Kickstarter

Creator Robin Taylor on October 29, 2011

Have you finished filming all the content? If not, how about considering other young adults who are of Jewish and African ancestry for your film? And, of course, I include our current President in that category! Seems that no one really addresses the fact that Barack Obama, even though he attends Christian services, is Jewish as defined by the Law of Return! I also do wish that someone would consider speaking to my children, who are now in their early 30's, especially my daughter, about what it was like to be identified as Jewish, and be obviously African. I wish someone would expose what is the great shame of the American Jewish community, which is very rejecting of people of color. Which is very stupid, because the first Jews WERE people of color, from Africa! My son, who passes for white, was told by the Army when he enlisted 11yrs ago to conceal his Jewish identity for his own safety. (Yes I am a member of Mikey Weinstein"\'s Military Religious Freedom Foundation) I understand that your film is focusing on your personal story--and both you and Pres Obama have done well for yourselves--not everyone's story has such a relatively successful happy ending. All this crap the Tea Party and right-wingers are giving the President is strictly because of his racial identity. I wonder how they would react if he decided to start celebrating Jewish holidays and keeping Kosher in the White House? I do hope to see your film when completed. I've pledged to your project what it costs me for a monthly Disabled bus pass, so I'll be walking for the month of November!
Maybe your next project can be that the American Jewish community rejects those who are not financially well-off, if they are Americans. I've been asked to pay for Seder for Russian immigrants, when I cannot afford it myself! I've been asked to pledge $$$$ for food relief in the Middle East, when there are people in my neighborhood in San Francisco who are hungry every day. It's unsafe for me to walk the blocks from the bus stop or BART station at night, so I cannot attend Shabbat services, but no one cares. Christian churches offer escorts and rides for seniors and disabled as part of their ministry; why doesn't the Jewish community recognize that it is losing members because of barriers to access? Again, I realize that your film is about your struggle for identity in a community not accustomed to permanent suntans, but I do hope that as an activist and a woman concerned about social justice, you can address some of these other issues, too.
Good luck on getting your funding. Have you considered contacting the Jewish Heritage Foundation of the West, which is based in Sacramento? I believe the best way to get in touch (and I know this may be a bit late in the game, but couldn't hurt!) would be to contact the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Area www.jewishsac.org and at least ask for an article in the THE JEWISH VOICE. These people have a lot more $$$$ than I do, and have the means for spreading it around! Robin Taylor