INDONESIA: In a remote corner of the Indonesian archipelago, a modest synagogue stands in a tiny Jewish community that has found acceptance despite rising intolerance in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
The red-roofed building on Sulawesi island is the only synagogue in the nation of 255 million people. Here, unlike other parts of the country, the Jewish community feel safe to practice their faith openly.
“We can wear the kippah (Jewish skullcap) in the mall or anywhere we want, it’s not a problem,” Yobby Hattie Ensel, a Jewish leader from the nearby city of Manado told AFP.
In Tondano, the “Shaar Hasyamayim” synagogue sits close to several churches and residents of different religions live, work, and worship alongside each other without incident.
Indonesia has long been praised for its moderate, inclusive brand of Islam — and this enclave of diversity is a testament to that.
But across the archipelago, intolerance has risen in recent years as more conservative forms of Islam have become popular, driven by increasingly vocal hard-line groups.
Tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Israel and the Palestinians, spill over here and deepen religious divides.
Outside the safe haven on Sulawesi, those who refuse to hide their faith have faced hostility.
Yaakov Baruch, an Orthodox Jew who runs the Tondano synagogue, revealed how he was threatened with death in a Jakarta busy mall as he walked along with his pregnant wife.
“From a few floors up, they shouted at me ‘Crazy Jew’,” he told AFP, adding the group of men then ran toward him and demanded he remove his skullcap.
“They said to me: ‘We don’t want you to use your kippah in this country. If you continue to use it, we’ll kill you’.”
In 2013, the country’s only other synagogue in the city of Surabaya was demolished. It had been the site of anti-Israel protests for years, and was sealed off by hard-liners in 2009 and left to decay.
Indonesian rabbi Benjamin Verbrugge concedes any flare-up of tensions in the Middle East provokes hostility toward the local faithful.
“Problems between Israelis and Palestinians are a liability for me — when someone is stabbed there, it makes me uneasy here,” he said.
Faced with such open hostility, the Jews in the capital worship in secret.
Last month Verbrugge, head of the United Indonesian Jewish Community (UIJC), held celebrations for the festival of Purim, traditionally one of the most joyous days in Judaism’s calendar, hidden in a small hotel room with a handful of fellow worshippers.
The UIJC estimate there are around 200 practicing the faith in the country, believed to be the descendants of traders from Europe and Iraq who came to Asia to trade. The organization was set up to bring the nation’s Jews together.
The Jewish population in Indonesia is believed to have peaked at around 3,000 in the years before World War II, according to Rotem Kowner, a professor from the University of Haifa in Israel.
The fact that those remaining are scattered across the archipelago means Verbrugge has to defy rules that forbid Jews from using electrical gadgets on the Sabbath to lead group prayers online via the LINE messaging app.
The small community also faces more practical challenges, such as the fact kosher food is not widely available in Indonesia, said Phinechas, a local convert to Judaism.
“I try my best to be a good Jew but I can’t manage it 100 percent,” he added.
Faith-based tension has been mounting in Indonesia, undermining its pluralist reputation.
Christian churches and mosques where Muslim minorities pray have been closed due to pressure from hard-liners. Shiites and Ahmadis — regarded as heretics by some Sunnis — have been forced from their homes in mob attacks and on occasion even killed.
Successive governments have been criticized for failing to tackle the radicals for fear of being accused of attacking Islam.
Due to their small number and the fact most live in the shadows, the nation’s Jews have not been a major focus of radical Islamic anger in Indonesia and have largely escaped the serious attacks directed at other minorities.
But having a low profile also brings problems.
According to the law, freedom of worship is guaranteed for all religions, including Judaism, but in practice Jews cannot be honest about their faith.
Authorities allow Indonesians to put six different religions on their all-important ID cards — Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.
ID cards are vital for accessing government services, and for doing things such as registering marriages and births, meaning most Jews lie and put “Christianity” on the documents.
The religious affairs ministry said in 2013 people who do not follow one of the six authorized faiths can choose to put nothing on their cards, but Indonesian Jews AFP interviewed had all put “Christian” to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
Despite the challenges, Indonesian Jews nevertheless insist they are an integral part of the nation.
Baruch said: “[The] Jewish community of Indonesia, we were in this country far before the country was born. It means we are part of this country as well.”
In Muslim Indonesia, tiny Jewish community lives on
In Muslim Indonesia, tiny Jewish community lives on
Artist William Brooks seeks fresh inspiration in Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Art Futures program
- Hub picks 12 artists for inaugural scheme
DUBAI: Saudi creative hub Diriyah Art Futures has handpicked 12 artists for its inaugural Emerging New Media Artists Program this winter, with Welsh talent William Brooks making the cut.
Set to run for one year, the newly launched program offers access to professional equipment and facilities, a production budget, learning experiences with international guest professors specializing in new media art, and mentorships.
Brooks spoke to Arab News about his artistic process and what he hopes to gain from the opportunity.
“The prospect of working in a place that is culturally and geographically far removed from my homeland offers a unique experience,” he explained.
“I anticipate that the historical significance of Diriyah, combined with the vibrant contemporary discourse on art, technology, and culture in the region, will inform new directions in my work and deepen my engagement with the concepts I explore.”
To work with a global cohort of artists, researchers and mentors is something Brooks is particularly looking forward to, and he added: “I believe a crucial aspect of being an artist is being inquisitive. This opportunity affords me the means to draw from a diverse and far-reaching wealth of knowledge.”
When it comes to his work, the multi-disciplinary artist has most recently been experimenting with the medium of installation in a bid to merge historical processes with new technologies. His most recent work, for example, “(conflates) the use of traditional etching processes on metal with digital imaging of the often overlooked but pervasive presence of digital communication.”
Brooks’ interest in digital signals and their vital role in daily modern life aims to explore and highlight how “these connections shape our interactions and identities in ways we often overlook.”
He added: “By making these digital elements visible, I aim to spark reflection on the implications of living in a world increasingly mediated by technology.”
Despite the seemingly futuristic nature of his work, the artist is keen to look back at history to inform his process.
He said: “When approaching a project, I start by immersing myself in archival materials, historical documents, or artifacts, aiming to uncover the ways in which older technologies or media forms were once used, understood, and experienced.
“This historical research is an attempt to see how these past media forms can recontextualize and critique present-day technological advancements.”
Brooks recognizes that it is no mean feat to translate such abstract concepts into physical artworks and pointed to his 2022 work “Radio Tapestry” as a piece he is particularly proud of.
He said: “This work involved translating data from wireless networks and digital devices into a visual and sonic installation of etched plates, allowing the audience to experience the otherwise invisible electromagnetic signals that we rely upon and surround us every day.
“The challenge lay in not only making the technology function smoothly, but also in creating an installation that communicated the conceptual depth of the work — highlighting how these intangible signals shape our environment.”
‘Mufasa’ filmmaker and cast dish on ‘Lion King’ prequel
DUBAI: US filmmaker Barry Jenkins, known for his unique storytelling approach in films like the Oscar-winning “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” was never in the business of making CGI-heavy blockbusters. But when Disney calls, you answer.
“Mufasa: The Lion King,” a prequel to the 2019 photorealistic telling of the 1994 classic, sees Jenkins take the directorial baton from Jon Favreau — and he says a vital piece of advice from the latter helped him see the project through.
“His advice was very simple and concrete. He said, ‘Just forget about the tech. Forget about the tech and just find whatever way you can to tell the story in your voice.’ It was really crucial,” Jenkins told Arab News.
“We still, of course, had to learn the technology, and sort of master it. But we realized very quickly we weren’t beholden to the way the technology was being presented to us, and that we could sort of mold it and meld it to fit our storytelling principles.”
Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, “Mufasa” enlists Rafiki (John Kani) to relay the legend of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) to young lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyonce), with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) lending their signature schtick.
Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub who meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) — the heir to a royal bloodline. Their chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey for the adoptive brothers, with their bonds tested as they work together to evade a deadly foe.
The concept of found family is integral to “Mufasa,” and while there are no surprises as to Taka’s eventual identity, Jenkins says telling his story was as important as telling Mufasa’s.
“When I first read the script, I was surprised and moved by the depth of this backstory. But then I was like, why am I surprised? Because when you watch the 1994 film, Jeremy Irons is bringing so much heartache, so much woundedness, so much bitterness to this performance. And this story is really about the energy of that woundedness, of that heartbreak. And so, I shouldn't have been surprised,” said Jenkins.
“But once I read the script, I did realize that the success of the film, the emotional success of it, was going to depend on the quality of that bond and the way we detail it. So it was really important to us,” he added.
Charged with making the film’s music Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the pop culture phenomenon “Hamilton.” Jenkins says he couldn’t have found a more perfect collaborator.
“I just always have admired how earnest Lin is in his work. If you look at interviews of him speaking about anything he’s done, you can tell he’s so earnest and passionate about what he does. And you know, you can’t make the ‘Lion King’ in a cynical way. You have to be just earnest about it. And I thought when it came to this idea of making a musical, I’ve never done that, so let me work with someone who has and who’s done it very well,” said Jenkins.
The star-studded cast — including Mads Mikkelsen, Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen — bring fresh perspectives to the beloved “Lion King” universe.
When asked what made him say yes to the project, Mikkelsen — who plays the villainous albino lion Kiros — said that apart from the fact that he simply “loved lions,” he could see the parallels between Mufasa and his character.
“There’s not a big difference between Mufasa and Kiros. In the sense of their upbringing, except that Mufasa loses his parents in the beginning. They don’t throw him out. And that’s the opposite story with Kiros. He was abandoned. He’s an albino lion, and in the animal kingdom, it’s a no-go. So, his heart is darker than Mufasa. There’s no hope in his heart. That’s just survival. And so, he finds his own pride, and he wants a piece of the cake. He wants the entire cake,” Mikkelsen said.
Bringing the laughs in “Mufasa” are Eichner and Rogen, returning to play Timon and Pumbaa, respectively.
For Eichner, the film brings him strangely full circle.
“I saw the original in 1994 with my parents in the movie theater. I remember that. And then, strangely enough, several years later, when it went to Broadway in the very acclaimed Broadway production, I was right out of college and one of my first jobs was being a bartender at the ‘Lion King’ on Broadway. And I didn’t get to see the show. They wouldn’t let you watch the show, but they would pipe the audio from the show into the lobby so that we could hear it and know when intermission was coming. So, I’ve heard a lot of ‘Lion King’ in my life,” he said.
Rogen enjoyed collaborating closely with Eichner as they recorded their parts together, allowing them to work more organically.
“We get to record together, which is really rare in these types of movies. I think a lot of the dynamic that we have in the movies wouldn’t be possible if we were recording it two different times were, like, really interactive with one another and building off of what the other person’s saying in the moment. And it’s very fast as well. And yeah, it’s just really cool to get afforded the opportunity to carve out a little section of these giant, expensive franchise movies with our little brand of improvizational comedy. It’s cool that they let us do that,” Rogen said.
When asked if they could recall any of their improvised bits in the movie, Rogen said: “There’s some meta jokes that break the fourth wall. Billy makes some references to the Broadway show. We have a lot of jokes on how we wish we had more songs and more screen time. I mean, all that stuff that was just really making us laugh as we were doing it. And no part of me thought it would make it into the movie, honestly, but a lot of it made it into the movie.”
Eichner added: “I also like when Timon and Puma become a little bitter and resentful at Rafiki because he’s inserting himself into the story, but not giving us a part in it. At the premiere, actually, which is the first time I saw it with an audience, I had forgot about that. And that was kind of surprising that we’re allowed to do that in the movie, but it almost feels like that part is more for the adults in the crowd.”
Sofia Carson flaunts Lebanese labels at New York performance with Andrea Bocelli
DUBAI: Singer and actress Sofia Carson continued her love affair with powerhouse Lebanese designers at two shows in New York this week, after showing off looks by Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad at promotional events on numerous occasions this year.
Carson performed at New York’s Madison Square Garden alongside legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli this weekend in a scarlet gown from Elie Saab’s Autum/ Winter Couture 2022 line. One day later, she hit the stage for part two of the event in a black, off-the-shoulder taffeta dress from Zuhair Murad’s ready-to-wear pre-Fall 2024 collection.
“As I stepped off stage, my mom, my dream maker, held my hand and asked me what I felt. . . I said ‘I feel elated,’” Carson captioned a carousel of behind-the-scenes shots on Instagram, in which she is wearing Murad’s creation.
In October, the singer and “Purple Hearts” actress was spotted in New York in a caped Elie Saab couture look from the maison’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, while earlier that month she hit the red carpet in Rome in another gown by the designer.
Carson showed off a sea green gown from Elie Saab’s Fall/Winter 2023 couture collection at the “Andrea Bocelli 30 - The Celebration” premiere in Rome.
The A-symmetrical neckline and sweeping ballgown skirt brought a dose of glamor to the red carpet, with Carson opting for a sleek up-do and diamond-and-emerald earrings.
“Honored to have been by your side as we premiered your film,” the actress posted on Instagram alongside a photo in which she is seen posing with Bocelli.
The film chronicles Bocelli's three-day July concert event in Italy honoring his 30th anniversary in the music industry.
Rewind to May and Carson was seen in the French Riviera as she walked the Cannes Film Festival red carpet in yet another look by Saab. The star opted for an olive-toned ensemble from the designer’s Spring/ Summer 2024 couture collection.
Carson is something of a fan of Lebanon’s couturiers — in 2022 the actress attended the Global Citizen Festival in New York a coordinating look from Zuhair Murad’s Resort 2023 collection, while in late 2023, the actress cut an elegant figure in a Zuhair Murad gown at the second annual Cam for a Cause event in memory of her former co-star Cameron Boyce.
Georgina Rodriguez visits Dior exhibition in Riyadh
DUBAI: Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez visited an exhibition celebrating the life and work of fashion designer Christian Dior at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh this weekend.
The Riyadh-based model, who is the long-term partner of football star Cristiano Ronaldo, took to Instagram to share insights about the exhibit, which is running as part of this year’s Riyadh Season.
“Highly recommend to immerse yourself in the ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’ exhibition in Riyadh. A magical journey through the history of haute couture, showcasing the works of art by visionary designers for 75 years (sic),” Rodriguez captioned a short clip on Instagram.
“Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” is a collaboration between the French fashion house and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.
The event, which runs until April 2, explores the legacy of Dior and his successors through a fresh narrative specially curated for the show by art historian Florence Muller and scenographer Nathalie Criniere.
Highlights include tributes to some of Dior’s classic designs, such as Miss Dior and J’adore, and an homage to the Lady Dior bag in the form of the Dior Lady Art project.
British milliner Stephen Jones, one of Dior’s master creators, was heavily involved in the creation of the exhibition.
“When we were installing the hats, some of the looks I remembered, some I didn't. But many have never been shown before, so it sometimes feels like I’m seeing them for the first time,” Jones told Arab News earlier this month.
Bella Hadid promotes Orebella for festive season
DUBAI: US Palestinian Dutch supermodel Bella Hadid took to Instagram to thank her team and customers for the success of her fragrance label Orebella's festive Alchemy Library pop-up in New York City.
“The best night at our @orebella Alchemy Library pop-up in NYC! So much love and gratitude to my team & the beautiful humans who showed up to transform @thenednomad into such a warm & intimate space to celebrate the holidays, each other and my favorite sets to date: Our holiday gift boxes,” she wrote on Instagram, along with a carousel of photos from the pop-up.
In a bid to look the part, Hadid traded in her cowboy Western aesthetic to adopt a more festive look and was photographed outside the pop-up in a red and white ensemble.
The retro look featured a two-toned red cardigan, straight leg blue jeans and a luxe white wool coat. Hadid glammed up the look with strappy red Valentino Garavani Ladycrush heels and statement gold earrings.
The model finished the look with her favorite choice of eyewear, a pair of Bayonetta glasses.
The alcohol-free scents of Orebella, which launched on May 2 this year, were Hadid’s answer to traditional perfumes.
Hadid wrote on her website: “For me, fragrance has always been at the center of my life — helping me feel in charge of who I am and my surroundings,” she said. “From my home to nostalgic memories, to my own energy and connection with others, scent has been an outlet for me. It made me feel safe in my own world.
“Through my healing journey, I found that I was extremely sensitive to the alcohol in traditional perfumes — both physically and mentally — it became something that was more overwhelming than calming to me,” she added. “That is the main reason I wanted to find an alternative, so essential oils became an artistic and experimental process for me.”
She started growing lavender on her farm, walking through the garden every morning and learning about her family’s tradition of making homemade scents. “I realized I might have a calling in this. I found healing, joy and love within nature’s scents,” she said.
“This is why I am so proud of Orebella. It was truly a dream and a passion, that through the universe and authentic dedication, was able to become this brand,” Hadid wrote.
