Reawakening

A short documentary. The film goes back to August 2017, when white supremacists came to town chanting neo-Nazi slogans and rallying just outside their congregation. Since then, members of Charlottesville’s only synagogue have been on a journey against hate. At times, the journey required self-reflection. It required communal action. But no matter what form it took, Charlottesville’s Jews found that standing up for themselves meant standing up for justice in the broader community. Reawakening documents their journey. Through interviews with rabbis and congregants, the film explores how the white supremacy they experienced transformed their understanding of themselves and their city and how it intensified their commitment to social justice.