GERSHMAN Y
1613 WALNUT STREET 2ND FLOOR, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 www.pjff.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: GERSHMANS MISSION IS TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE DIVERSE PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITIES, JEWISH AND NON-JEWISH ALIKE, BY PRESENTING WORLD-CLASS FILM PREMIERES, REPERTORY CINEMA, AND ASSOCIATED PROGRAMS THAT ARE INSPIRED BY JEWISH HISTORY, HERITAGE, AND VALUES. COMMITTED TO SHARING THE DIVERSITY AND BREADTH OF THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE, GERSHMAN WELCOMES PEOPLE OF ALL ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS AND RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS TO EXPLORE, PARTICIPATE, AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR RICH ROSTER OF JEWISH ARTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.

NATURE OF OPERATIONS THE GERSHMAN Y D/B/A GERSHMAN PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL (GERSHMAN), IS ONE OF THE LONGEST-RUNNING JEWISH FILM FESTIVALS IN THE COUNTRY AND PHILADELPHIA'S FIRST FILM FESTIVAL. THE ORGANIZATION IS DEDICATED TO CREATING SHARED EXPERIENCES AND CONNECTIONS THROUGH FILM AND NEW MEDIA PROGRAMS. GERSHMAN'S MISSION IS TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE DIVERSE PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITIES, JEWISH AND NON JEWISH ALIKE, BY PRESENTING WORLD-CLASS FILM PREMIERES, REPERTORY CINEMA, AND ASSOCIATED PROGRAMS THAT ARE INSPIRED BY JEWISH HISTORY, HERITAGE, AND VALUES. COMMITTED TO SHARING THE DIVERSITY AND BREADTH OF THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE, GERSHMAN WELCOMES PEOPLE OF ALL ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS AND RELIGIOUS AFFILIATIONS TO EXPLORE, PARTICIPATE, AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR RICH ROSTER OF JEWISH ARTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES. HISTORY GERSHMAN TRACES ITS ORIGINS BACK TO THE YOUNG MEN'S HEBREW ASSOCIATION (YMHA), ORIGINALLY FORMED IN 1875 TO SERVE AS A CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND SOCIAL MEETING PLACE FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. IN 1924, THE YMHA MERGED WITH THE YOUNG WOMEN'S HEBREW SOCIETY (YWHS) AND MOVED TO THE CORNER OF BROAD AND PINE STREETS. IN SEPTEMBER 2009, THE GERSHMAN Y SEPARATED FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA - OF WHICH THE FORMER HAD BEEN A CONSTITUENT SITE - AND BECAME AN INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION. IN MAY 2018, THE GERSHMAN Y DECIDED TO MAKE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES THAT IMPACTED VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZATION INCLUDING LEADERSHIP, PROGRAMMING, FACILITIES, AND A NEW BUDGET THAT REFLECTED THE CHANGES. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAD ADOPTED A STRATEGIC PLAN IN FEBRUARY 2016. UPON THE INCEPTION OF NEW LEADERSHIP IN 2018, THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND SUPPORTING CONSTITUENTS' SURVEYS WERE EVALUATED FURTHER. IT WAS APPARENT TO NEW LEADERSHIP FROM THE STATISTICAL FINDINGS AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT 72% OF GERSHMAN Y PATRONS WERE EXCLUSIVELY ATTENDING AND INTERESTED IN THE ORGANIZATION'S FILM PROGRAMMING ARM: PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL (PJFF). THE GERSHMAN Y MADE THE INFORMED DECISION TO NARROW THE SCOPE OF THE ORGANIZATION TO FOCUS ON FILM AND FILMRELATED PROGRAMS INSPIRED BY JEWISH VALUES AND CULTURE. IT WAS A PURPOSEFUL AND LOGICAL STEP BY THE ORGANIZATION. IT STREAMLINES THE ORGANIZATION'S PURPOSE WHICH ALLOWS IT TO FOCUS ON THE HIGHLY VISIBLE AND WELL-KNOWN FLAGSHIP FILM PROGRAMMING. THIS REFOCUSING OF PROGRAMMING IS ACCOMPANIED BY A FORMAL NAME CHANGE TO THE GERSHMAN PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL (GPJFF). GPJFF CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AS IT EXAMINES AND RETHINKS JEWISH ARTS AND CULTURE FOR A NEW GENERATION OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SEEKING TO DEFINE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE JEWISH AND INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THIS FASCINATING CULTURE. AS OF DECEMBER 2018, GERSHMAN NO LONGER OCCUPIES ITS LONGTIME FACILITY, OWNED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS AT 401 SOUTH BROAD STREET. THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS WERE PREVIOUSLY RELOCATED TO 101 S INDEPENDENCE MALL E (THE CORNER OF 5TH AND MARKET IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY BUILDING) THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2020. AS OF JULY 1, 2020, THE ORGANIZATION RESIDES AT 1613 WALNUT STREET, 2ND FLOOR, PHILADELPHIA. THE FESTIVAL PRESENTS FILM PROGRAMS IN OVER A DOZEN VENUES THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA AND THE SURROUNDING SUBURBS - A MODEL THAT OUR AUDIENCES BOTH EXPECT AND ARE ACCUSTOMED TO RECEIVING. PROGRAMMING GERSHMAN IS A HOME FOR SECULAR JEWISH STORYTELLING AND CULTURE THROUGH CINEMA AND IS PHILADELPHIA'S PREMIER OUTLET TO EXPERIENCE PROFOUND STORIES THOUGH A JEWISH LENS. THE FESTIVAL HAS TWO SIGNATURE SERIES: FALL FEST, A 15-DAY FILM SHOWCASE, AND LINDY CINEMONDAYS, A SPRING SERIES PRESENTED ON SIX CONSECUTIVE MONDAYS. EACH FESTIVAL FEATURES NARRATIVE CINEMA, DOCUMENTARIES, ART FILMS, AND MASTER CLASSES. IN ADDITION TO THE FALL AND SPRING FESTIVALS, GERSHMAN OFFERS AN ARRAY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO EDUCATE AND ENGAGE THE PUBLIC DURING THE YEAR THROUGH AN OUT-OF-FESTIVAL SERIES TITLED FESTIVAL PLUS THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS SNEAK PEEKS TO PHILADELPHIA FILM LOVERS AND GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO SEE EXTRAORDINARY FILMS ON THE BIG SCREEN BEFORE THEY ARE RELEASED COMMERCIALLY. MASTER CLASSES OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS OF ALL AGES TO ENGAGE WITH FILM INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND LEARN ABOUT THE FILMMAKING PROCESS IN AN INTIMATE SETTING. WORLD-RENOWNED FILMMAKERS AND ACTORS JOIN US AS GUESTS AND SPEAKERS EACH SEASON, THUS ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE BY OFFERING UNIQUE INSIGHT. PAST SPEAKERS HAVE INCLUDED NANCY SPIELBERG, LIOR ASHKENAZI, ROBERTA GROSSMAN, ALEX KARPOVSKY, AND ROZ CHAST, AMONG MANY OTHERS. GERSHMAN BELIEVES FILM IS NOT JUST ENTERTAINMENT BUT A TOOL TO EDUCATE, TRANSFORM, AND CREATE CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING THROUGH THE MOST ACCESSIBLE CINEMATIC ART FORM. THE ORGANIZATION ENCOURAGES DIALOGUE AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION THROUGH POST-FILM CONVERSATIONS WHERE THOUGHTS, CURIOSITIES, AND EXPERIENCES ARE SHARED.

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