Awake Zion is a 2005 documentary by Monica Haim that explores the connection between Jews and Rastafarians.

Awake Zion
Directed byMonica Haim
Release date
  • 2005 (2005)
Running time
60 min.
LanguagesEnglish, Hebrew and Iyaric

Synopsis

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Matisyahu, a Jewish reggae singer.

In Awake Zion, Haim travels from Manhattan to Jamaica and Israel, interviewing Rastafarians and rabbis to highlight similarities between their worldviews. Haim, a young Jewish woman, says she first perceived a connection between Jews and Rastafarians at a reggae concert.

Haim interviews Super Dane, an African American DJ in the Brooklyn reggae scene, who is shocked by Matisyahu, a Hasidic reggae artist from White Plains, New York. The film also features Jamaican-born Israeli rapper Yehoshua Sofer.[1]

 
Yehoshua Sofer in 2011

Response

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Most reviews of Awake Zion emphasize the documentary's social conscience in trying to bridge a gap between two seemingly different cultures. Rather than being scholarly, Haim's tone is described as "gently irreverent".

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fox, Michael (6 May 2005). "Rastafarians and Jews rock steady in 'Awake Zion'". J. The Jewish News of Northern California. ProQuest 367643580.
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