Nathan Drory with Avraham and Patricia Ashkenazi.
The 23rd annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma* and Howard Laderberg, opened to a record crowd of 450 at the Sandler Center on Saturday, Jan. 16. After viewing the comedy Dough, a reception catered by Village Caterers was heartily enjoyed.
Opening Night and major film festival sponsors were Patricia and Avraham Ashkenazi. Leslie Siegel created the outstanding opening night décor.
The 2016 Film Festival sponsors include Old Point National Bank (the other major sponsor of the festival), the Alan & Esther* Fleder Foundation, Spectra by Comcast Spectacor and Virginia Arts Festival.
This year’s Festival’s venues and other partners were Beach Movie Bistro, Naro Expanded Cinema, Beth Sholom Village, Tidewater Community College, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, and UJFT’s Holocaust Commission.
Mark Robbins, chair of the Film Festival, William Laderberg, co-chair of the Film Festival screening committee, the entire screening committee, along with the Simon Family JCC staff worked diligently to assure the festival’s success.
The Simon Family JCC is a constituent agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
* of blessed memory.