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Film Series

The LUNAR Collective originally launched in February 2021 as “LUNAR: the Jewish-Asian Film Project”, a film series featuring 23 Asian American Jews. Through 11 episodes, these nuanced, unscripted conversations dove deep into themes of belonging, traditions, cultural trauma, the model minority myth, discrimination, and Jewish intersectionality.

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Season 1

LUNAR Ep 1: The Taste of Connection
10:19

LUNAR Ep 1: The Taste of Connection

23 Asian American Jews examine identity through the lens of food. Through sharing memories of foods from our Asian and Jewish cultures, the LUNAR cast discusses Asian and Jewish food philosophies, intertwined food history, and the many possibilities (and limitations) of Jewish-Asian fusion food. ----- Follow LUNAR: Instagram: @asian.jews Facebook: @asian.jews Twitter: @asian_jews Starring: Alex Chester Ali Pinhasi Alicia Fox Alyssa Naka Silver Amanda Lowell Becca Nix Tham Bekkah 慧英 Scharf Daniel Hershfield Hannah Chonkan-Urow Jacob Sujin Kuppermann Jess Adler Kayla Sklar Lee Harris Maya Babow Maya Katz-Ali Melissa Dai-Li Krassenstein Meorah Ha-Me’ir Naomi Tamura Nina Moskowitz Rachel DeAngelis Stephanie Mieko Cohen Vanessa Bloom Zaheer Coovadia LUNAR Team: Co-Creator & Producer - Gen Slosberg 夏夜 Co-Creator & Creative Director - Jenni Rudolph Filmmaker - Jared Chiang-Zeizel 小龙 Graphic Designer: Davi 惠芳 Cheng About LUNAR: LUNAR: The Jewish Asian Film Project showcases and celebrates the stories of Asian American Jews, through our upcoming video series, interviews, community events, and more! We're funded by the Jews of Color Initiative (jewsofcolorinitiative.org) and partnered with Be'chol Lashon (globaljews.org) to bring you meaningful and engaging content. We facilitate nuanced, honest conversations about identity, covering themes such as media representation, the model minority myth, racism, antisemitism, belonging and inclusion in Jewish spaces, family, culture, and fusion food. Edited by Jenni Rudolph and Jared Chiang-Zeizel 小龙 Alex's article: https://www.hapamag.com/issue-006/jews-and-asians-go-together-like-peanut-butter-and-jelly Stephanie's Shalom Japan review: https://www.hapamag.com/issue-009/2019/9/9/shalom-japan Music: “Grandma’s Impala” by Sarah, The Illstrumentalist “Happytoseeyou” by Sarah, the Illstrumentalist “Homer Said” by Dyalla B-Roll Footage: Matzo Ball Soup - If the soup weren’t surrounding it, this matzo ball would float away (image) Copyright owned by Flickr user: City Foodsters https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matzo_Ball_Soup_-_If_the_soup_weren%27t_surrounding_it,_this_matzo_ball_would_float_away_(9382487620).jpg Gefilte Fish (image) Copyright owned by wikipedia user: Mushki Brichta  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gefilte_fish_topped_with_slices_of_carrot.jpg Pakora (image) Copyright owned by Flickr user: Upendra Kanda https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pakora_(6005558506).jpg Buddhist temples in South Korea (image) Copyright owned by wikipedia user: Steve46814  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Korea-Sinheungsa-Bronze_Buddha-02.jpg Israeli Spread (image) Copyright owned by Flickr user: Ted Eytan https://www.flickr.com/photos/taedc/27905580770/ Matzo Ball Soup (image) Copyright owned by Flickr user: da5ide https://www.flickr.com/photos/da5ide/6172624846/
LUNAR Ep 2: [Dis]covering Our Identities
11:26

LUNAR Ep 2: [Dis]covering Our Identities

Carrying a multi-layered identity can be complicated. In this episode, Jewish Asian Americans discuss the challenges of navigating different communities, the joy of finding real connection, code-switching, microaggressions, and what they hope to see in future generations of young Jews of Color. --- Follow LUNAR: Instagram: @asian.jews Facebook: @asian.jews Twitter: @asian_jews Starring: Alex Chester Ali Pinhasi Alicia Fox Alyssa Naka Silver Amanda Lowell Becca Nix Tham Bekkah 慧英 Scharf Daniel Hershfield Hannah Chonkan-Urow Jacob Sujin Kuppermann Jess Adler Kayla Sklar Lee Harris Maya Babow Maya Katz-Ali Melissa Dai-Li Krassenstein Meorah Ha-Me’ir Naomi Tamura Nina Moskowitz Rachel DeAngelis Stephanie Mieko Cohen Vanessa Bloom Zaheer Coovadia LUNAR Team: Co-Creator & Producer - Gen Slosberg 夏夜 Co-Creator & Creative Director - Jenni Rudolph Filmmaker - Jared Chiang-Zeizel 小龙 Graphic Designer: Davi 惠芳 Cheng About LUNAR: LUNAR: The Jewish Asian Film Project showcases and celebrates the stories of Asian American Jews, through our upcoming video series, interviews, community events, and more! We're funded by the Jews of Color Initiative (jewsofcolorinitiative.org) and partnered with Be'chol Lashon (globaljews.org) to bring you meaningful and engaging content. We facilitate nuanced, honest conversations about identity, covering themes such as media representation, the model minority myth, racism, antisemitism, belonging and inclusion in Jewish spaces, family, culture, and fusion food. Edited by Jenni Rudolph and Jared Chiang-Zeizel 小龙 Music: “Jet Setter” by Sarah, The Illstrumentalist “Like That” by Anno Domini Beats “Space Navigator” by Sarah, The Illstrumentalist B-Roll Images: Sigma Delta Tau Amherst House Copyright owned by Kevin Rutherford https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sigma_Delta_Tau_house,_Amherst,_Massachusetts.jpg Orthodox synagogue and Jewish school in Kosice, Slovakia Copyright owned by Flickr user: Govisity / Tip na Trip / kosice.guide https://www.flickr.com/photos/53113704@N03/28479572735/ Thai Writing on a temple Copyright owned by Flickr user: Christian Haugen https://www.flickr.com/photos/christianhaugen/3344177668/ Diwali Fireworks Copyright owned by Flickr user: gags9999 https://www.flickr.com/photos/gags9999/15040002973 (Change to original image: cropped out part of top) Bollywood Dancers Copyright owned by wiki commons user: Flexfxproductions https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bollywood_Showstoppers_2014_Shahid_Kapoor_and_Bolly_Flex_Dancing.jpg (Change to original image: removed logo) Hindi Newspaper Copyright owned by wiki commons user: Suyash.dwivedi https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hindi_Vishwa_Daily_News_Paper_of_11th_WHC.jpg Missionary Influence or How to Make Converts p95 Copyright owned by Flickr user: bibliodyssey / Paul G https://www.flickr.com/photos/bibliodyssey/2354121094/ Bhangra 1 Copyright owned by wiki commons user: Shamrock-23 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bhangra_1.jpg Buckeye Mela IX - Spartan Bhangra 3 Copyright owned by wiki commons user: Kevin Payravi https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buckeye_Mela_IX_-_Spartan_Bhangra_3.jpg

Season 2