The public screening of the film Wall (2017; dir. Moran Ifergan) followed by a panel discussion with a UK-based feminist Jewish artist and SALC/Centre for Jewish Studies researchers. The event will be organised and marketed in collaboration with UK Jewish Film (UKJF) and HOME, Manchester.

The panel discussion aims to increase public understanding of feminist artistic engagement with Jewish religion more widely, and specifically with three decades of gender conflict at a site of special significance for Jews, the Western Wall in Jerusalem. One of the intended CJS panellists is an eye witness of the first organized reading from a Torah scroll at the women’s section of the Western Wall in 1988. Such events continue to cause violent conflict on site and heated debate within Jewish communities across the globe, including across the different Jewish religious movements present in Greater Manchester. Therefore, the film is of relevance to the local Jewish community.

The screening is to take place at the end of June/early July 2020, subject to availability at HOME. This venue is equally accessible to the Jewish communities of North and of South Manchester through its central location and link to the Metro.

Aims of the project:

To explore and promote social justice, equality and diversity through arts, languages or culture, and to offer opportunities for local communities to engage with the work of SALC:

• Discussion of feminist artistic representation of an ongoing issue of gender justice which is of special interest to the local Jewish community, one of Greater Manchester’s minority populations, who might not otherwise engage with academics;
• Interdisciplinary event bringing together researchers in R&T and Drama under the umbrella of the Centre for Jewish Studies;

To develop the Centre for Jewish Studies partnerships with the following cultural organisations and practitioners:

• Collaboration with UKJF (http://ukjewishfilm.org/), the national charity for Jewish film and the only UK organization dedicated to bringing the most recent award-winning Jewish films to public cinemas. The marketing of their year-round monthly screenings in Manchester and their highly prestigious annual festival reaches the target audience of many local CJS public engagement activities.
• Collaboration with HOME, Manchester’s arthouse cinema with professional support for public engagement activities;
• Collaboration with a community-based feminist Jewish artist.

To build on the strong relationship with teaching or research within SALC:

• The film is carefully selected for CJS to showcase their research expertise and teaching in gender in Jewish studies (CJS Sherman Conversations 2017; Melilah special issue 2019; RELT20121), film studies (CJS research and teaching: gender and Jewishness in German cinema and Holocaust film), and religious art (CJS 50 Jewish Objects project in collaboration with feminist and Jewish artists).

Internal Partner(s): Prof Cathy Gelbin, Drama, Cathy.Gelbin@manchester.ac.uk

External Partner(s): HOME Manchester; UK Jewish Film

Funding source(s): Creative Manchester; SALC SR

Project duration: 2020

Project lead(s): Dr Katja Stuerzenhofecker

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