11/5/26
The Jewish Film Festival Celebrates 24 Years of Bringing Omaha’s Jewish Community Together
The Jewish Film Festival Draws Record 309 Attendees, Celebrating 24 Years of Bringing Omaha’s Jewish Community Together
For 24 years, the Omaha Jewish Film Festival has served as one of Omaha’s most welcoming gathering places for Jewish life. It is where longtime community members reconnect, newcomers find their footing, and friends of every background come to share in Jewish stories, history, and humor. A record 309 filmgoers turned out this year, making the 24th Annual Omaha Jewish Film Festival the most attended series in its recent history. In a year when many have sought connection and comfort in community, the record turnout spoke to something larger than a love of film: a desire to be together.
The film festival, presented by the Jewish Federation of Omaha, was held October 18 through 21. Each evening, audience members filled the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater at the Staenberg Omaha JCC. This year’s lineup featured a documentary, an Israeli feature, a drama, and a dramedy, each making its Omaha debut.
The festival opened with We Met at Grossinger’s, a documentary that carried audiences back to the Catskills resort that defined a generation of Jewish American summers, hosted by Festival Chair Jared Berezin. Monday brought The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, the story of retired Israeli general Noam Tibon’s ten-hour journey to save his family on October 7, hosted by Community Shaliach Itay. On Tuesday, Dr. Marat Grinberg hosted Rosenthal: The Great Showman, the true story of a beloved German television host confronting a hidden past, and his nation’s. The festival closed with Fantasy Life, the New York dramedy starring Amanda Peet, Judd Hirsch, and Bob Balaban, hosted by Hailey and Alex Ronen.
The films were only half the story. Each night, as the credits rolled, the audience stayed for lively, thoughtful conversations led by the evening’s host. Guests traded memories of Catskills summers, wrestled with the hard questions raised by October 7, and debated a showman’s choices and relationship twists. No two people walked away with the same take, and that was exactly the point.
Creating positive community impact has always been the driving force behind the Omaha Jewish Film Festival. The power of film, combined with community engagement, creates meaningful connections and new perspectives on complex issues. Many surveyed reported feeling a deeper understanding of Jewish identity, history, and lived experience. They also shared that they left feeling more connected and inspired to keep learning. It is much more than just giving the community something to watch. It is about creating opportunities to connect, learn, talk, and grow.
“To the more than 300 attendees who joined us, brought friends, and engaged in meaningful conversations, thank you,” said Naomi Fox, Director of Community Engagement and Education. “We are especially grateful to Film Festival Chair Jared Berezin and our discussion hosts, Itay, Dr. Marat Grinberg, and Hailey and Alex Ronen, who brought depth and connection to each evening. Special recognition goes to Festival Coordinator Sharon Bargas, who took on her first festival with remarkable dedication, alongside our entire CEE team. Their collective efforts made this year’s festival a tremendous success.”
The festival was made possible through the support of several funds and organizations. Financial backing came from the Special Donor-Advised Fund of the JFO Foundation, the Foundation Grants Committee, the Foundation IMPACT Grant, the Lois Jeanne Schrager Memorial Fund, the Etta & Harold Epstein Security Fund, the Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund, the Klutznick Custodial Fund, and B’nai B’rith Henry Monsky Lodge. The Miller Film Fund, established by Lindsey Miller-Lerman in memory of her parents, Avy and Roberta Miller, also contributed. FNBO served as a corporate sponsor.
Building on this momentum, Omaha Jewish Film Festival announced that its milestone 25th Anniversary festival returns November 7 through 10, 2027, marking a quarter-century of championing Jewish and Israeli storytelling and bringing bold, essential cinema to audiences across Omaha.
