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As we wrap up 2021 and brace ourselves for 2022, let us take stock of the ways each of us rose to the occasion in this tremendously emotional year. We showed up for our family, friends, co-workers, and community. We took a moment to reflect on our values and reassess our priorities. Some of us even managed to squeeze in time to participate in our friendly neighborhood Jewish Film Festival!
We are so grateful to everyone who took part and supported Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media's first-ever hybrid Fall Fest this November. From November 7-20, PJFM presented 22 feature film premieres and eight additional events (including two Jewish shorts programs, two limited Israeli TV series, and six New Media Day events) virtually and in-person.
In support of our new, enhanced mission, we curated an eclectic New Media Day lineup that presented festivalgoers an opportunity to explore the breadth and depth of Jewish digital storytelling, created locally and across the globe. For patrons eager to learn more about YouTube and the video-sharing platform's farreaching impact on culture and society, New Media Day featured an eye-opening documentary directed by Israeli comedian Itamar Rose. Another program featured a live German theater production directed for the big screen about the doomed 1939 voyage of the MS St Louis, which carried nearly one thousand German Jewish refugees seeking asylum in Cuba.
Other highlights include a neo-Hasidic rock opera by Philadelphia-based musician Aryeh Shalom, an exclusive interview with Lacey Schwartz Delgado (director of LITTLE WHITE LIE and Co-Founder of Truth Aid), an interactive presentation on the history of Eastern European folk medicines, and an evening of short films, storytelling, and burlesque performance on the theme of "Beshert" – romantic destiny.
Nearly 3,000 Jewish film and media lovers attended PJFM's 42nd Annual Fall Fest virtually or in-person, and over 650 watched PJFM's exclusive interviews and panels with filmmakers and other special guests.
It's been both a challenging and exciting year here at PJFM and you've been by our side through it all! We appreciate your ongoing support and cannot wait to wow you with our January Festival+ selection – an unforgettable film we know will surely touch your heart.
Enjoy the holiday season, stay safe, and be well.
Yours in film and all things wondrous and magical,
Olivia Antsis
PJFM Executive Artistic Director
PJFM HAS AN APP?
It's true! As a way to grow and connect with the community, the PJFM app is the best way you can stay connected anytime, anywhere and read about the latest news and events.
Why not? The Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media app is equipped with everything you need at your fingertips. Here you will be able watch PJFM In Conversation interviews, see what's upcoming with the organization, watch live streams, give a donation, discover new groups, chat about the movies, and so much more.
The PJFM app is a very helpful resource and was created with you in mind for easy navigation. Download PJFM in the app store TODAY!
WHY USE THE APP? HOW MUCH IS THE APP?
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PJFM APP 101
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Each season, Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media asks audience members to submit ratings for the movies they watch. This is how PJFM chooses its audience award winners, looking for the films that stood out to the audience the most. These have become some of PJFM's most influential films over the years. Be sure to watch these trailers, if you haven't already, and see if these movies move you as they did for the PJFM family.
Directed by Tomer Shushan
WHITE EYE
On a busy night in Tel Aviv, a misunderstanding over a “stolen” bicycle places an Ethiopian restaurant worker’s future in jeopardy. This extraordinary, humanistic drama was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short FUN FACT: Tomer wrote this script in 40 minutes, which is based on a story from his life
WATCH TRAILER HERE
THE SPECIALS
goal of assisting children and young the autism spectrum. Bruno is an t Jew who manages a shelter in Paris duals turned away from other ns. Malik is a Muslim who trains volatile s to be their caregivers. As both men more support for their respective ns, they join forces and pool their resources with the hope of helping these kids navigate their lives and survive in an unforgiving, unpredictable world
Directed by Bernadette Wegenstein
Despite being rejected by the classical music establishment throughout her career, Marin Alsop – the world’s first female conductor – never relinquished her childhood dream Inspired by the music of Leonard Bernstein, as early as age nine, Marin aspired to be a conductor Born to a musical family, she studied violin, graduated from Juilliard, and soon after, established an all-female string orchestra and swing band in New York City. All the while, Marin’s passion for conducting never waned. She longed to return to Julliard to study the art of conducting but was denied admission repeatedly. Fortunately, the fact that women were actively discouraged from entering the profession did not stop her. Blazing her own path, Marin founded an orchestra and established her reputation as a major conductor in her own right.
THE CONDUCTOR
Directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano
Jewish Shorts Progam 2
Israeli Documentary
THE NEW JEW
JOURNEY OF THE LOST
Closing Night Film
THE NEW JEW
Israeli Limited TV Series
LEGACY
Jewish Shorts Program 1 NOT
JOURNEY OF THE LOST
Theater on Film
“Such a moving film – the story, the culture, the acting, the camera work, etc. Mano Khalil is a great director and storyteller who so well portrayed Kurdish and Jewish neighbors (customs, attitudes, life in Syria under the Bath party). He is a remarkable person.”
NEIGHBORS
THE LOST BROTHERS
NOT GOING QUIETLY
SPACE TORAH
BESHERT/ ROMANTIC DESTINY
Creator Shellie Schmals & Artists, Vandellous Caroline Hawthorne and Rusty WATCH HERE
IN CONVERSATION
Watch full episodes HERE
AMERICAN BIRTHRIGHT
Director Becky Tahel & Producer Erin Davis
WATCH HERE WATCH HERE
WET DOG
Author Arye Sharuz Shalicar & Filmmaking Team
SIN LA HABANA
Director Kaveh Nabatian
WATCH HERE
SUBSCRIBE TO PJFM ON YOUTUBE
SHLOMIT NEHAMA
Shlomit Nehama grew up in Jerusalem in a religious family. She worked for many years on Israeli TV, mainly in children’s programs and animation series. THE WOMEN'S BALCONY is her first feature film, inspired by the story of her family and their neighborhood.
Shlomit is 47 years old and a mother of two children.
WHAT INSPIRED THE WOMEN'S BALCONY?
THE WOMEN'S BALCONY is broken into two parts, the movie and the TV series, both inspired by love. The movie is based on a community I grew up in as a child. It has since become a much smaller community throughout my life, but there is still a connection for me there. It represents a tight-knit community. The series was inspired by the characters. When you create a character, you bring that character
to life. Each character takes on their own personality with their own storyline.
For me, these characters still had a story to tell after the movie and I kept hearing it so I wrote more. There are often moments you want to highlight and draw into the story so you consider that as well. These stories have to be woven together to bring the full story to life. A sense of community and the individuals that make it up.
Shlomit Nehama Creator of THE WOMEN'S BALCONY
WHAT DID YOU WANT THE ACTORS TO KNOW?
I was afraid the audience wouldn't understand how important this story was. The actors needed to make the audience feel the importance of the community. This was a place I remember and have seen so it was real to me already
I noticed during filming that it became authentic with the actors and that authenticity was shown on and off-screen. Many of the characters were very naïve, but these were real people. The cast had the challenge to bring these to life.
WAS THERE ANY IMPORTANT IMAGERY IN THE SERIES?
I like to tell the story through the signs on the wall. They are amazingly strong and can be viewed like social media. I took this opportunity to find where I can share these messages throughout the series. It's the idea that "if it's on the wall it's real".
There is also a lot about manipulation in the series. I wanted to show how easy it is to start a fight between two groups of people but that all people have more than one side
"I was surprised at the way the movie was accepted outside of Israel because I felt it was so local and thought no one outside of Israel would connect to the characters. The TV series is being shown for the first time at PJFM."
MOVIE VS. TV SERIES?
With the movie, I built the characters from nothing and it was my first drama. When I wrote the series, I already knew the characters and knew what they would do. But throughout the process, I learned what's important and that it's a learning process.
MORE ABOUT SHLOMIT NEHAMA:
Shlomit is an Israeli actress, director, screenwriter, and script development executive who has worked on numerous TV programs and documentaries
WATCH SHLOMIT NEHAMA ON PJFM IN CONVERSATION
CHAI FIVE
PODCASTS
1 Hanukkah Lights: Stories of the Season
2. The Kibitz
3. Judaism Unbound
4. Wonderful!
5. Stuff You Should Know
TV EPISODES
1. My Mom, Greg's Mom | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
2. A Christmas Story | The Goldbergs S3;E10
3. The Best Chrismukkah Ever | The OC S1;E13
4 Chanukah | Rugrats S4;E1
5 Heck of a Hanukkah | Even Stevens S1;E15
BOOKS ON KINDLE
1. The Latke in the Library | Libi Astaire
2. It's a Whole Spiel | Katherine Locke
3. The Matzah Ball | Jean Meltzer
4 Meet the Latkes | Alan Silberberg
5 Elmo's Little Dreidel | Sesame Street
FEATURE FILMS/TV SERIES
1. The Club | Netflix
2. Eight Crazy Nights | Sling TV
3. An American Pickle | HBO Max
4 Full-Court Miracle | Disney+
5 Mistletoe and Menorahs | Tubi
INFLUENCER VIDEOS
1. West Side Chanukah Story | Six13
2. Happy Chanukah | Rabbi B
3. Hanukkah in Israel!!! | Israel
4 Hanukkah | Mayim Bialik
5 The Story of Hanukkah for Kids | Learn Bright
GRAPHIC NOVELS
1. Maus | Art Spiegelman
2. From Krakow to Krypton | Arie Kaplan
3. Shield of the Maccabees | Eric Kimmel & Dov Smiley
4 Chanukah Hip Hop Graphic Novel | Danny Raphael
5 The Rarest Superhero Holiday Story: Hanukkah | Comic Tropes
KAISERMAN JCC
PJFM encourages community connection by spotlighting Jewish organizations that care.
WHAT'S A JCC?
A Jewish Community Center (JCC) is a general recreational, social, and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities. JCCs promote Jewish culture and heritage through holiday celebrations, Israel-related programming, and other Jewish educational programs.
UPCOMING EVENTS
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
January 16, 2022
10 AM - 3 PM
GROUP FITNESS AT THE J
Now Through December 31, 2021
Unlimited Classes (Oct. 25 – Dec. 31): $125 Drop-in per Class Rate: $15 (cash only)
Alan Scher Executive Director
THE KAISERMAN WAY
The mission of the Kaiserman JCC is to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment where Jewish values inspire excellent social, recreational, educational, cultural, and humanitarian activities that embrace our identity and connection to Israel.
LOCATION
The Kaiserman JCC is located in Wynnewood, PA in the heart of the Main Line. A vibrant Jewish Community, just a few miles from Center City Philadelphia.
FUN FACT: Kaiserman is home to the awardwinning Camp Kef summer day camp and one of the most respected preschool & kindergarten programs in the region.
WHY KAISERMAN?
From pre-school to sports and swim lessons, Kaiserman has a lot to offer. If you are looking for a healthier lifestyle, they've got you covered! Whether you choose the fitness rooms, group fitness classes, aquatics programs or sports leagues, you are sure to find a fitness niche that meets your needs. The JCC is committed to serving the entire community and does not discriminate based on race, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
Movie Recommendations by Matt Bussy (PJFM Program & Digital Marketing Manager)
(NARRATIVE | FRANCE/BELGIUM/NETHERLANDS) NOW IN THEATERS
IN THE HEIGHTS
(NARRATIVE | USA)
NOW STREAMING ON HBO MAX
It’s truly impossible to not love IN THE HEIGHTS! Even if you don’t like musicals, it’s scientifically impossible to not tap your feet and smile while watching Quiara Alegría Hudes (from Philadelphia! And Jewish!) and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s colorful, eye-popping Broadway show hit the big screen Wonderfully acted with catchy tunes, rousing dance numbers, and an extravagant New York City summer setting, IN THE HEIGHTS is a rousing celebration of Latino culture and community. It was also lucky to have come out earlier this year before the Delta variant, a short period when many patrons were feeling comfortable going back to the movies. I saw this frontrow on a sunny day at the Philadelphia Film Center and never wanted it to end. This spectacle deserves to be seen on the big screen Even if you can only stream it on your television now, make it a big deal! Turn off the lights, blast the volume and enjoy this extravaganza.
LICORICE PIZZA
(NARRATIVE | USA) IN THEATERS DECEMBER 25TH
There are still more movies to see this month, but LICORICE PIZZA might very well be my favorite film of the year. It melted my heart from start to finish. It’s a love story, but not “that” kind of love story. It’s a movie about those weird, unlikely people we just can’t get away from in our lives In LICORICE PIZZA, we follow two idiosyncratic souls in 1973 San Fernando Valley: a strong-willed 25-year-old Jewish girl (the OUTSTANDING Alana Haim) and a 15-year-old teenage actor (Cooper Hoffman, son of Philip Seymour). The two wander the sunny streets of California, getting into trouble and trying to start a waterbed business. Paul Thomas Anderson has made a funny, sweet, and utterly nostalgic love letter to the 70s, California, and what it means to be young, free and in love Also, Bradley Cooper may have a small role, but his performance is unforgettable!
LICORICE PIZZA
MASS
(NARRATIVE | USA) NOW IN THEATERS
I don’t think I breathed the entire time I was watching MASS. WOW. That’s all I have to say. Actor Fran Kranz makes his directional debut in this powerhouse of a movie, featuring four performances so raw and real that every one of them deserves an Academy Award. Filmed very much like a one-act play, MASS takes place one afternoon in a room at a church. Two grieving couples meet to discuss the elephant in the room: the son of one of the couples went on a high school shooting spree and killed the other’s boy. This is very heavy material and Kranz and the cast could have easily gone overboard, but they never do. This movie is flawless. The dialogue is riveting. The statements these parents make – even those of the parents of the shooter – are reasonable. Oddly enough, everyone is a victim in this tragedy. This is both a well-acted drama and an honest depiction of grief and gun culture too I think every parent of a teenager needs to see this movie. Starring Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, and Martha Plimpton.
PROCESSION
(DOCUMENTARY | USA) NOW STREAMING ON NETFLIX
Another heavy movie, but trust me: “powerful” isn’t strong enough a word to describe PROCESSION I walked into Robert Greene’s documentary knowing nothing and left with tearful eyes Rarely do we see movies as audacious as this one, ones that so bravely tackle the emotional toll of human trauma and how it’s just so impossible to escape from it. In PROCESSION, we follow six men, all of whom were sexually abused as children by Catholic priests, who work with a movie crew to film fictionalized reenactments of their story. Their purpose? TO HEAL. Heal from the pain they endured. Heal from the anger they still hold in their hearts (for some of them, these priests were never charged and are still alive today…). The men hold nothing back in PROCESSION. They’re furious and they have every right to be. Child abuse is like a scourge in society. Green’s film is a testament to the bravery of survivors and the power of film to help us survive.
SPENCER
(NARRATIVE | UK/GERMANY/USA/CHILE)
NOW IN THEATERS
So yes, let me cut right to the chase: SPENCER won’t be for everyone. If you’ve heard people talk about Pablo Larraín’s new Princess Diana film, they either loved it or hated it (the critics feel the same way). Why is this so? Because this isn’t your typical biographical film. In fact, this isn’t really a biography at all but a fable. We already know about Princess Diana’s life, how the royal family felt about her, her horrific passing, etc. Like he did in JACKIE (2016), Larraín demonstrates an uncanny ability to make artistic cinema out of real stories Gone is the Hollywood treatment of a movie biopic with the usual linear story structure of beginning, middle and end SPENCER, featuring an outstanding Kristen Stewart in the lead role, delves deeper into the mental psyche of Diana, a woman unable to escape from the undulating stares and hostile looks from those around her. If you give it a chance, SPENCER will move and shake you to your core as much as it did for me. Did I also mention that the cinematography is GORGEOUS?
TITANE
(NARRATIVE | FRANCE/BELGIUM)
NOW STREAMING ON VOD
The plot for TITANE (pronounced like “tee-tahn”) simply reads: Titane: A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys. Huh? Indeed, the plot for Julia Ducournau’s much talked-about film was kept in the dark as it made its away at film festivals across the world this year, shocking and exhilarating audiences at the same time. TITANE is….how do I even explain it? It’s a violent thriller with cars and death. It’s a visceral drama with a killer soundtrack and super stylish cinematography. It’s a horror movie, but with lots of comedic moments It’s a moving film about two people (Vincent Lindon and Agathe Rousselle, both amazing) very uncomfortable with their bodies for two WILDLY different reasons It’s very French and VERY extreme (warning: please watch this on an empty stomach!). Of course, though, I don’t want to scare you away from the movie. TITANE is intense, but it has an originality unlike any other story you’ll see this year or any year. Cinema is meant to push the boundaries. TITANE grabs your heart and never lets go.
During the 10th season, PJFM (then PJFF) shared this film with audiences. It was called "The Garden"? A. Rainbow B. Rainy C. Ruby D. Rose E. Rotting
INDIVIDUAL
As presenter of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival – now in its 41st year – PJFM will continue to bring Philadelphia film lovers the best in Jewish international cinema through its signature programming: its two-week annual November Fall Fest, spring series (beginning in spring 2022), and Festival+ sneak previews and special events.
Forms may be mailed to our address: Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media 1613 Walnut St, 2nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19103
YOUNG FRIEND
Join the Young Friends of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media (PJFM) and connect with young professionals, film lovers, and emerging creatives ages 21-39!
Mingle with filmmakers and educators, get invites to specialized programs, attend private screenings, enjoy movie meet-ups, receive discounts on Young Friends events and so much more
Contact Matt Bussy mbussy@phillyjfm.org or Yae Straxkson astraxkson@phillyjfm.org to learn more, become a Young Friend, and be a part of an influential growing community.
Potato Latkes
Grate potatoes and onion. With a box grater, grate the potatoes and onion Transfer to a clean dish towel and squeeze and wring out as much of the liquid as you can. You can also rinse and spin dry in a salad spinner!
Transfer and mix. Quickly transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, and pepper and mix until the flour is completely absorbed.
Fry batter. Heat oil over medium-high heat and drop some mixture into the pan, pressing to flatten it. Make the latkes in bathes. Your pan should sizzle if you’re looking for crispy latkes. When the edges are brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flip. Cook until the second side is deep brown, about another 5 minutes
Cool and Serve. Transfer the latkes to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the rest of the batter Serve immediately with topping of your choice.
This recipe was written by Jayne Schultheis. You can find the full article and recipe HERE. Photo credit to Kiersten Hickman from EAT THIS NOT THAT!
2 large russet potatoes (about 1 pound) scrubbed and cut lengthwise into quarters
1 large onion (about 8 oz.) peeled and cut into quarters
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp coarse kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper Canola oil for frying
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
Kiersten Hickman/Eat This, Not That!
Thank you for supporting the organization. Thank you for supporting the organization.