Jewish Above Ground

"Jewish Above Ground" features Esther Amini, author of Concealed: Memoir of a Jewish-Iranian Daughter Caught Between the Chador and America. The film follows Esther's parents and siblings, shortly after they arrived in New York from Iran, and examines the intra-Jewish tensions and divisions between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews.

The film is part of a lesson by Project Mosaics that provides students with an opportunity to examine the experiences of Mashhadi Jews, after immigrating to New York and navigating the challenges and opportunities of adapting to and integrating within American society. During the lesson, students will reflect on their own experiences being misunderstood or excluded. In addition to viewing the "Jewish Above Ground” film, they will read excerpts from Esther’s memoir, Concealed, and participate in a discussion about the ways “walls” and “bridges” may be built between communities, even across different Jewish communities. They will also watch the “Iran Loomed Large” film and another reading from Concealed, viewing through the lens of cultural cross-pollination while identifying tensions between value systems and the support systems Mashhadi Jews created for each other. The lesson culminates with students crafting their own vignette, emulating the personal storytelling of Esther Amini by focusing on the same themes she addresses.