BAL EJ: THE HIDDEN JEWS OF ETHIOPIA

Showings

Cinema Arts Centre - Cinema 1 Wed, Jul 31, 2019 6:00 PM

Description

CoPresented with Kehillath Shalom Synagogue

BAL EJ: THE HIDDEN JEWS OF ETHIOPIA

Wednesday, July 31st at 6:00 PM
$12 Members | $17 Public
Q&A with Director Irene Orleansky led by Rabbi Lina Zerbarini
 
This fascinating new documentary lifts the curtains of hundreds of years of secrecy to reveal the history, customs and culture of a remarkable and little known community of Jews in Ethiopia.
 
Following a hundred year old account of the prominent Jewish Polish scholar Jacque Faitlovich, filmmaker Irene Oreleansky travels to the Horn of Africa to explore a secret sect of Jewish Ethiopians. Named Bal Ej, craftsmen, for their artisan skills, they have been persecuted by their Orthodox Christian neighbors who slandered them as evil-eyed and hyena-people and have been deprived of the basic rights such as land ownership, forcing them to adopt crafts such as pottery, weaving and blacksmithing. Fearing persecution they outwardly disguise themselves as Christians, and practice Judaism in strict secrecy. The synagogues are hidden deep in the mountains and had never before been visited by strangers. Some of their ancient traditions trace back to biblical times and have been completely forgotten by the rest of the world. (Israel & Ethiopia, 2016, 97 Mins, NR, English | Dir. Irene Oreleansky)