Larry and Leslie Siegel, Chloe Zuckerman, Megan Zuckerman, Jonah Zuckerman, Phyllis Zuckerman, Robert Zuckerman, and Steven Zuckerman.
The 26th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg and Patricia & Avraham Ashkenazi was “one of the most successful in the 26-year history of the festival,” according to Mark Robbins, Film Festival screening committee co-chair.
“We seemed to have had the perfect storm this year—good films with great guests, perfect weather, and thanks to all involved, the best marketing we’ve ever had,” says Robbins.
The festival took place Monday, January 21 through Thursday, January 30 at various theaters and venues in Virginia Beach and Norfolk. With six films presented this year, attendance numbers doubled, and even tripled at some of the events. Film topics ranged from an historical drama set in South Africa centered around a trial involving Nelson Mandela to the spirited story of Team Israel—a baseball tale that even non-sports fans cheered on.
Also this year, the Festival offered admission to educators and their students to see the Samuel Project, starring Hal Linden of Barney Miller fame. “It was wonderful to see so many teachers bringing their students (on a Sunday!) to a film relating to Holocaust education. The younger generation may not have known who Barney Miller was before they came, but they left with a clearer understanding of the human compassion involved in Samuel’s Holocaust story, and the knowledge that there are many different types of learning,” says Wendy Auerbach.
Event partners and generous Patron of the J donors made the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film possible and another exciting success.
“Once again the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film delivered a terrific performance with a home run Saturday night and a diverse line up of films that provided a great experience for all who attended,” says Sandra Porter Leon.
“Success is very satisfying. I am looking forward to next year’s Virginia Festival of Jewish Film,” says William Laderberg, Film Festival screening committee co-chair.
By Callah Terkeltaub
Callah Terkeltaub, Arts + Ideas manager may be reached at cterkeltaub@ujft.org.
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- Larry and Leslie Siegel, Chloe Zuckerman, Megan Zuckerman, Jonah Zuckerman, Phyllis Zuckerman, Robert Zuckerman, and Steven Zuckerman.
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- YAD after the screening of Heading Home: Melissa Kass and Aaron Kass, Amy Weinstein and Eliot Weinstein, Scott Debb and Sharon Debb, Seth Kramer, Ty Kelly, and Max Shulman-Hutter.
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- Lawrence Steingold, Sandra Porter Leon and Miles Leon, Anne and Eddie Kramer, and Wayne Goodman.
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- Amy Weinstein and Ellen Wagner.
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- Ed Kramer introduces When Heros Fly.
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- William Laderberg, Mal Vincent, and Thom Vourlas.
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- Marc Moss and Hal Linden.
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- Talya Gershon, Ralph Soussan, and Larry Leibowitz.
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- Sharon Goldner, Hal Linden, and Karen Kendall.
