Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
"What is this thing so horrifying that you can't even let me see it?"
Simone Zimmerman and Eitan are young American Jews born and raised in a traditional Jewish upbringing in the United States. One worked as a pro-Israeli advocate at university, and the other served in the Israeli Army, deployed in the West Bank from a young age. Having never heard terms like "settler colonization" or "apartheid regime," Simone and Eitan once believed they had the "birthright to their land." But after encountering the reality of life in Palestine, they both began questioning their decisions—and the entire narrative that their synagogues and Hebrew school teachers had fed them as children.
Directed by two Jewish filmmakers who shared a similar experience, this highly praised documentary explores how Jewish attitudes toward Israel are changing, highlighting the divide between generations within the American Jewish community.
The film also features voices of Jewish educators, and thought leaders such as Peter Beinart, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Noura Erakat, Cornel West, and Noam Chomsky.
-------
Chapters
▷ 0:00:00 - Intro
▷ 0:03:43 - Obsession about Israel
▷ 0:14:46 - Pro-Israel advocacy
▷ 0:17:19 - Israeli Army
▷ 0:20:44 - Palestine and the Nabka
▷ 0:38:48 - "Battleground" on campuses
▷ 0:43:33 - Emerging awakening and divide
▷ 1:12:04 - Conclusion
▷ 1:19:32 - Credits
#documentary #israelism #judaism #Israel #palestine #politics #usa #fulldocumentary
-------
Subscribe to wocomoHUMANITY: goo.gl/5Sp36B
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/wocomo
-------
Two young American Jews - Simone Zimmerman and Eitan - are raised to defend the state of Israel at all costs. Eitan joins the Israeli military. Simone supports Israel on "the other battlefield": America’s college campuses. When they witness Israel's mistreatment of the Palestinian people with their own eyes, they are horrified and heartbroken.
They join the movement of young American Jews battling the old guard over Israel’s centrality in American Judaism, and demanding freedom for the Palestinian people. Their stories reveal a generational divide in the American Jewish community as more young Jews question the narratives their synagogues and Hebrew school teachers fed them as children.
The film also features voices like Jacqui, a Jewish educator who says “Judaism is Israel and Israel is Judaism”, and former Anti-Defamation League President Abe Foxman, who claims voices like Simone and Eitan’s represent a small minority. Thought leaders like Peter Beinart, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Noura Erakat, Cornel West, and Noam Chomsky also weigh in.
Directed by two first-time Jewish filmmakers who share a similar story to the film’s protagonists, Israelism is produced by Peabody-winner and 4-time Emmy-nominee Daniel J. Chalfen (Loudmouth, Boycott), executive produced by two-time Emmy-winner Brian A. Kates (Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Succession) and edited by Emmy-winner Tony Hale (The Story of Plastic), Israelism uniquely explores how Jewish attitudes towards Israel are changing dramatically, with massive consequences for the region and for Judaism itself.
Original title:
A film by Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen
© 2023, Licensed by Sideways Film
-------
Documentaries about people and cultures from around the globe: wocomoHUMANITY offers high-quality content which is produced by leading production companies.
Check out our other channels to watch high quality documentaries:
▷ wocomoDOCS: youtube.com/wocomoDOCS
▷ wocomoWILDLIFE: youtube.com/wocomoWILDLIFE
▷ wocomoHISTORY: youtube.com/wocomoHISTORY
▷ wocomoTRAVEL: youtube.com/wocomoTRAVEL
▷ wocomoCOOK: youtube.com/wocomoCOOK
Wocomo HUMANITY is part of the Wocomo channel network by NIKITA VENTURES. Wocomo - wonderful content in motion.
"What is this thing so horrifying that you can't even let me see it?"
Simone Zimmerman and Eitan are young American Jews born and raised in a traditional Jewish upbringing in the United States. One worked as a pro-Israeli advocate at university, and the other served in the Israeli Army, deployed in the West Bank from a young age. Having never heard terms like "settler colonization" or "apartheid regime," Simone and Eitan once believed they had the "birthright to their land." But after encountering the reality of life in Palestine, they both began questioning their decisions—and the entire narrative that their synagogues and Hebrew school teachers had fed them as children.
Directed by two Jewish filmmakers who shared a similar experience, this highly praised documentary explores how Jewish attitudes toward Israel are changing, highlighting the divide between generations within the American Jewish community.
The film also features voices of Jewish educators, and thought leaders such as Peter Beinart, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Noura Erakat, Cornel West, and Noam Chomsky.
-------
Chapters
▷ 0:00:00 - Intro
▷ 0:03:43 - Obsession about Israel
▷ 0:14:46 - Pro-Israel advocacy
▷ 0:17:19 - Israeli Army
▷ 0:20:44 - Palestine and the Nabka
▷ 0:38:48 - "Battleground" on campuses
▷ 0:43:33 - Emerging awakening and divide
▷ 1:12:04 - Conclusion
▷ 1:19:32 - Credits
#documentary #israelism #judaism #Israel #palestine #politics #usa #fulldocumentary
-------
Subscribe to wocomoHUMANITY: goo.gl/5Sp36B
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/wocomo
-------
Two young American Jews - Simone Zimmerman and Eitan - are raised to defend the state of Israel at all costs. Eitan joins the Israeli military. Simone supports Israel on "the other battlefield": America’s college campuses. When they witness Israel's mistreatment of the Palestinian people with their own eyes, they are horrified and heartbroken.
They join the movement of young American Jews battling the old guard over Israel’s centrality in American Judaism, and demanding freedom for the Palestinian people. Their stories reveal a generational divide in the American Jewish community as more young Jews question the narratives their synagogues and Hebrew school teachers fed them as children.
The film also features voices like Jacqui, a Jewish educator who says “Judaism is Israel and Israel is Judaism”, and former Anti-Defamation League President Abe Foxman, who claims voices like Simone and Eitan’s represent a small minority. Thought leaders like Peter Beinart, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Noura Erakat, Cornel West, and Noam Chomsky also weigh in.
Directed by two first-time Jewish filmmakers who share a similar story to the film’s protagonists, Israelism is produced by Peabody-winner and 4-time Emmy-nominee Daniel J. Chalfen (Loudmouth, Boycott), executive produced by two-time Emmy-winner Brian A. Kates (Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Succession) and edited by Emmy-winner Tony Hale (The Story of Plastic), Israelism uniquely explores how Jewish attitudes towards Israel are changing dramatically, with massive consequences for the region and for Judaism itself.
Original title:
A film by Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen
© 2023, Licensed by Sideways Film
-------
Documentaries about people and cultures from around the globe: wocomoHUMANITY offers high-quality content which is produced by leading production companies.
Check out our other channels to watch high quality documentaries:
▷ wocomoDOCS: youtube.com/wocomoDOCS
▷ wocomoWILDLIFE: youtube.com/wocomoWILDLIFE
▷ wocomoHISTORY: youtube.com/wocomoHISTORY
▷ wocomoTRAVEL: youtube.com/wocomoTRAVEL
▷ wocomoCOOK: youtube.com/wocomoCOOK
Wocomo HUMANITY is part of the Wocomo channel network by NIKITA VENTURES. Wocomo - wonderful content in motion.
