Dan Drago (Host of the 25 O’CLOCK podcast, rapper Kosha Dillz, and Karen Cinnamon (Creator of the YOUR JEWISH LIFE YOUR WAY digital platform). (Day 1 of the Festival, 5/21/23 at Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History)Digital media. New media. Digital content. Digital. Digital. DIGITAL. If you follow PJFM closely, you know that we toss this word around a lot, so much so that we added “new media” to our mission back in 2021. If you’re not familiar with digital media, the quickest way to describe it is accessible content we acquire through everyday virtual means. If you have an iPhone, for example, you may go on TikTok, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, etc. in your free time. All of those platforms – any platform that is digital-based (so not in a big movie theater) and incorporates storytelling of some kind – is NEW MEDIA. We forget how prevalent digital content is in the 21st century. Everything has changed so much, and JEWISH digital content creators are expanding like crazy across the world.
If you follow this blog, you may see occasional “New Media Spotlight” posts that delve into a particular Jewish digital content creator. The reason for these posts is to celebrate these vast and incredible individuals utilizing their platforms in comical, meaningful, or educational ways. In 2019, PJFM (then known as the Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival) wished to revere these individuals in a city event titled the Jewish New Media Festival, a weekend-long celebration of Jewish digital artists. Four years later, we finally brought the festival back and were thrilled to see new and long-devoted PJFM attendees arrive and be inspired, thrilled, and moved by the extraordinary lineup of special guests.
Taking place at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, day one of the festival commenced with ARTISTRY THROUGH A DIGITAL LENS, a conversation between Jewish rapper Rami Even-Esh (known professionally as Kosha Dillz) and Dan Drago, host of the 25 O’Clock podcast. Even-Esh surprised audiences with his story of how he became the rapper sensation he is today and the way his digital content, particularly his Instagram, has let him express his musical talents. Clips from his platforms, including a sneak peek of Not Everything Has to Be So Serious, his latest short film, were displayed. Even-Esh even performed a hilariously clever rap onstage to kick of the event.
Later in the afternoon, Karen Cinnamon arrived from the UK to present JEWISH PRIDE THROUGH A DIGITAL LENS. Cinnamon is the creator of Your Jewish Life Your Way, an international platform that emphasizes Jewish pride. With a podcast and over 120,000 followers on Instagram, Cinnamon delighted attendees with her expertise on the best ways to use social media to demonstrate Jewish love, as well as the dangers and inevitable antisemitism that she and so many other Jewish content creators face through their platform’s “comments” section. It’s unfortunate, indeed, but Cinnamon reminds us that hatred should never stop us from celebrating our Judaism. It should make us stronger, and the more we face it, the more we love our true selves.
Day two of the festival closed with STORYTELLING THROUGH A DIGITAL LENS, a night filled with a reception and various presentations by PJFM’s own Jewish New Media Fellows, Zoe Feldman and Caroline Hawthorne. Furthermore, guests Andrew Galitzer, Daniel Soslowsky, and Alex Spielman attended as well to present their remarkable works of digital art. The three of them were winners of last year’s Illuminate competition, a project run by Eva Schenck (another PJFM Fellow).
Hawthorne arrived in full character from PJFM’s own TikTok digital series, Babushka & Billie, created and starring Hawthorne herself. Feldman discussed the importance of her project, A Jewish Jawn, a podcast dedicated to local Philadelphia Jewish artists. Galitizer stunned audiences with his Torah Comics drawings, super detailed Parsha drawings for children. Sowlowsky followed with a deep dive into his gorgeous artwork, and Spielman ended the presentation with his outstanding nature photographs. Proceeding the presentations was an in-depth panel about what it’s like to be Jewish in a “digital world,” moderated by Benjamin Barnett, founder of the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival (PIFF).
The festival sure did go by fast, but we loved it! It was such a delight to see new and curious people learn more about the power of digital media. For some of us, we hear “digital content” and we may assume it’s just a hodgepodge of silly people doing stunts and other dangerous activities for the camera. The Jewish New Media Festival proves that wrong. These guests showed that with your phone or computer and a strong mission in place, you can truly make a difference in this (Jewish) world!
If you were unable to attend the Jewish New Media Festival, all taped events will be available to stream beginning Wednesday, June 21.
The programs will be available to stream ALL SUMMER LONG on PJFM’s digital platform.
