Scenes from the Divide

Jewish-American identity has never been a monolith, but since the Second World War, we’ve overwhelmingly clustered around a few standard traits: liberal, Democrat, and Zionist. Fissures had been spreading through this edifice for years, but since October 7, 2023, the whole thing has come apart. I watched as some Zionists were aligning themselves with white nationalists, while others were casting-off their liberalism (or simply finding themselves feckless in the face of the contradictions of their commitments). At the same time, a growing segment was insisting on a Jewish morality and identity independent of Israel. The denouncements grew more frequent, calling one another kapos, self- hating Jews, Nazis, and genocide deniers. It’s become a civil war, and the mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani transposed it all onto a major election with national visibility.

The goal of Scenes from the Divide was to take a prismatic look at this crucible for American Jewish identity. In the weeks leading up to the election in New York City, I followed a few people that represent different sides of the campaign, culminating in the results on Election Day. Inspired by the work of Anna Deveare Smith, my goal was for the film to inhabit multiple viewpoints without offering prescriptive conclusions. By capturing intimate verité scenes and conversations, and approaching all participants with curiosity, I set out to document this dramatic moment in history when the future of American Jewry remains uncertain.