Debra Gonsher Vinik

Dr. Debra Gonsher Vinik, Ph.D. is a producer and writer of faith-based and social justice documentary films. In 1985 she founded the production company Diva Communications, Inc. which she currently co-owns with her husband David Vinik. Diva Communications specializes in video for broadcast, cable, internet and marketing use. Dr. Gonsher Vinik has produced and written eighteen documentaries, ten of which have been nominated for Emmy awards (see Film section below) and four of which have won the honors: And The Gates Opened (2007), The Eternal Light (2008), Yearning To Belong (2009) and Divine Prescription: Stories of Faith, Health and Community (2013). Her films have been shown at festivals worldwide. Most recently Every Word Has Power: The Poetry of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (2015), nominated for an Emmy, screened at the Washington Jewish Music Festival in June 2016. Her films are annually included on the ABC- Television series, Visions and Values.

These films address such subjects as community and inclusion for persons with disabilities, hunger in America, intimate partner violence and healthcare. Most recently Dr. Gonsher Vinik finished Beauty of Their Dreams, which aired on ABC affiliated stations in April through July 2016, and focused on the role of people of faith advocating for girls' education worldwide. Filming took place in New York, Boston, Haiti, Rwanda and Uganda.

Her newest project, tentatively entitled, Entertaining Angels, examines the role of faith groups in immigration reform and refugee settlement, and is scheduled to air on ABC affiliated stations in Fall 2017.

Dr. Gonsher Vinik worked as a producer at Bravo Magazine and was head of production for both CBS/Fox Video and Scanline Video. She earned her Ph.D. in Theatre Criticism from the City University of New York and is currently a Professor and Chairperson of the Communication Arts and Sciences Department at Bronx Community College of the City University of New York.

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