Religion

28 minutes
Source: Out of print

This short film explores the nature of Jewish identity in contemporary society and raises questions about the personal nature of identity. Profiled are religious and secular Jews, ardent Zionists, and Jews committed to life in the Diaspora. This pluralistic view embraces the complexity and contradiction inherent in a diverse community.

Abercrombie & Fitch refused to hire Samantha Elauf because she wears a headscarf. Nineteen-year-old Elauf is a community college student from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is Muslim, and covers her head for religious reasons. When Elauf applied for a position at a Tulsa Abercrombie Kids store in June of 2008, she was turned down, and later found out from a friend who works at the store that “the headscarf cost her the job.” The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed suit against Abercrombie on Elauf’s behalf.