Gershman Y

PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM AND MEDIAS 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, PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM AND MEDIA 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 PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM AND MEDIA (PJFM), FORMERLY KNOWN AS 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. PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM AND MEDIA 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. PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM AND MEDIA BELIEVES THAT TODAY'S STORYTELLERS ARE TOMORROW'S CHANGEMAKERS, POETS, PHILOSOPHERS, AND VISIONARIES. WHILE CINEMA REMAINS THE ORGANIZATION'S FOCUS AND LEGACY, PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM AND MEDIA (PJFM) DEEMS IT IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS JEWISH STORIES ARE CREATED AND SHARED TODAY. PJFM USES "MEDIA" AS AN UMBRELLA TERM TO ENCOMPASS "NEW MEDIA," "MEDIA ARTS,- AND "DIGITAL STORYTELLING" - ESSENTIALLY DIGITALLY CREATED CONTENT -- ARTISTIC OR OTHERWISE -- THAT IS SHARED AND DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE INTERNET. WHILE THE ADVENT OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING DEMOCRATIZED CINEMATIC STORYTELLING IN THE 21ST CENTURY, "THE WEB" (BLOGS, ONLINE MAGAZINES, SOCIAL MEDIA, ON-DEMAND VIDEO AND MUSIC STREAMING PLATFORMS) PAVED THE WAY FOR ANYONE WITH ACCESS TO DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND AN INTERNET CONNECTION TO GENERATE CONTENT, SHARE STORIES, AND EXHIBIT THEIR ART WITH AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE. IN ADDITION TO CHANGING THE WAY WE INTERACT, COMMUNICATE, SHARE STORIES, AND EXPERIENCE ART IN OUR CURRENT DIGITAL AGE, THESE NEW FORMS OF MEDIA HAVE ALSO PROVIDED A MEANS FOR UNDERREPRESENTED ARTISTS TO SHARE THEIR WORK AND FIND ENGAGED AND ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCES. 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 FILM-RELATED 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 WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A NAME CHANGE TO THE GERSHMAN PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL (GPJFF). 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. IN JULY 2021, THE ORGANIZATION EXPANDED ITS MISSION TO INCLUDE NEW MEDIA. TO REFLECT THE ADDITIONAL MEDIUM ADDRESSED IN THE MISSION, GPJFF FORMALLY CHANGED ITS NAME TO PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM AND MEDIA, (PJFM.)