More than 36 years ago, the Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival began as the Israeli Film Festival in honor of the 40th anniversary of Israel’s statehood. Hosted by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the festival showcased a lineup of four Israeli films presented at the historic Hebrew Union College campus in Cincinnati. Today, the Mayerson JCC Film Festival is a signature Arts, Ideas & Jewish Life program that the Jewish community center offers to the Cincinnati community and beyond. It serves as an opportunity to highlight the art and storytelling of Jewish and Israeli voices by uplifting, including and engaging empathy through the films it shows each year.
Eowyn Garfinkle Plymesser, the festival’s lead staff member and manager of Arts & Culture at the Mayerson JCC, joined in 2023 under the guidance of the programming director, Frances Kahan. “The festival has grown immensely since it began in 1988,” Eowyn said. “It started as a small festival that spread over only a couple weeks and now spans an entire month, showcasing a multitude of films from various genres. When the Mayerson JCC opened its new facility in 2008, the program moved to the portfolio of the JCC as part of its programming efforts with support from its available amenities, like hosting film screenings in our Amberley Room.”
Like many other film festivals, the Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival was forced to become a fully virtual event for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the community recovered, the festival switched to a hybrid lineup in 2023 and 2024, with films shown either in person or virtually. In addition, the festival offers special feature programming, such as post-film talkbacks with production members or experts on the films’ topics.
“The arts have always connected people, and film has the power to continue this outreach throughout and beyond our community,” Eowyn said. “The film festival is a place where people of all backgrounds can come together and have a collective experience, like gathering to view a film that explores themes and topics relevant to our culture. Whether you want to laugh, cry or learn something new, we have a film for you.”
The Mayerson JCC festival prides itself on the strong coalitions it has developed throughout the years. The Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center are just a few of the partners that support the festival’s mission to educate, engage and create connections within the Jewish community and beyond.
The 2025 Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival was held around Cincinnati in February. Opening night kicked off at the 20th Century Theatre, followed by showings at local venues such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Skirball Museum, Mariemont Theater and more. The festival wrapped up at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, just steps from the Ohio River and a downtown area brimming with restaurants, art and culture. The festival offered all films to be viewed in-person with community; additionally, four of the films were available to watch virtually. Visit the Mayerson JCC’s website to learn more about the festival and the various programs it offers year-round. Keep your eye out for the release of the 2026 Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival dates, programs and more!
