WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth University’s Jewish Cultural Studies Program will hold a film screening and discussion from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3 in the Wilson Hall Auditorium.
The discussion about Expulsion and Memory: Descendants of the Hidden Jews will be lead by Dr. Susan Douglass of the department of history and anthropology.
Directed by Simcha Jacobovici and Roger Pyke, the film was shot on location in Spain, Portugal, Israel, Canada, and the United States. The documentary traces the descendants of Spanish Jews who were forced to either flee or convert to Catholicism after Queen Isabella’s edict of 1492. Many of these Jews had to practice their religion in secret, passing their furtively recalled customs down through the generations.
Exploring the history and culture of these “conversos,” the film celebrates an enduring spiritual legacy that has survived centuries of persecution. Through extensive interviews with the children of secret believers, the film captures the modern resurrection of something ethereal: The ghost of a people.
Beautifully photographed and edited, the film features a lyrical Spanish/Sephardic soundtrack by some of the world’s leading artists, including Placido Domingo.
The film has been provided by the National Center for Jewish Film. The screening is organized by the Jewish Cultural Studies Program and the Office for Global Initiatives.
Additional information is available by calling 732-571-4474. The event is free and open to the public.
