Documentary highlights Muslim and Jewish women’s organization combating hate and prejudice
NEW YORK — Emmy Award-Winning Directors and Producers Kirsten Kelly and Katie Taber watched the surge in hate crimes targeted toward Muslim and Jewish communities following the 2016 election in disbelief and despair. The filmmakers soon learned about the organization, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom (SOSS), and watched as this network of women inspired hope in the face of hate and prejudice.
Their upcoming documentary short, “Salaam Shalom: Muslim and Jewish Women Unite Against Hate” intimately follows the organization founded with the mission of bringing together women of Muslim and Jewish faiths to build friendships and understanding, with the ultimate goal to combat hate and prejudice targeting both communities. Members of SOSS’ various chapters of the Sisterhood from New York to Austin, TX are featured in the documentary as they counter hate rallies, respond in solidarity to hate crimes and navigate daily prejudice that surrounds each of their communities. While their faiths are often pitted against each other, viewers will witness these women discover common ground. They do this by learning about each other’s faiths, building deep bonds of understanding and understanding ‘the other.’
“It’s really easy to hate someone you don’t know,” Sheryl Olitzky, Co-founder of SOSS, explains, “but when you know someone, really know them, it’s impossible to hate.”
The film also follows the Sisterhood’s new youth initiative that empowers Muslim and Jewish teens in high school to build Sisterhood chapters and focus on social action in their schools and communities to combat prejudice.
The film has an active crowdfunding campaign, now through April 10, to support two key film shoots and the edit process to stay on schedule for a Fall 2018 release. So far the campaign has reached 51 percent of its goal.
“Making this film, about these women, became a personal way for us to respond to the hate we saw surging around us,” said Kelly. “When we kept witnessing these communities attacked for their faith, or race or gender, we held tight to the hope that this story could bring. And how we can all be inspired by the Sisterhood’s example of taking risks and reaching out to those different than us, and bringing greater understanding and acceptance into our lives.”
Visit the Indiegogo page for special clips, more information, and the filmmaker’s complete story.
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