By Michelle Rusgo
This year’ s Charlotte Jewish Film Festival( CJFF) continues its core tradition of bringing people together around films that spark conversation and reflection. The lineup ranges from true stories and sharp comedies to intimate dramas and contemplative pieces, and the experience extends beyond the screen – audiences watch together, respond together and often carry the conversations well past the closing credits.
One of the most inspiring films in this year’ s Festival is“ Marathon Mom,” a documentary that will leave audiences cheering. The film follows Beatie Deutsch, an ultra-Orthodox mother of five who rekindles her passion for competitive running after years devoted to raising her family. Training for marathons while balancing faith,
Belonging is also reinforced when people feel seen and valued as individuals. For families, belonging often takes root through shared experiences that connect parents and children while building relationships with other families, such as at PJ Library events. For young adults, it may grow through social connection and peer networks like NextGen. For others, it emerges later in life through service, learning, or philanthropy.
Federation supports all these touchpoints, understanding that belonging looks different depending on where someone is on their journey.
What unites these experiences is intention. JFGC works behind the scenes to align partners, support infrastructure, and invest in opportunities that make connections possible across generations and backgrounds through numerous organizations. The result is a community where people can engage at their own pace, explore Jewish life in ways that feel authentic to them, and gradually build relationships that last.
Belonging, in this sense, is not about fitting into a predefined mold. It is about knowing there is room to grow, to contribute, and to feel at home. Through the environments it helps create and sustain, JFGC ensures that Jewish Charlotte remains a place where people can find connection not just once, but repeatedly, as their lives and needs evolve.
Opportunities to connect are out there! To stay up to date and informed about JFGC community events and programs, make sure you follow family, and public expectations, Beatie’ s journey is uplifting, motivating, and a reminder that it is never too late to chase a dream. The screening will be preceded by a community fun run, and after the film, Beatie Deutsch will join the audience for a Q & A.
Looking for something lighter?“ Matchmaking 2” delivers charm, humor, and heart in all the right ways. This crowd-pleasing sequel returns to the delightful world of Baruch Auerbach, assistant to a traditional matchmaker who may finally be ready to find love himself. Filled with witty dialogue, endearing characters, and cultural nuance, the film is a joyful celebration of romance, tradition, and connection. To make the evening even sweeter, a dessert reception will be held prior to the screening.
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The Charlotte Jewish News- February 2026- Page 7
Where the Film Ends and the Conversation Begins
The Israeli film“ The Ring” offers a beautiful blend of humor and emotion. Based on a true story, the film follows a father and daughter on a journey to recover a ring that once saved the life of their family matriarch during the Holocaust. What begins as a search for an heirloom becomes a deeply moving exploration of memory, legacy, and healing, reminding audiences how the past continues to shape the present.
We wrap up this year’ s festival with the film“ Ethan Bloom,” a coming-of-age story that is equal parts funny, touching, and relatable. Thirteen-year-old Ethan is navigating grief, first love, and big questions about faith and identity all while preparing for his bar mitzvah. A dessert reception at Temple Beth El will follow the screening.
Taken together, the films offer more than a slate of screenings. They invite the community to sit side by side, encounter stories that challenge and move us, and leave the theater with questions and conversations that follow us home. With this, lights, cameras, action!
To purchase your tickets, please visit www. charlottejewishfilm. com.
Finding Community Close to Home: The Levine JCC Launches“ JBORHOOD”
By Elizabeth Johnson
The Levine Jewish Community Center is introducing a new initiative designed to make a large campus feel a little smaller, and a lot more connected. Called JBORHOOD, the program brings together like-minded members to share experiences, spark friendships, and create lasting memories. The idea is simple: give people a straightforward way to find one another, spend time together, and build connections that endure.
At The Levine JCC, kehilah or community is more than a concept. It is a core value at the heart of everything the organization does.
“ Our members come to The Levine JCC for many reasons whether it be fitness, culture, learning, camp, or holidays,” said Anna Gunsher, senior director of Jewish life at The Levine JCC.“ JBORHOOD is about what happens in between those moments. It’ s about creating space for people to feel seen, welcomed, and part of something.”
Groups may center on shared life stages, hobbies, or passions such as walking clubs, young-families meetups, cooking circles, book discussions, creative workshops, or outdoor adventures. Some gatherings will be purely social. Others may explore Jewish experiences, values, or traditions in approachable ways. What ties them together is the emphasis on belonging.
These volunteer-led mini-communities will gather both inside
What Belonging Looks Like
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and outside“ The J,” coming together for interest-based events and activities inspired by the members themselves.
In recent years, The Levine JCC has heard a consistent message from members: people crave community, but forming connections can feel harder than it once did. JBORHOOD aims to make that first step feel natural
Amy Mann Novick and Rebekah Rubenstein
Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte
by inviting participants to show up, say hello, discover common ground, and build relationships at their own pace.
“ It’ s easy to work out next to someone for months and never learn their name,” Gunsher said.“ But JBORHOOD gives people a reason to sit down, share a story, and realize they’ re part of a larger circle.”
The exciting initiative reflects the JCC’ s broader mission of strengthening Jewish life, fostering friendships across generations, and creating welcoming spaces for the entire community. As JBORHOOD grows, participants will shape what it becomes, and the hope is that the program will inspire connections that continue long after each event ends.
With this, JBORHOOD invites you to find your people and build your“ J” family, one meaningful moment at a time. Remember, sometimes, community building begins with something small.
For more information about JBORHOOD, please contact Anna Gunsher at 704-944- 6729 or anna. gunsher @ charlottejcc. org.