Awake Zion

Awake Zion is a 2005 documentary by Monica Haim that explores the connection between Jews and Rastafarians.

Awake Zion
Directed by	Monica Haim
Release date	2005 (2005)
Running time	60 min.
Languages	English, Hebrew and Iyaric

Synopsis

Matisyahu, a Jewish reggae singer.

In Awake Zion, Haim travels from Manhattan to Jamaica and Israel, interviewing Rastafarians and rabbis to highlight similarities between their worldviews. Haim, a young Jewish woman, says she first perceived a connection between Jews and Rastafarians at a reggae concert.

Haim interviews Super Dane, an African American DJ in the Brooklyn reggae scene, who is shocked by Matisyahu, a Hasidic reggae artist from White Plains, New York. The film also features Jamaican-born Israeli rapper Yehoshua Sofer.

Yehoshua Sofer in 2011

Response

Most reviews of Awake Zion emphasize the documentary's social conscience in trying to bridge a gap between two seemingly different cultures. Rather than being scholarly, Haim's tone is described as "gently irreverent".

See also

• History of the Jews in Jamaica
• History of the Jews in Morocco
• History of the Jews in South Africa

External links

• The Cinema Guide
• Awake Zion's website
• Review of Awake Zion
• Programa Radial de Reggae y Cultura de Jamaica