Growing Hope

Growing Hope is powered by YOU, so let your voice be heard! JCC Chicago is now accepting applications for young visual and performing artists. Selected artists 14-24 yrs will be featured in the Growing Hope Concert at Gallagher Way on September 25th.

Applications

Performing Artists  |  Visual Artists

On April 14, 2024, JCC Chicago is proud to premiere Growing Hope, a documentary that captures the story of Violins of Hope Chicago, and how JCC Chicago is focused on making our world a better, more hopeful place. Ours is the story about how one agency, a Jewish community center in middle America, had the foresight and determination to stand up for what is good and right at a time when the world needed it the most. Narrated exquisitely by actor David Eigenberg, best known for his roles as Lieutenant Christopher Herrmann on NBC’s Chicago Fire and Steve Brady on HBO’s Sex and the City.

Register for complimentary admission to this film showing June 1, 1pm at Wayfarer Theater in Highland Park.

Learn More & Register

When it comes to film, our goal is to inspire movie-goers to expand their understanding of Jewish culture and to bring a wide-variety of thought provoking and entertaining films, with a Jewish lens, to our community. We feature films that have a Jew-ish connection to life, culture, history both on-screen and behind-the-scenes. Our curated film selections aspire to encourage discussion and inspire hope, kindness, tolerance and inclusion.

JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival

The JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival screens films of all genres, for all generations. Festival films will inform, inspire and ignite emotion. They honor Jewish filmmakers, writers and actors—and those committed to repairing the world through brave, artistic expression. The JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival has grown from modest beginnings to engaging over 30,000 movie-goers. The Film Festival runs June 1-23, 2024.

Visit the Festival

JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival Student Film Competition

We invite student filmmakers to develop short stories around the themes of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, community, kindness, role modeling, stewardship of the earth, Jewish holidays or historical events — to educate, inform and inspire behaviors and beliefs that will change the world for the better. Student Filmmaker Competition Showcase is on May 5, 2024.

Learn More

ReelAbilities Chicago Film Festival

Hosted in partnership with JCC Chicago Jewish Film Festival. Celebrating disability, inclusion and accessibility through wide-ranging international films including shorts, features, narratives & documentaries, ReelAbilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the world dedicated to showcasing ground-breaking films by and about people with disabilities. Coming Fall 2024.

These proprietary materials feature lessons and activities designed to teach the concepts of kindness, empathy, and resilience, and to encourage youth to change the world for the better by becoming upstanders in their communities.

Each lesson employs an integrated arts approach, and features opportunities for students to engage with the material through poetry, theater, storytelling and the visual arts.

For more information on these educational resources, or to schedule a demo, please contact Kevin Pease, Director of the Growing Hope Program at kpease@jccchicago.org.

For more information about Growing Hope, please email us.