Reboot: Exploring What Jewish Looks Like

Artist Robert Russell has been exploring the remnants of displaced histories—objects that exist as evidence of destruction, displacement and exile. Though these objects come from vastly different contexts, they share an unsettling commonality of being orphaned from their original purpose. Russell’s paintings are an act of restoration—not to return these objects to their original use, which is impossible, but to complete them, acknowledge their incompleteness and their violence and, in doing so, perhaps to sanctify them. The paintings in Russell’s most recent series which opens April 5 at Anat Ebgi Gallery in LA, are still life paintings of Judaica from the now Muslim world. They depict artifacts that belonged to Jewish communities in places like Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Turkey, and Syria – communities that have been eliminated or nearly eliminated. His recent body of works is not about nostalgia or preservation but an effort to complete what is unfinished and making something new out of that. Read more from Russell here.

Underscoring that there is no singular way to “look Jewish” or “be Jewish,” Reboot Studios collaborated with Paramount Global on This is What Jewish Looks Like, a new video short that celebrates the rich tapestry of Jewish identity. The visual techniques in the piece challenge stereotypes and preconceived notions of identity, especially important at a time when tensions are high among American Jews. Photographer Brian Molyneaux captured portraits of individuals who identify as Jewish, highlighting the rich diversity within the Jewish community across various dimensions such as age, gender and race. See the video short here.

Reboot partnered with Searchlight Pictures to create a conversation guide for the new film, A Real Pain. The film, presented by Searchlight Pictures, follows mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. These free resources can be used to foster meaningful conversation and Jewish learning and offer an opportunity to take lessons from this time in history. Find out where to see the film and download the kit here.