The 'Forgotten Refugees' Remembered in Film

The 'Forgotten Refugees' Remembered in Film

"The Forgotten Refugees" a film; executive producer, Ralph Avi Goldwasser; produced and directed by Michael Grynszpan; co-produced and directed by Tommy Schwarcz; written by J.J. Salman; released by Isra TV and The David Project Center for Jewish Leadership, 2006.

It is the striking contrast between the interview with musician Yair Dalal-who identifies himself as Judeo-Araband the interview with Yitshak Dvash, survivor of the 1945 Libyan riots, that best encapsulates the film "The Forgotten Refugees," being shown at Jewish film festivals throughout the United States, as well as on several Public Broadcasting System affiliates.

Bedecked in a flowing white garment, positioned with the Mediterranean Sea behind him, and speaking in English, Dalai tells of the prominent place the Jews once held in Iraq's music scene. Born in Israel to parents who were from Iraq, he proudly describes his role in continuing this Iraqi cultural tradition both in Israel and in his performances abroad.

In juxtaposition to this cosmopolitan scene, the elderly, modestly dressed Dvash sits in a synagogue and speaks about the brutality he endured as ajew who was born and grew up in Libya. "They ran after me, caught me and beat me until they finally got tired," he says, referring to his experience in the 1945 riots. "They wanted to cut off my hands," Dvash continues, as the camera zooms in on his severely disfigured wrists and fingers

Dalal's deep identification with his Middle Eastern roots and Dvash's experience of persecution and suffering are powerful tropes that appear throughout the documentary. Both are revisited through interviews with others who also are Jewish immigrants, or descendents of Jewish immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa. A rich array of rare, original footage is used, as well, alongside narration to tell the stories of these forgotten refugees.

"The Forgotten Refugees" is part of a slowly growing library of books and films that call attention to the modern experiences of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews. Given that these groups constitute one-quarter of the world's Jewish population, and one-half of Israel's Jewish population, these new works are critical if we are to expand the horizon of Judaic Studies, an academic discipline that has traditionally been Western- and Euro-centric.

Outside of the academy,...