The Third Space. Histories of Syrian Jews in Mexico

 

Even after watching Leona, I felt compelled to find out more about Mexico´s Jewish history, particularly related to the Syrian community. A couple of months after, I was offered the opportunity to watch El Tercer Espacio - The Third Place - by the talented documentary film maker Nejemye Tenenbaum featuring the 100-year anniversary of the Mount Sinai Alliance.

There are different generations whose voices are heard in the movie: from the oldest who still remember the hardship of the first generation of immigrants and the stories about the life in Damascus who the youngest ones, dreaming about Miami with no idea - and interest - about where Syria and Damascus are situated.

It is a dialogue between memory, history and identity which is shaped by the interaction with the biggest society. In some cases, one excludes the other, as in the case of those who, for different reasons, more or less religiously or ideologically motivated, simply decided to become part of the big, Mexican - and Christian - society.

The historian in me was very interested to discover stories that I had no idea about, among which the Jewish participation at the Mexican Revolution and the cases when Jews were accused of being spies and executed, their only fault being to be unable to speak the language, therefore to defend against the accusations threwn to them. 

The micro-society of the Mount Sinai Alliance offers a deep view into the social network of that specific Jewish community living in Mexico´s capital city. In just one jour and a half, Nejemye Tenenbaum covered a long list of topics, from the history of the community to its social diversity and the strong communal support. Personally, I would have been curious about the interaction with other Jewish groups as well as the very details of the everyday religious life - for instance, the collective bat mitzvah ceremony with dozens of girls celebrating, looked at me a bit like the Catholic confirmation ceremonies. 

El Tercer Espacio made me even more curious about Jewish life in Mexico, in its wider complexity and diversity. Until then, the information provided in the film is generous enough to help me have a basic idea, although I am mostly missing the puzzle pieces of the entire cultural, political and religious landscape.

The film is available to rent on Vimeo. 

'One of Us'...

Telling the stories of people that left the Hasidic way of life in New York, the Netflix documentary One of Us is as heartbreaking as such stories could be. 

No parent should be left without his children because a different life choice. No child abuse should be tolerated, regardless how pious the perpetrator looks like for the community. The help organisations like Footsteps in New York offer to those who left the fold to integrate into the new life is tremendous and it is important for people to know that they are not alone. After belonging your own life to a tight community when everyone is part of the whole, finding yourself completely on your own in this big crazy world requires a lot of time and patience and knowledge about how this worl functions. But everything has a price and those finding their way 'off the derech' might not do it alone.

The documentary made by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady last around one hour and a half and features the changes taking place into the lives of Luzer, Ari and Etty as they decide to leave behind their closed communities. Filmed over 3 years, it covers dramatic changes taking place into the lives of the participants, such Etty's defeat in court against her ex abusive husband which leads to her being separated from her 7 children and Ari's recovery from drug abuse. 

The community can be a shield for those who are in and a terrible weapon against those who left. I personally know more than one case of a man who left the fold and man given visitation rights to his children that remained with the observant mother because it happened to be part of an important Hasidic family. But if you are a woman without a supportive family - in Etty's case even her own family testified against her - you are lost. The fact that the abuser of Ari is still in a position where he is close to children that he can eventually abuse is outrageous. Those stories are examples of what is actually wrong and sets limits of things that should not be accepted. 

I personally would have expect some wider coverage of individual stories, that may reflect the diversity of reasons and situations why people leave and what happens after. I know many success stories and people that also managed somehow to keep their parental rights and also cases when child abusers were brought to justice. The stories brought to attention are heartbreaking and interesting but especially for someone not familiar with the phenomenon, it may bring a bit of diversity and shape a completely different perspective.