Ma’aleh – Bringing Jewish Film to the World for Two Decades

The Ma'aleh School of Television, Film & the Arts is situated in the heart of Jerusalem.  It is the only film school in the world devoted to exploring the intersection of Judaism and modern life. Ma'aleh films are screened regularly at film festivals world-wide and consistently win top awards. (Click here to see a short film about Ma’aleh.)

Ma’aleh’s unique, cutting-edge films build bridges across all sectors of the Jewish world, fostering deeper understanding and dialogue between religious and secular Jews.  Many Jewish organizations and educational institutions across the globe have discovered Ma'aleh as a priceless teaching resource. Thousands of Birthright students, Federation participants, and community members from North America, Europe and Asia come to Ma’aleh each year to take part in specially designed programs.   In the classroom and in the community, the films are a catalyst for discussing deep issues of Jewish and Israeli identity.  And they have become a powerful way to inspire young Jews disconnected from their heritage. (Click here to see clips of Ma’aleh films and go behind the scenes.)

Ma’aleh graduates are shaping the future of the Israeli film and television industry, and beyond.   Today, nearly 100 talented young people are studying at Ma’aleh at any one time, engaging in a rigorous, four-year curriculum, with additional students in our two-year scriptwriting program (click here to learn more about our curriculum).  Ma’aleh graduates are leading the way in the Israeli film and television industry. They are producing films and teaching about film in locations throughout Israel, and some of Israel’s most popular television programs (such as Srugim) are being created by Ma’aleh graduates.  Ma’aleh also uses film to enrich the lives of some of Israel’s most marginalized populations, creating a first-of-its-kind Videotherapy Program for at-risk youth, Ethiopian immigrants, terror victims and adults with special needs.