Yearning to Belong

Summary

The Abayudaya's conviction to Jewish faith goes back almost 90 years. By 1919, Kakungulu (a

In early 2002, however, five

During the 1970s the Abayudaya's mud hut

Gaining acceptance by all branches of the Jewish community proves difficult, however. Vinik arranges for a meeting with rabbis from three different Jewish denominations, and the camera is rolling when the brothers are told how their status as Jews is questionable based on the narrow definitions of Orthodox conversion. Later, Vinik asks noted theologian Rabbi Ismar Schorsch about the reasoning for such "inflexible" spiritual stances. "The sad fact is that conversion in Judaism has become a power struggle between Orthodox and the non-Orthodox, to the great detriment of the Jewish people," he says.

See also

Other documentaries about atypical Jewish communities: