For 10 days in February, audiences across Tidewater gathered in theaters not just to watch films, but to experience them together. The 33rd Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Simon Family JCC, transformed moviegoing into a communal event rooted in conversation, reflection, and connection.
As one of the longest‑running Jewish film festivals in the country, the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film continues its mission of engaging Jewish and non‑Jewish audiences through world‑class cinema inspired by Jewish history, culture, and values. This year’s festival featured six films screened at various venues, including Virginia Wesleyan University, Cinema Café Kemps River, Naro Expanded Cinema, Cape Henry Collegiate, and Cinema Café Pembroke Meadows.
Two Israeli films anchored the festival in real‑world history and urgency.
The Stronghold, a historical narrative set during the Yom Kippur War, followed an Israeli army company trapped in the Sinai Desert, forcing viewers to confront the human cost of war and the moral dilemmas faced under siege. Actor Michael Aloni, known for his roles on the Netflix series Shtisel and We Were the Lucky Ones attended and was interviewed following the film by Mark Robbins, festival screening committee chair.
The following Sunday, audiences watched The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, a documentary chronicling a harrowing, real‑life rescue mission following the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel, preceded by a message from the film’s director and producer, who helped set the stage for the screening.
The festival’s signature event, the Big Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film, featured Tatami, a political sports thriller centered on an Iranian judo champion and her coach facing an impossible choice during an international competition. The screening, followed by a dessert reception, embodied what has become a hallmark of the festival: films that spark conversation long after the credits roll.
This film, while featuring no explicitly Jewish content and only a short scene featuring an Israeli character, was chosen by the film screening committee because of its relevance to today’s world. It is the first film to be directed by Israeli and Iranian co-directors, and highlights the strict pressures placed on Iranian citizens by the oppressive regime. It proved especially meaningful given the real-world events that quickly followed.
Both the Road Between Us and Tatami were attended by special guests from the Embassy of Israel. Michal Ofek, director of Cultural Affairs, was joined by Efrat Hochstetler, Counselor for Public Diplomacy, who spoke before each film about how meaningful it is to see Israeli art shared in the U.S. during such a tumultuous time, and about the universality of art.
The festival’s narrative features offered a wide emotional and geographic range. The Ring explored the lingering echoes of the Holocaust through a father and daughter’s journey to uncover their family’s past, while For the Love of a Woman wove together romance and historical mystery across decades in Israel. In The Blond Boy from the Casbah, audiences were transported to Algiers, where memories of a vibrant Jewish community unfolded through the eyes of a filmmaker reconnecting with his childhood roots.
Beyond the films themselves, what set the 33rd festival apart was the collective experience of watching together. In an era when films are often consumed alone on small screens, the festival reaffirmed the power of shared storytelling and the importance of gathering in community.
“Thank you to our wonderful community for your enthusiastic support,” says Beth Scharlop, festival co-chair. “It’s not a festival without your attendance, conversation, and feedback. It motivates us to continually improve our programming.”
Virginia Festival of Jewish Film is presented by the Alma & Howard Laderberg Virginia Festival of Jewish Film 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.
For information about the festival, contact Hunter Thomas, director of Arts + Ideas at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater: HThomas@UJFT.org or 757-965-6137.
