Just Call Me Yu Dante-vish (Like Yu Darvish. The MLB Pitcher. Cause It's a Pitch.)

When it came time to think of what to do as a documentary piece, I was conflicted. My first instinct was to retread some semi-old ground and examine the Jewish identity in a place like Boise (with its rather small Jewish population), as well as taking a look at my own Jewish identity. As my commentary piece showed, I have some unresolved feelings about it, and I would like to examine what different people's perspectives on what makes someone Jewish is.

I could interview someone who's involved at a Synagogue or Jewish Center here in Boise, I could talk to my rather secular Jewish family, and I'd also like to go at this from the angle of non Jews. I'd like to ask what makes up Jewish culture and traditions from all of these different points of view, so I'd essentially be talking to a diverse group of people.

Obviously my stake in all of this is that I'm Jewish, but never had a Bar-Mitzvah or celebrated many Jewish holidays outside of Hanukkah or Passover, and also my dad was Jewish, but my mom wasn't, which by some definitions makes me not Jewish, so my Jewish identity is a little mixed up. Ideally, others will care about this because I'm sure that everyone goes through some time in their lives when they feel like they don't belong, when they're confused about their own identities. My hope is that I'll come to some larger understanding of where I fit into this cultural landscape, and that I'll be able to articulate that in a way so others can relate and apply my general findings to their own lives. Also, people don't know enough about the Jews, so education is good.

Comments

  1. BballengerMarch 12, 2018 at 12:36 PM

    Hi Dante,

    I like it. I think the "trouble" here is pretty clear--you have an ambiguous relationship to your Jewishness, and you'd like to start sorting that out. What isn't clear is why now? What is it about this particular moment in your life that inspires you to want to talk to your folks about why you never had the Bar-Mitzvah or drop in at temple? It's an interesting idea to talk to non-Jews about what they view as Jewish culture, though I'm not sure how much you get from that. However, I do think it might be interesting to find others like you--Jewish or non--who are tiptoeing toward a renewal of interest in faith. Do the journeys seem similar? Absolutely talk to your family. In some ways, they seem like the main characters in this story.

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  2. UnknownMarch 12, 2018 at 1:18 PM

    I think that questions of identity are always good jumping off points for documentaries. My wife is half Mexican, and when her mom moved to Boise and got with her white husband, she abandoned her heritage. All of my wife's cousins have had quinceaneras, they speak Spanish, they are a part of this larger culture, and this affected their interactions all the way back to childhood. I've seen how that affects her, so I find that I am immediately compelled by your story. When you think of the Bar-Mitzvah, do you feel a palpable sense of loss? I definitely want to know more.

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  3. UnknownMarch 14, 2018 at 1:35 PM

    I love this idea of identity and the fact that it has you questioning of who you are. It is interesting to have your foot in both worlds, and it gives the story a compelling idea that I think would be interesting to listen to. I agree with Bruce it would help to talk to your family about it from the Jewish and non-Jewish side to see what they think makes you who you are.

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