Tackling antisemitism: recommended books, films and television shows for understanding Jewish life and experience
This week we discussed the problem of antisemitism. As with any form of discrimination and racism, the Jewish experience is not unanimous. It is important for us to understand what antisemitism is and the forms that it can take in order to tackle it, and this can only be done through education and conversation.
This guide is intended to provide some insight into Jewish life and history. Jewish people come from a wide variety of backgrounds and levels of observance. No item on this guide can be taken independently as representative of all Jewish people but we do hope that the material when taken together is helpful in illustrating a diverse range of Jewish experiences.
Books
The Mighty Walzer by Howard Jacobson: Oliver Walzer (“The Mighty Walzer”) descended from Jews who emigrated from Poland to Manchester and this novel sees him emerging into the world of ping-pong, and trying to establish himself in the world of love.
The Garden of Finzi-Continis by Giorgio Bassani: The garden of the Finzi-Continis – owned by the wealthy, aristocratic Jewish family – presents itself as a tranquil haven in the increasingly cruel world that local Italian Jews find themselves in on the brink of World War II.
The Worlds We Think We Know by Dalia Rosenfeld: This debut collection of short stories will take you all the way from the United States to Israel and back again, examining the lives of people affected by war, emotion, adulthood and family.
Day After Night by Anita Diamant: Atlit was a holding camp for 270 ‘illegal immigrants’ (mostly Holocaust survivors) in Israel in 1945; this novel details the lives of the women held there, their friendships, shared experiences and the challenges that they endured.
The Dovekeeper by Alice Hoffman: This is a novel based on the lives of four complex and furiously courageous women who lived through a siege in 70 C.E., when 900 Jews held out against armies of Romans on a mountain in the Judean desert for months.
Uprooted by Lyn Julius: Jews lived continuously in the Middle East and North Africa for almost 3,000 years, but over the course of just 50 years, more than 99% of the Jewish population fled to Europe, Australia or the Americas. But what made them leave? What lessons can we learn from the mass exodus in the Middle East?
Jacob's Folley by Rebecca Miller: In 18th century Paris, Jacob Cerf is a Jewish peddler of knives, saltcellars and snuffboxes, he reappears again 200+ years later reincarnated as a fly in Long Island, America in the 21st century.
House of Glass by Hadley Freeman: When Hadley’s grandmother dies, many of her secrets died with her, until she discovered a shoebox containing photographs of her grandmother with a mysterious stranger, a cryptic telegram from the Red Cross and a signed drawing by Picasso. This discovery sets Hadley on a decade-long journey to uncover the truth about her grandmother, and subsequently her family history.
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr: Told from a child's perspective, this partly autobiographical novel is one of a trilogy that details the story of a Jewish family fleeing Germany at the start of World War II.
Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer: Jacob and Julia Bloch and their three sons are forced to consider the difference between the lives that they are currently living in Washington D.C., and the lives that they want as a catastrophic earthquake acts as a catalyst to conflict in the Middle East. This is a novel about identity, parenthood, duty and intimacy.
Almonds and Raisins Trilogy by Masie Mosco: This is the first novel in a trilogy about the Sandbergs, a Jewish family who flees Eastern Europe in the 20th century and eventually settles in Manchester. The almonds and the raisins represent the bitter and the sweet of life.
Anti-Semitism by Julia Neuberger: Rabbi Julia Neuberger uses contemporary examples and historical context to evaluate exactly what makes up antisemitism. By doing so she builds a powerful argument for why society needs to come to a shared understanding and why confusion around this issue needs to end.
Films
Fiddler on the Roof (1971): An adaption of the Broadway show, the comedy musical follows Tevye who, living in a small town in Ukraine, tries to maintain his spiritual connection whilst his daughters look for love.
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989): This existential comedy-drama is written and directed by Woody Allen, who also stars in the cast. An ophthalmologist’s mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife while his friend, a married documentary filmmaker, is also infatuated with another woman.
Women's Balcony (2016): Following the collapse of a synagogue in a town in Jerusalem, a new rabbi intends to build a new synagogue but without a women’s balcony. This is a lighthearted but important story of Jewish women coming together to fight for their voices to be heard.
The Meyerowitz Stories (2017): An estranged, dysfunctional family gathers in New York City to celebrate the artistic work of their father – featuring Adam Sandler, Grace Van Patten, Dustin Hoffman and Ben Stiller.
Sixty Six (2006): Helena Bonham-Carter, Eddie Marfan and Gregg Sulkin bring laughter and tears to this heartwarming story of Bernie’s bar mitzvah, which comes to fall on the same day as the 1966 World Cup final.
Schindler's List (1993): Amongst the busy genre that is Holocaust cinema, Schindler’s List is the most harrowing and frank confrontation of Jewish genocide. A difficult but essential watch.
Chariots of Fire (1981): Oscar-winning British drama based on the true story of Harold Abrahams (a practicing Jew) and Eric Liddell (a devout Christian Scot) as they train to compete in the 1924 Olympics.
Fig Tree (2018): Mina is a 16-year-old Jewish girl trying to navigate life in the civil war in Ethiopia whilst enjoying her last few days of youth with her Christian boyfriend, Eli. Learning that her family plans to emigrate to Israel to escape the war, Mina conducts a plan to save Eli.
The Book Thief (2010): Originally a hugely successful novel, this movie adaptation follows Liesel – a Jewish refugee – as she finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others in Germany during World War II.
A Serious Man (2009): Larry Gopnik, played by Michael Stuhlbarg, is a Jewish physics teacher in Minnesota. He is seeking meaning and answers amidst continuous turmoil and incidents in both his personal and professional life.
Television
The Story of the Jews: This five-part documentary is presented by Simon Schama and is based on his book of the same tittle. It is highly informative whilst also celebratory of Jewish history.
Transparent: The discovery by a Los Angeles family that their father is a trans women is the focal point of this comedy series, which has been heralded for capturing the multi-faceted Jewish sensibility with sensitivity and accuracy.
We are British Jews: This BBC documentary series follows the lives of eight Jews based in the UK who between them share a range of beliefs and opinions.
Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah: A Netflix special by stand-up comedian Tiffany Haddish in which she reflects on her heritage as an Ethiopian Jew.
Shtisel: A series which explores the lives of a fictional Haredi Jewish family living in a religious neighbourhood in Jerusalem, a Netflix production.
Big Mouth: Close-to-the-bone Jewish humour is central to this Netflix animated sitcom which focusses on a group of middle school children as they navigate their way through puberty.
Unorthodox: This is an Emmy-nominated four-part drama available on Netflix which received critical acclaim for its flawless handling of very delicate material. The series tells the story of Esty Shapiro, a member of the ultra-Orthodox Satmar community in Williamsburg, who leaves her life to start afresh in Berlin. (The Satmar community is a small and specific group who are not representative of all orthodox or ultra-orthodox Jews).
The Windermere Children: The thought-provoking true story of the children who were rehabilitated in the Lake District after they survived the atrocities of the Holocaust is retold with emotion and candour in this feature length dramatisation.
Broad City: Praised for its compassionate representation of millennial Jewish women, the series follows Abbi Abrams and Ilana Wexler through their daily lives in New York City, with production assistance from Amy Poehler.
Crazy ex-Girlfriend: In a bid to move on from her break-up, Rebecca Bunch abandons her New York life to move to California for love. This musical romantic comedy uses both subtle and overt portrayal of its protagonist's identity to cover important aspects of Jewish culture.
A London-based Jewish rapper, Moshe Friedman, has penned a response to Wiley this week which perfectly captures the current feeling of the Jewish community. Click here to listen to the song.
Words by Lucy Firestone and Mollie Cohen
