Between Two Worlds: Examining Politics and Judaism

• by Rahul Chadha, July 05, 2011

This post was written by STF blogger Aaron Cael.

From San Francisco to New York to Jerusalem, the film Between Two Worlds covers half the globe in the scope of its investigation into American Jewish identity. The filmmakers, Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman, begin the film with an incident registering as both personal and public, as they are battered by forces on the left and the right seeking to censor the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, founded by Kaufman in 1980. From there, they explore a battle in public and private over Jewish identity and even what questions can be asked. Who gets to speak for a community? Who qualifies for inclusion in the tribe? How does one reconcile a strong tradition of advocating for social justice with support for the state of Israel? Does it make you a traitor to even ask that question?

Throughout the film’s 70 minute running time, we hear from scholars, rabbis, activists and others engaged in these debates, while also taking a guided tour through the family histories of Kaufman and Snitow. The personal touch argues for nuance and variety in America Jewishness, folding into the same family a Zionist arms smuggler, a convert to Islam and a suburban ex-Communist.

In a Q&A where the audience had more statements than questions, Snitow said the primary purpose of Between Two Worlds was to encourage young people to speak up, ask questions,  and not feel silenced or inauthentic when entering the conversation about Jewish identity and Israel. Kaufman concurred, outlining the film’s aim—and the aim of all documentary filmmaking—as “undermining absolutes” and arguing for more complexity rather than the black and white world pushed by bullies and censors.

[Photo: From left, Stranger Than Fiction Artistic Director Thom Powers and directors Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow, courtesy of Simon Luethi]

Comments

i’m crazy about the New York’s film and the polts are so attractive to me.
i must have to see “Between Two Worlds”,and i know it won’t upset me.
Italy villas

    – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (07/08  at  02:15 AM)

i’m crazy about the New York’s film and the polts are so attractive to me.
i must have to see “Between Two Worlds”,and i know it won’t upset me.
Italy villas

    – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (07/08  at  02:22 AM)

Judaism is the world’s three largest a belief in god, the first and the most ancient religion, also is the jewish people’s way of life and faith. Judaism commandments and doctrine, mainly from pull, namely “the bible’s first five books. The most important teachings, Judaism is only one god, and eternal god is invisible. He let all the people, to do righteousness, good, because god in his mercy image made man, so people should have a dignity and respect to. The jews to study and prayer to serve god, and Moses directed on five through the commandment. For the holy covenant believe that, the jews believed that this was god’s call to them, they also is the world witness, their mission. But not for other ethnic groups that Judaism are redeemed and must accept her religious beliefs and worship the way; The world will because it has done a judgment, and, not for what it believed “and judgment; All the righteous nation all share the coming world peace. Therefore, Judaism and is not a positive missionary religion. Jewish church of teh, to accept the provisions of the authorities must comply with Judaism, because a person to convert to Judaism wasn’t just ego identity things.
eyeglasses

    – .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (07/12  at  11:56 PM)

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