NFTY Alumni Profile: Jason Cohen

If you watched the Academy Awards this year, the film title Facing Fear may sound familiar. If you were in JFTY in the late 1980’s, the film’s producer/director’s name - Jason Cohen - may sound familiar. Either way we caught up with Jason (JFTY ’90) to chat about his work as a filmmaker, his exciting release of this powerful piece, and how his time in NFTY continues to influence his work. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"62241","attributes":{"class":"media-image alignleft wp-image-45571 size-thumbnail","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"150","height":"150","alt":"JCindia"}}]]A New Jersey native, Cohen shared that growing up his Jewish community was NFTY. Regional conclaves opened his eyes to a bigger world and his role in making a difference.  NFTY was the place where he was introduced to and felt compelled towards social action. This new perspective remained at the forefront of his mind through college at University of Wisconsin and into his professional career. Through his career, Jason has been traveling the world uncovering stories and helping to open others' eyes to new issues.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"62246","attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright wp-image-45568 size-thumbnail","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"150","height":"150","alt":"FF"}}]] Now, partnering with the Fetzer Institute, Jason has released a film full of references to his Jewish background. Facing Fear is a story of a chance meeting of a victim of a gay hate crime and his neo-Nazi attacker 25 years after the attack. Both lives have been shaped by the event and the meeting sparks a journey of forgiveness, collaboration, and eventually (and surprisingly) friendship. Facing Fear is screening at film festivals and select theaters/events across the country. Favorite NFTY memory: NFTY represented some of Jason’s best times in high school. He remembered feeling like he was, at times, living a double life from the guy his high school friends all knew when he would escape for the weekend to catch up with NFTY friends during conclaves. The things he did in NFTY always felt like they had a little more meaning. Advice to NFTYites and NFTY alumni interested in the film industry: Always look for compelling stories and people. Jason seeks out subjects that he is interested in learning about so that he can learn through the process and along with his viewers. He suggests taking advantage of all of the tools that are out there – and there are many (!) – film making is much more accessible than it was when he first started. Check out more about Jason’s film including a trailer and screening dates.