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Offering a range of cinema experiences, from compelling documentaries to poignant comedies that engage and spark conversations.

 

 

 

34th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film
February 18-24, 2027

As one of the longest-running Jewish film festivals in the country, the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg, educates and engages diverse Tidewater communities, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, by presenting world-class film premieres, repertory cinema, and associated programs that are inspired by Jewish or Israeli history, heritage, and values. Our vision is to create shared experiences and connections through film and cultural programs inspired by Jewish legacy and values.

 

 

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🎞️ Support those in need while enjoying a night out!

The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film is supporting Jewish Family Service of Tidewater's Community Food Pantry.
Donations to the food pantry will be accepted at the check-in table for each film. 


The pantry is in need of the following items:

 

  • Cleaning products (dishwashing liquid, laundry detergent, disinfectants, Clorox wipes, etc.)
  • Personal hygiene products (shampoo, body wash, bars of soap, deodorant, etc.) 
  • Toilet paper and paper towels
  • Cooking oil
  • Condiments (ketchup, mustard, pickles and relish, etc.)
  • Snack foods (cookies, crackers, pretzels, etc.)

Learn more about JFS's food assistance programs here.

 

 

🎞️ Programs Inclusivity

Thanks to the generous support of the Bartel Family, in honor of their parents and grandparents, Alan & Dolores Bartel, the following accessibility accommodations are available for these community programs (depending on the program location). Accommodations must be requested at least a week prior to the event.

 

Accomodations can be requested during the registration process, and include:

 

  • Closed captioning services for online programming
  • Interpreting services for Deaf or non-English speakers
  • Assisted listening services to amplify sounds
  • Preferential seating near a presenter to aid in comprehension
  • Sensory fidget tools
  • Noise-reducing headphones
  • Stand-assist devices
  • Audio recording of written materials for the visually impaired 

 

 

🎞️ Thank you to the 2026 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film Screening Committee 

 

Anne Fleder, Chair, Arts + Ideas 
Neil Rose, Co-Chair, Festival
Beth Scharlop, Co-Chair, Festival 
Mark Robbins, Chair, Screening 
Rebecca Auerbach
Rob Copeland 
Nathan Goldin
Helen Goldsticker Sissel

Evalyn Horowitz 

Scott Levin 
Amy Levy
Pati Olizewski
Judit Roth 
Dorothy Shiloff Hughes
Gloria Siegel 
Larry Stein 
Shelly Stein

 

🎞️  THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS PATRONS OF THE ARTS AND SPONSORS:

Karen and Avraham Ashkenazi
Rebecca Auerbach
Babbi and Brad Bangel
Lorelei E. Brice
Wendy and Ron Brodsky
Carol and Allan Brum
Stephanie Calliott and Don London
Marsha L. Chenman, in memory of her parents Sol and Bertha
Susan and Andrew Cohen
Cheryl Dronzek
Barbara Dudley
Susan and Jim Eilberg
Lois Einhorn
Mona and Jeffrey Flax
Alan and Esther Fleder Foundation
Anne and Lawrence Fleder
Alicia London Friedman and Robert S. Friedman
Shari Friedman and Andrew King

Laura and Fred Gross
Joanna Homrighausen
Ellen Rostov Hundley
Connie Jacobson
 

Jaffe Family Fund
Carol and Joel Jason
Betsy and Ed Karotkin
Jodi and Jay Klebanoff
Teresa Knecht and Marc Lindgren
Anne and Edward Kramer
Abbie and Steven Laderberg
Robert Lehman
Caren and Stephen Leon
David Leon
Sandra Porter Leon and Miles Leon
Betty Ann and Scott Levin
Joan London
Nancy Loewenberg and Richard Marten
Robin and Matthew Mancoll
Ronni Marcus
Marcia and Burton Moss
Stacie and Marc Moss
Heather Nevins
Nelson Noriega
Andrew Nusbaum
Dr. Holly Puritz and Dr. Stephen Wohlgemuth

 

 

Poole Brooke Plumlee PC
Lisa and Howard Roesen
Judith Rosenblatt
Sara Jo and Joel Rubin
Shikma and Danny Rubin
Terri and Lonny Sarfan
Laure and Richard Saunders
Beth Scharlop and Roger Schultz
Lynn Schoenbaum
Deborah and Peter Segaloff
Patricia and Herman Shelanski
Sandy and Norman Sher
Lynn and Sadie Sher Cohen
Leslie and Lawrence Siegel
Helen Sissel
Sonia Stein-Bonnie
Lawrence Steingold
Renee and John Strelitz
Myrna Teck and Allan Zeno
Tidewater Jewish Foundation
Dr. Alan and Jody Wagner
Alice and Eric Werner
Helen and David Wolfe
Amy and Frank Zelenka

 

 

 

The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film is presented by the Alma & Howard Laderberg Restricted Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation and funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach and Norfolk through grants from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission and the Norfolk Arts Commission.

The Big Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film is sponsored by Beth Sholom Village and Aviva Pembroke.

 

 

FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION

Contact Hunter Thomas, Director of Arts & Entertainment at  HThomas@ujft.org or (757) 965-6137.

 

 

PREVIOUS FILMS

 

Offering shared experiences and connections through film and cultural programs inspired by Jewish legacy and values for over 30 years, here’s a look back at the most recent films the community has enjoyed, many of which are now available through various streaming services.

 

2025

 

2024

 

2023

 

2022

 

2021

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015