Mission

Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media (PJFM) creates connection and community through Jewish cinema and digital storytelling. PJFM welcomes everyone to engage with Jewish culture and values through its educational and entertaining year-round programs.

Vision

PJFM shares, celebrates, and advances Jewish storytelling through film and new media programs in Philadelphia and beyond. The organization will remain at the forefront of technology trends and developments, offering artists, content creators, and the community at large unique opportunities to engage and connect.

Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media believes that today’s storytellers are tomorrow’s changemakers, poets, philosophers, and visionaries.

While cinema will continue to be the organization’s focus and legacy, PJFM believes it is important to highlight new and innovative ways Jewish stories are created and shared today.

December 3, 1981 – April 25, 1982, the FIRST year of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival!

Our History

In 1875, the Young Men’s Hebrew Association (YMHA) was established in Philadelphia in response to the critical need to create a Jewish community center that represented a haven and resource for Jewish immigrants.

[PJFM] created a community of safety, acceptance, camaraderie, and social services and served as a center for education & culture.

In 1924, the YMHA merged with the Young Women’s Hebrew Association (YWHA) to become the first organization in the nation designed for men and women’s joint use and purpose. That same year, a brick and mortar home was built at the corner of Broad and Pine Streets in Center City where it remained the primary location of the community center for over 94 years.

The organization was a pioneer in recognizing the need to strengthen the roles of both men and women in Jewish life. It created a community of safety, acceptance, camaraderie, and social services and served as a center for education and culture. Through the years, the organization provided cutting-edge programming in the arts, athletic activities, and pre-school education.

Chronology of GPJFF