A Case For Leaving the House
I’ll admit it — it’s cold. It’s the kind of cold that makes you feel like staying in is the sensible choice. The kind where you sit on your couch with your blanket, your tea, and those pajamas that were never meant to be seen by anyone you respect.
And listen, that’s fine for a day or two. But if you’re waiting for a Level 3 to justify leaving the house — that’s a red flag. What you really need, every once in a while, is a night to be iconic.
That’s the energy of Opening Night at the Cincinnati Jewish and Israeli Film Festival, held this year at Memorial Hall, and it’s an energy that both Evan G and Alexa F feel.
Evan is exactly the kind of Cincinnati Jew you expect to find on a film festival board — the finished product of a very successful Jewish institutional ecosystem. Rockwern through fifth grade, a bar mitzvah at Adath Israel, Jewish summer camp, the Jewish Foundation, the Jewish Federation — the full Cincinnati Jewish starter pack. If there were an award for “Did Jewish Cincinnati Correctly,” Evan wouldn’t just win — his parents would be kvelling in the front row.
Alexa F is what happens when the system works in reverse. She didn’t grow up here — she moved here, married in, raised a family, and then did the thing institutions love most: she showed up. Today she’s on the committee of the Jewish film festival — fully inside the room, under the chandeliers, champagne in hand, not waiting to be invited.
Together, they represent something essential about Jewish life in Cincinnati: a community built on deep roots, but one that still makes real room for people who arrive later and decide to step in.
Both Evan and Alexa worked hard planning Opening Night, with the movie Ethan Bloom anchoring the event. The evening is open to community members of all ages, with the Young Adult Happy Hour creating a special space before the opening, a room within the room per se.
For Alexa, Ethan Bloom was the perfect choice for Opening Night. “Ethan Bloom balances humor and heart,” Fisher said. “It tackles big questions — faith, identity, and what comes next — in a way that feels distinctly Jewish while still being relatable.”
And for Evan, the Happy Hour is his favorite part of the film festival. “It creates an accessible and welcoming entry point,” he says. “It isn’t just about film; it’s also about building connections and engaging with our community.”
And Opening Night is only the beginning of what this year’s film festival has in store: from screenings at venues including the Cincinnati Art Museum and Union Terminal, as well as select films available to watch at home.
There’s even An American Tail at the Mayerson JCC on Sunday, February 15th for parents who could not get a babysitter. Millennials relive their childhood. Children watch a movie. Nobody drives unnecessarily. L’dor v’dor, but practical.
That’s the intention behind all of this. The mix of venues, the range of films. The understanding that some nights you get dressed up for a night under 100 year old Tiffany chandeliers and some nights you’re just trying to get your kids out of the house where they won’t bring absolute chaos and destruction.
“I can confidently say that the committee puts a tremendous amount of thought into planning and curating the lineup,” said Alexa. And Evan echoed that by saying the committee really tried to “bring diverse stories to (Cincinnati’s) broad viewership.”
And if the thing holding you back is the quiet fear of walking into a room where you don’t know anyone – you won’t be alone for long. Alexa and Evan will be there, greeting people in their new, snazzy and easy to spot film festival T-shirts.
That’s the virtue of a place like Cincinnati. People still talk to each other. They still grab a drink and argue and laugh and stay longer than they meant to. A night becomes a memory not because it was optimized, but because it was shared — because you showed up and let it unfold.
That is the thing worth leaving the house for. Even in the snow.
