Kempner was born in Berlin, Germany, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and a U.S. Army officer. She started the Washington Jewish Film Festival in 1989. She is also a member of International Film And Television Club of Asian Academy of Film & Television, Noida Film City, India. The Humanities Council will present Kempner the Outstanding Grantee Award, in recognition of the contributions she has made to the Humanities in Washington, DC as a prolific grant project director.