Ashkenaz (2007)

Ashkenazim—Jews of European origin—are Israel’s “white folks.” And like most white folks in a multicultural society, they see themselves as the social norm and don’t think of themselves in racial or ethnic terms because by now, “aren’t we all Israeli?” Yiddish has been replaced with Hebrew, exile with occupation, the shtetl with the kibbutz and old-fashioned irony with post-modern cynicism. But the paradox of whiteness in Israel is that Ashkenazim aren’t exactly “white folks” historically... A story that begins in the Rhineland and ends in the holy land (or is it the other way around?), ASHKENAZ looks at whiteness in Israel and wonders: How did the “others” of Europe become the “Europe” of the others?

Director: Rachel Leah Jones
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 72 min
Release Date:
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Rachel Leah Jones
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ashkenaz about?
Ashkenazim—Jews of European origin—are Israel’s “white folks.” And like most white folks in a multicultural society, they see themselves as the social norm and don’t think of themselves in racial or ethnic terms because by now, “aren’t we all Israeli?” Yiddish has been replaced with Hebrew, exile with occupation, the shtetl with the kibbutz and old-fashioned irony with post-modern cynicism. But the paradox of whiteness in Israel is that Ashkenazim aren’t exactly “white folks” historically... A story that begins in the Rhineland and ends in the holy land (or is it the other way around?), ASHKENAZ looks at whiteness in Israel and wonders: How did the “others” of Europe become the “Europe” of the others?
Who directed Ashkenaz?
Ashkenaz was directed by Rachel Leah Jones.
How long is Ashkenaz?
Ashkenaz has a runtime of 1h 12m (72 minutes).
What genre is Ashkenaz?
Ashkenaz is a Documentary film.