For Discovery Digital (Seeker)
Documentary Short
The Speed Sisters compete as the only female drift racing team of the West Bank.
Directed, Produced, Filmed & Edited
Two commissioned films for major special exhibition at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Documentary Short
Director/Producer, DP, Editor
Acquired by AJ+ & AJ Selects
Amar escaped the repression in Eritrea as a teenager in order to find a better life. A grueling journey led him to Israel and a small school for undocumented migrants known as Nitzana. While the school welcomed him with open arms, Israeli policy does not, and he will soon have to survive on his own.
For CNN’s Great Big Story
Documentary Short
Hebron, West Bank
(Directed/Produced, DP)
The kaffiyeh is a traditional Arab headdress and a symbol of the Palestinian struggle. Today, it continues to represent an important part of Palestinian heritage. Unfortunately, the Al Hirbawi factory is the last remaining institution in the Palestinian territories producing the original kaffiyeh. Brothers Jouda, Abdelazim and Ezzat have been working in the factory since they were kids, inheriting the family business and continuing the proud legacy.
The New York Times
Israel/West Bank
(Directed/Produced, DP, Edited)
Israel has released 78 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal to restart peace talks. The prisoners are welcomed by many Palestinians as heroes, but many Israelis feel their release is an injustice.
For CNN’s Great Big Story
Documentary Short
(Directed/Produced, DP)
Noga Erez is an Israeli electronic music producer, singer, songwriter and DJ. Her powerful, chaotic sound is a mashup of hip-hop, pop and techno. Growing up in Israel has had a major influence on her lyrics. Her experiences living in a conflict zone fuel her criticism of politicians and contemporary society. As she gains worldwide recognition, Erez has come to form an integral part of the female-dominated Israeli EDM scene.
For CNN’s Great Big Story
Documentary Short
Uzhgorod, Ukraine
(Directed/Produced, DP)
The rich Jewish culture of a Ukrainian town was all but wiped out by the Nazis and the ensuing Soviet era. But one New York Jew is trying to bring it back, one loaf of challah at a time.
Produced | Filmed | Edited
Printed in The New York Times on April 25, 2014
In the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, Calif., it is hard to ignore the bustling scene where scores of people are lined up in front of food trucks or going in and out of the hip restaurants, bars and salons. Among the foot traffic is a colorful display of relaxed Northern California style: vintage button-down shirts and scarves, tattoos and piercings and hoodies with the logos of local brands . Originally from Chicago, Sarah Barnekow moved to the area three years ago and has undergone a style transformation, most recently chopping 10 inches off her hair and dying it a white-and-gray hue. Sporting brown combat boots, a scarf she bought while traveling in India, a bracelet she recently purchased at a local flea market and a tattoo of the Wi-Fi sign, Ms. Barnekow said that her style usually errs on the side of masculine.
In the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, Calif., it is hard to ignore the bustling scene where scores of people are lined up in front of food trucks or going in and out of the hip restaurants, bars and salons. Among the foot traffic is a colorful display of relaxed Northern California style: vintage button-down shirts and scarves, tattoos and piercings and hoodies with the logos of local brands . Originally from Chicago, Sarah Barnekow moved to the area three years ago and has undergone a style transformation, most recently chopping 10 inches off her hair and dying it a white-and-gray hue. Sporting brown combat boots, a scarf she bought while traveling in India, a bracelet she recently purchased at a local flea market and a tattoo of the Wi-Fi sign, Ms. Barnekow said that her style usually errs on the side of masculine.
Sarah Barnekow, 24
Product support engineer
How would you describe your personal style?
“I like to be kind of edgy, feminine but also masculine, kind of like obscuring the gender identity in a way.”
How do you think about picking out your outfits in the morning?
“When I go to work in the morning, I try to tone it down a little bit, because I am going to San Francisco, and I work at a pretty big company. It’s a midsize software consultancy. And I’m definitely not the only person there who lives in Oakland, which is great because I can go into the office, and there are two or three people that I can really vibe with style-wise.”
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Co-Produced, Reported and Filmed for The New York Times with Gabe Johnson
“We go out there like soldiers, with a mission to conquer the world with light, with goodness, with kindness,” said Yishai Eliefja, 23, a Hasidic Jew who works for the Chabad Lubavitch’s “mitzvah tanks,” or “synagogues on wheels.”
The mitzvah tanks, which will resume operation on Wednesday now that Passover has ended, were inspired by the teachings of the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson and aim to engage secular Jews in acts of tradition and prayer in order to advance the coming of the Messiah.
“We look at the mitzvah tanks as the front line Marines in the rebbe’s arsenal,” said Rabbi Mordy Hirsch, who is also involved with the administering of the mitzvah tanks. “People are depressed today. Everyone has their worries, their headaches. The mitzvah tanks idea is a warm, comfortable home environment in the hustle and bustle of Fifth Avenue.”
Although the tanks are a familiar sight in certain neighborhoods in New York City, a parade of 61 tanks — symbolizing each year since the rebbe ascended to leadership in Crown Heights, Brooklyn — snaked through the city on April 14.
“We invite them in the tank, to have something to eat, something to drink, and we have a blessing,” said Yishai Eliefja, the bearded 23-year-old driver of one of the mitzvah tanks. “Instead of going to the synagogue, we bring the synagogue to you.”
