Founders
George and Anya Ostrovsky fled Prague for Rio in 1939. As soon as they were able, they contributed to cultural, scientific, health and social service institutions in Israel.
George (b. Pinsk; 1901-1980), an international businessman based in Rio and Paris, sought to refocus their various philanthropic endeavors in Israel into a singular, unique enterprise. His daughters, Rose and Vivian, both avid cinephiles, proposed a cinematheque.
In 1971 the family launched a study of notable film institutions and reached out to prominent cultural figures within the cinema community. Haifa-based Wim (b. Amsterdam. 1913-1991) and Lia van Leer (b. Balti. 1924-2015) were cinephiles, film collectors and fixtures on the international film festival circuit. Via jeep and sometimes Wim’s crop duster, they shared their collection of international films at pop-up screenings in various locales around Israel. By the 1960s their personal collection had become recognized as the first Israel Film Archive and the screenings they promoted congealed into cine-clubs and screening programs presented in various auditoriums in Haifa, Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. The two parties connected, initially in Haifa in 1972, then more regularly in New York and Europe. The van Leers were planning to relocate to Jerusalem. George proposed establishing a permanent facility there, exclusively devoted to cinema. Lia initially resisted. She was concerned that accepting support for such a venture would entail interference. A year of George’s persistence and friendship convinced her to partner with his pursuit.

Expanding partnerships
Together the Ostrovkys and van Leers enlisted Teddy Kollek to engage with their project. As mayor and founder of the Jerusalem Foundation, Teddy helped navigate city bureaucracy and cultivated support from international and Hollywood sources. Lia identified a site with a panoramic view of the walls of the Old City, the Hinnom Valley and the Judean Hills. The facility
was to include screening venues, the Israel Film Archive and a collection of international features, documentaries and shorts, vintage newsreels and historical film fragments and experimental film. The Ostrovskys provided resources for the design and construction of the new institution.

From Launch to Expansion
George passed away months before the doors opened in 1981. For over thirty years, the Ostrovsky Family Fund (OFF) played a leadership role, supporting the JFC mission and facility, underwriting operating funds, sponsoring archival projects and contributing to film acquisitions, special programming, staff enrichment, development specialists, film festivals, events and awards. In 2006, OFF initiated a comprehensive renovation and expansion plan for the popular JFC. Other principals included the Jerusalem Foundation and the Netherlands-based Van Leer Group Foundation. The JFC re-opened in 2009, featuring four screening halls and upgrades to The library, conference rooms, entry plaza, cafe and garden. Also OFF sponsored crucial updates in the archive, including extended space and enhanced storage, equipment and capabilities. The Ostrovskys dedicated the revitalized archive in honor of Wim and Lia van Leer and have continued support for film preservation.