Save the Date:
March 16 - March 25, 2026

The Katz JCC Jewish Film Festival provides a captivating lineup of films that explore the rich and diverse tapestry of the Jewish experience. For over 25 years, this beloved festival has brought the community together to enjoy compelling narratives, thought-provoking documentaries, and world-class cinema from around the globe.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities coming soon!

Thursday, March 19

Auction | 11AM
PASCAL BONITZER | 2024 | 1 HR 31 MINS
FRANCE| FRENCH, ENGLISH & GERMAN

Auctioneer André Masson receives a letter claiming a suburban worker owns an Egon Schiele painting. Skeptical at first, he travels to Mulhouse and discovers it’s a long-lost masterpiece. What could be his career breakthrough soon reveals a darker truth: the artwork was looted in 1939, forcing André to confront the ethical and historical implications of possessing a stolen treasure.

Monday, March 16

Eleanor the Great | 7PM

SCARLETT JOHANSSON | 2025 | 1 HR 38 MINS
UNITED STATES | ENGLISH & YIDDISH

June Squibb brings to vivid life the witty and proudly troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein, who after a devastating loss, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own. Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a comically poignant exploration of how the stories we hear become the stories we tell.

Tuesday, March 17

Once Upon My Mother | 11AM
KEN SCOTT | 2025 | 1 HR 42 MINS
FRANCE | FRENCH

A mother's unwavering devotion helps her son, born with a clubfoot in 1963, overcome physical challenges and social barriers. Her powerful promise drives their remarkable journey through life's ups and downs.

Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round | 7PM
ILANA TRACHTMAN | 2024 | 1 HR 29 MINS
UNITED STATES| ENGLISH

Radical black students, left white suburbanites, and a carousel: an untold story of the early civil rights movement. When five Howard University students sat on a segregated Maryland carousel in 1960, the arrests made headlines. When the largely Jewish community near Glen Echo Amusement Park joined the black students in picketing, the first organized interracial civil rights protest in US history was born.

Halisa | 7PM
SOPHIE ARTUS | 2024 | 1 HR 42 MINS
ISRAEL| HEBREW

Every day, Sarah cares for other people’s babies at the Children’s Health Center in Haifa’s impoverished, multi-ethnic Halisa neighborhood, but she also yearns for a child of her own. After two years of failed attempts, her desperate desire for motherhood collides with the struggles of a young mother, culminating in a risky decision with potentially devastating consequences.  

Wednesday, March 18

The Sea | 7PM
SHAI CARMELI-POLLACK | 2025 | 1 HR 33 MINS
ISRAEL| ARABIC & HEBREW

Khaled, a 12-year-old boy from a Palestinian village, travels to the sea for the first time during a school trip. But at the military checkpoint, he is denied entry and sent home. Determined, Khaled sneaks into Israel and embarks on a journey to the sea. When his father, an undocumented laborer working in Israel, learns that his son is missing, he risks everything to search for Khaled.

Friday, March 20

The Glory of Life | 1PM

JUDITH KAUFMANN & GEORG MAAS | 2024
1 HR 38 MINS | GERMANY| GERMAN

Franz Kafka’s final year becomes his happiest after meeting Dora Diamant in 1923. Ill, dependent on his family, and unused to intimacy, he finds grounding in Dora’s warmth and practicality. Despite their differences, they accept each other fully. They move to Berlin and later to an Austrian sanatorium as his health declines. Their brief year together lets them experience love, freedom, and the joy Kafka had long been denied.

Thursday, April 30 

Names, Not Numbers® A Movie in the Making | 7PM

KBA 7TH AND 8TH GRADERS | 2025 |1 HR 10 MINS
USA | ENGLISH

Location: Temple Beth Sholom 

Created by Kellman Brown Academy students, through the Names, Not Numbers® program, this film preserves the survival and resilience of six Holocaust survivors as told by the next generation. Under the guidance of educator and founder Tova Fish-Rosenberg, students transformed from learners into historians, mastering documentary filmmaking and interviewing techniques to safeguard these essential memories. The result is a moving oral history that ensures these stories of the past remain a vital part of our future.

Monday, March 23

Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire | 11AM

OREN RUDAVSKY | 2024 | 1 HR 27 MINS
UNITED STATES | ENGLISH, FRENCH & GERMAN

Told in his own eloquent words, Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire delves into the heart of the legendary Holocaust survivor, writer, and teacher. Using rare personal archives, intimate interviews, and hand-painted animation, the film explores Wiesel’s passions, struggles, and enduring legacy, offering a vivid portrait of a man who bore witness to history while shaping our understanding of memory, humanity, and moral courage.

Sunday, March 22

Yaniv | 1PM
AMNON CARMI | 2023 | 1 HR 25 MINS
UNITED STATES | ENGLISH

A high school teacher in the Bronx loses funding for the school musical and convinces his fellow statistics teacher-secretly a card counter and recovering gambling addict-to help him cheat at an underground card game run by the Hasidic Jewish community. The plan goes awry with mounting consequences, but help comes at an unexpected time from the least likely people.

Tuesday, March 24

Tatami  | 7PM
ZAR AMIR EBRAHIMI & GUY NATTIV | 2023
1 HR 45 MINS | GEORGIA| ENGLISH & PERSIAN

Iranian judoka Leila and her coach Maryam arrive at the World Championship hoping to win Iran’s first gold. Mid-competition, the Islamic Republic orders Leila to fake an injury and lose. She must choose between obeying the regime—supported by Maryam’s pleas—or risking everything by defying them and fighting for gold.

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Katz JCC’s Jewish Film Festival has showcased over 200 films and hosted award-winning filmmakers since 2006. Sponsorship connects your brand to 10,000+ members and the wider South Jersey community through multi-channel promotion. Your support helps the Katz JCC continue offering impactful cultural programming.  

Sponsorship Questions

Contact Monica Billig
mbillig@jfedsnj.org
(856) 751-9500 x1306

Wednesday, March 25

Welcome to Yiddishland | 7PM

ROS HORIN | 2024 | 1 HR 36 MINS
AUSTRALIA| ENGLISH & YIDDISH

A timely and vibrant exploration of artists revitalizing Yiddish culture, blending joyous music and performances with a deep look at Jewish identity. Through intimate interviews and rare access to leading Yiddish performers, the film examines the complexities of Jewish culture, challenging stereotypes and anti-Semitism, while highlighting how this ancient language engages with contemporary issues like queer identity, the refugee crisis, war, and authoritarianism.

Mensch Pass

Get all 12 films, discounted pricing and priority seating

Please note:
Registration for Names, Not Numbers® A Movie in the Making is separate

JCC Member: $165
Guest: $210

General Questions

Festival Concierge
festival@jfedsnj.org
(856) 424-4444 x1706

March 16 - March 25, 2026

The Katz JCC Jewish Film Festival provides a captivating lineup of films that explore the rich and diverse tapestry of the Jewish experience. For over 25 years, this beloved festival has brought the community together to enjoy compelling narratives, thought-provoking documentaries, and world-class cinema from around the globe.

All films will be shown at the Katz JCC unless otherwise noted

Sponsors as of January 20, 2026