Opening Night of ´Izmir´s Sephardic Women Hand in Hand´ Documentary

The documentary 'Izmir's Sephardic Women Hand in Hand (Izmir Sefarad Kadınları El Ele)' has been developed in the framework of the Izmir Jewish Community's Despertar (meaning 'Awakening' in Ladino) project, supported by the European Union. The documentary's director is Sarit Bonfil and the assistant director is Nuray Israel.

The topic of the documentary is entirely parallel with the goals of the Despertar project which aims for especially the young people and women to assume active responsibilities in the community's executive team. The film is based on the main theme of the voluntary work Izmir's Jewish women assumed in charity organizations and institutions both in the Jewish community and wider community, from past to present. Some of the 44 interviews that served as a source for the documentary, which was ready for screening after six or seven months of preparation, have been compiled from the interviews conducted in previous years.

In the documentary where newspaper articles also take place, besides the photographs taken from the archives of the Jewish community institutions, photographs from private archives were used, too. The photography archive of Selim Bonfil, who has been storing the photograph albums of the families from Izmir digitally, was one of the main sources that have contributed to the documentary.

The documentary sheds light on the founding stories of the community associations and institutions and their revisions through the years. The solutions, administered by women for the various problems experienced in different periods of time in the Izmir Jewish community, are presented to the audience through participants' narratives. Women's efforts in trying to keep the community together and transferring culture through generations are presented in the variety of activities organized. While women express the difficulties they face from time to time, they also evaluate their works in the aspect of their contribution to the community and themselves.

The goal of the documentary is to record the contributions of the Jewish women of Izmir who have worked for the community, in order to create a permanent mark in the collective memory, to appreciate them once again reminiscing, and to inspire future generations.

Related News

14 November

"Humor on the Margins: Cartoons in the Turkish Jewish Newspaper Şalom" by Rakel P. Meşulam

Rakel P. Meşulam signed her first book "Humor on the Margins: Cartoons in the Turkish Jewish Newspaper Şalom (1947-2016)" at Schneidertempel Arts Center.

7 November

The "Ottoman and Turkish Ketubbot" Exhibition

The Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews is opening an exhibition of Ketubbot (Jewish wedding contracts), some from forgotten corners of our homes, some as already discovered works of art, some from the walls of the collectors, some from the Chief Rabbinate Collection, on November 7th, at Schneidertempel Arts Center, after they have been cleaned and maintained.

24 October

Izzet Keribar´s "Journey of Colors" Exhibition at Istanbul Modern

Istanbul Modern, Turkey´s first modern and contemporary art museum, is preparing to host photography artist Izzet Keribar´s solo exhibition "Journey of Colors".

5 September

Virna Gülzari´s ´Dream Rooms´ Exhibition Opened in Ayvalık

8 August

Kasadolu Draws Attention to the Increasing Hostility Towards Turkish Jews

The businessperson Doğan Kasadolu wrote a letter to AKP´s Ankara Member of Parliament Tuğrul Türkeş, drawing attention to the increasing anti-Semitism.

30 May

Annette Bat Mitzvah Club and Yoel Bar Mitzvah Club Year-End Ceremonies

The 2023-2024 "Collective Bat Mitzvah Ceremony" of the Annette Bat Mitzvah Club girls, founded in 2002 within the Chief Rabbinate of Turkey Education Commission (HEGKOM), was celebrated in the Neve Shalom Synagogue on Sunday, May 26th.

13 May

Renan Koen´s Brand-New Projects for Hatay

28 March

Democrat Party (DP) Visited Şalom

18 March

Moris Karmona Declared War On Bullying With His Book "Morhis"

Moris Karmona´s book "Morhis" in which he wrote his life story, has been published.

1 March

82nd Anniversary of the Struma Disaster

The Struma Immigration Ship had sailed from Constanza, Romania to take the Jews desperate to run from the Nazis to today´s Israel, and was sunk by a torpedo from a Russian submarine after anchoring off the coast of Istanbul for weeks.