Chabad Russian Center Gala Film

Feature Film | Chabad Russian Center – 2026 Gala

For the Chabad Russian Center’s 2026 Gala Dinner, I partnered with Director Rabbi Yaakov Garfinkel, to create a cinematic feature film chronicling their extraordinary journey — from humble beginnings in borrowed spaces to the completion of a $21 million permanent campus. Using archival footage from the earliest days of the Kellers’ shlichus, combined with newly filmed interviews of major contributors, founding families, and community leaders, the film traces the vision, sacrifice, and collective responsibility that built this institution.

Structured around five “gateways” — Vision, Prayer, Learning, Community, and Youth — the project blends storytelling, drone cinematography, emotional narration, and donor recognition into a powerful narrative experience. Premiered live at the gala, the film honored the families who laid the foundation while inspiring the next chapter of permanence for Jewish life in South Florida.

Rabbi and Rebbetzin Keller have built their community with warmth, steadiness, and real personal investment. In 2021, I had the opportunity to film their daughter’s Bat Mitzvah — a moment that reflected not just a family milestone, but the values they live every day. Being welcomed into that chapter made the 2026 gala film feel like a natural continuation of a story still unfolding — one rooted in family, commitment, and genuine connection.