Q: In the United States, Jewish leaders worry about the future of Judaism -- with defections, rampant secularism and high rates of intermarriage. Your film shows another side of that story: that Jewish revival can spring up in the most unexpected places. Do you see a trend here?
A: I'm so glad you picked up on that. I do see a surprising trend here -- the rise of Judaism in Africa. There is what is called a "Judaizing" movement in Africa, where a growing number of Africans are identifying themselves as Jews or Hebrews or Israelites. Where this gets very complicated is in the definition of a Jew.
Will these newly declared Jews be recognized as Jews by traditional Jewish authorities? Some newer Jewish communities in Africa are even combining Judaism with other religions, making a Judaism of their own. Many would argue that this means they are not in fact Jewish or practicing Judaism but are actually "watering down" an ancient religion and tradition. It would be great if we could all get on a conference call and settle this, but if we haven't resolved this controversy in the last few millennia, we are not likely to [do so] now. Regardless of where one places the boundaries, I think Judaism can serve as an entry point to learn about other people, and that to me is very beautiful.
Bernard Starr: Thanks, Gabrielle, for your gift of this film. It's a fascinating , engaging and inspiring story of Jewish renewal. Where is it available for viewing?
Gabrielle Zilkha: Thank you. The next screening is at the Maine Jewish Film Festival in March. After that, please visit our website to keep up to date on screenings.
The Jewish Film Festival, sponsored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center in association with New York City's Jewish Museum, screened the US premiere of Doing Jewish: A Story From Ghana on January 11, 2017. You can view the film's trailer here.
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