Keeping the Faith: Films About Uganda’s Jewish Abayudaya Community

Tue Apr 21 2026 at 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm UTC-07:00

The Wende Museum | Culver City

The Wende Museum
Publisher/HostThe Wende Museum
Keeping the Faith: Films About Uganda\u2019s Jewish Abayudaya Community
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Two short documentary films on the Abayudaya community, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Peter Decherney.
About this Event

This evening features works by award-winning filmmaker Peter Decherney exploring the history and resilience of the Abayudaya, a Jewish community in eastern Uganda.

Following a garden reception, the program includes screenings of an Abyudaya music video and the short documentaries Days Between Rest (15 min) and The Cave Synagogue (8 min). These films document the community’s experience practicing Judaism under political repression and preserving religious life across generations, offering an intimate portrait of faith sustained through adversity and global connection.

A conversation will follow with filmmaker Peter Decherney, addressing the historical context of the Abayudaya, contemporary Jewish life in Uganda, and broader questions of identity, memory, and cultural survival. The evening concludes with audience Q&A.

Peter Decherney is the Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Term Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he directs the Penn Global Documentary Institute. An award-winning documentary filmmaker and photographer, his work focuses on global Jewish communities and artists working under political and social pressure.

Reception begins at 6 p.m. Welcome remarks start at 7 p.m., followed by the screenings and conversation.

Presented in part by the University of Pennsylvania.

As the museum will be closed during this program, please enter through the garden side gate, which will open 30 minutes before the start time. Theater doors open 15 minutes before the start time. Seating is first come, first served. An RSVP does not guarantee admission once capacity is reached. No late entry.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, United States

Tickets

USD 0.00

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