dr. Robert & Cissy Lenobel · Ernesto & Rini Levy · Sonia Milrod · Sue Price · Roger & Carol Rosenthal · Martha & Lee Schimberg

· Debbie Friedman & Joe Segal · Rick & Sandy Stern · Dan Kanter & Mary Sutton · Tara & Ross Vigran · Julie Glazer Weisser · Debbie & Dick Westheimer · Ronna & Jim Willis · David & Erin Wish

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· Judy Adams · Amy Schur & Steve Albert · Marci & Gary Blachman · Dabby Blatt · Darryl Dick - Medicare Health Insurance · Claire & Alan Eichner · Karen & Richard Goodman · Lois & Jeffrey Gushin · David C. Harris

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

FRIEND

PARTNERS

· AgeWell Cincinnati · Cincinnati Hillel · Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati Guardians and Friends · Jewish Community Relations Council · Jewish Federation of Cincinnati Silver Circle Society and Create Your Jewish Legacy · Jewish National Fund · Jewish Federation of Cincinnati - Young Adult Division (Honeymoon Israel)

· Jewish Fertility Foundation · JVS Career Services · Northern Hills Synagogue Congregation B’nai Avraham · Shomrei Olam Jewish Environmental Advocates of Cincinnati · StarPoint Home Care · The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center · Topicz

· Stacey Schimberg - Chair · Liat Alon · Marcie Bachrach · Lauren Bowen · Alison Caller

· Sydney Fine · Scott Joseph · Cantor Alane Katzew · Amy Klein · Sarah Kleymeyer

This year’s Film Festival speakers are supported by the Roslyn W. and Jule Gildenblatt Memorial Endowment “as a living legacy to their commitment to the Jewish Horizontal logo - 1” or smaller ---------------------------------------community and to the heritage of pluralistic Jewish study.”

· Roanete Naamani · Paul Spitz · Terry Stransky · Aaron Weiner · David Wish

As of January 20, 2021. For most recent listing of sponsors, please visit MayersonJCC.org.

2021 MAYERSON JCC VIRTUAL JEWISH & ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL

FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

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Thank you to our generous sponsors!