By Aaron Jacobs, ICB Reporter
We’ve all been to Israeli culture nights that feature falafel and hookahs – they’re fine,
but they don’t exactly lead anyone to make any new revelations about Israel. And there’s nothing wrong with defending Israel when it comes under attack on the quad or in a classroom; standing up for the truth is important.
As long as Israel activism exists on the college campus, these events will happen regularly. But
Amy Beth Oppenheimer decided that they aren’t enough, so she developed a new tool that can bring a new approach to Israel programming.
Oppenheimer, created a documentary film,
Faces of Israel: A Discussion about Marriage, State, and Religion in the Jewish Homeland, that delves into some of the most interesting and perplexing issues facing Israel and Israelis. The film, which Oppenheimer directed, explores a multitude of Israeli viewpoints.
It includes interviews with secular, Masorti and ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews, openly gay university students, rabbis and others as it explores hot topics related to Judaism and Israel. The 75-minute film consists of 10 themed chapters, each devoted to one topic, which can be watched consecutively or stand-alone.
“
Faces of Israel can be used as a springboard to discuss many different topics,” Oppenheimer said. “Jewish identity, religious pluralism in Israel, civil liberties in Israel, the place of religion in a democratic state, same-sex unions and the GLBT community and a lot more.”
Students who have seen the film multiple times say
Faces of Israel never gets boring because it is different every time. Each audience brings diverse viewpoints and come from various backgrounds. And Oppenheimer does not just screen the film; she engages her audience with questions and discussion topics designed to make viewing it an entirely interactive experience.
“[
Faces of Israel] runs like a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ book in the sense that it is easily tailored to the interests of the audience,” she said.
Faces of Israel took Oppenheimer to Emory University in Atlanta in November, where Emory Students for Israel (ESI) organized an event that was co-sponsored by Hillel, MASA, The David Project and Emory College Council.(Read more about the event and how students responded to it here.)
“Every person I encountered at the event was pro-Israel, said Emory junior Charlie Punia. “A majority of the crowd was Jewish; nevertheless I do think that the audience was quite diverse. The event drew a crowd that was more than just the kids you would see at any other ESI or Hillel-sponsored event. There were a number of students that I had never before seen.”
Likewise, when “
Faces” traveled to the University of Arizona last month, it attracted a diverse group of students, community members, and professionals.
“We brought
Faces of Israel to Arizona because we felt that it could be used as a great way to engage pro-Israel students on an educational level, but different from your typical ‘Israel Advocacy’ event,” said Joel Kanter, a senior and David Project Intern, who helped organize the event.
“
Faces of Israel is most useful as a tool for awareness,” Punia said. “I don’t believe that the average college student knows nearly enough about Israel. This program is unique in that it comprises a documentary video. Students have an amazing opportunity to listen to the thoughts and opinions of such a diverse cross section of Israelis.”
“A lot of Israel events fall into one of two categories: political advocacy and ‘the conflict’ or ‘let’s sit and eat a falafel,’” Oppenheimer said. “Both are important, but there is so much in between and that is where
Faces of Israel comes in.”
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