Traditionally screened at various locations throughout Tidewater, the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg, offers a range of cinema experiences, from compelling documentaries to poignant comedies that engage and spark conversations.

 

 

 

32nd Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film
February 16-26, 2025

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.

 

 

 

 

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 2025 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film Screening Committee 

 

Anne Fleder, Chair, Arts + Ideas 
Beth Scharlop, Chair, Festival 
William Laderberg*, Co-Chair, Screening 
Mark Robbins, Co-Chair, Screening 
Barry Einhorn*, Festival Chair Emeritus 

Rebecca Auerbach
Rob Copeland 
Joel Flax
Nathan Goldin
Helen Goldsticker Sissel
Evalyn Horowitz 
Dorothy Shiloff Hughes

Scott Levin 
Amy Levy
Pam Moss
Pati Olizewski
Neil Rose 
Judit Roth 
Gloria Siegel 
Larry Stein 
Shelly Stein 
Howard Swartz

 

*Of blessed memory

 

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

Karen and Avraham Ashkenazi
Rebecca Auerbach
Linda and Leigh Baltuch
Nancy Bangel and Mark Robbins
Susan P. Barr
Wendy Jo and Ronald Brodsky
Stephanie Calliott and Don London
Armond and Rose Caplan Foundation
Billye Roy and Jeff Chernitzer
Susan and Andrew Cohen
Ann and Robert Copeland
Cheryl Dronzek
Barbara Dudley
Susan and Jim Eilberg
Mona and Jeffrey Flax
Alan and Esther Fleder Foundation
Anne and Lawrence Fleder
Fox Pest Control
Shari Friedman and Andrew King
Alicia London Friedman and Robert S. Friedman
Jeri Jo Halprin
Connie Jacobson
Jaffe Family Fund
Carol and Joel Jason
Helen G. Gifford Foundation

Betsy and Ed Karotkin
Jodi and Jay Klebanoff
Teresa Knecht and Marc Lindgren
Anne and Edward Kramer
Abbie and Steven Laderberg
Bruce Laderberg
Harry Laderberg
Sierra and Steven Lautman
Edward Legum
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
Daniel Miller
Jeanne and Julius Miller
Laura and Jerry Miller
Marcia and Burton Moss
Stacie and Marc Moss
Andrew Nusbaum
Charles and Nancy Nusbaum
Elinore Porter

Marc D. Rabinowitz and Bonnie D. Gordon-Rabinowitz
      In memory of William Laderberg
Judith Rosenblatt
Sara Jo and Joel Rubin
Shikma and Danny Rubin
Gerald Sandler
Laure and Richard Saunders
Beth Scharlop and Roger Schultz
Lynn Schoenbaum
Deborah and Peter Segaloff
Patricia and Herman Shelanski
Lynn and Sadie Sher Cohen
Sandy and Norman Sher
Leslie and Lawrence Siegel
Edward Soltz
Heather Spinner
Lawrence Steingold
Renee and John Strelitz
Myrna Teck
Tidewater Jewish Foundation
Jody and Alan Wagner
Alice and Eric Werner
Steve Zahn
Amy and Frank Zelenka

 

The Big Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film is sponsored by Harry Laderberg, Linda (Laderberg) & Leigh Baltuch, and Mallory (Stark) & Romney Laderberg, in memory of their dear brother, William Laderberg.

 

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 through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission

 

 

 

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

  • Running on Sand
  • Yaniv
  • Midas Man
  • October H8te
  • Bad Shabbos
  • June Zero

 

2024

  • The Boy
  • Sirens
  • Asa Turns 13
  • Dear God
  • Home
  • Remembering Gene Wilder
  • The Catskills
  • SHTTL
  • The Story of Annette Zelman

 

2023

 

2022

 

2021

 

2020

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015