A conversation between Jewish Museum London & Sara Romanin Jacur, Photojournalist
Museum: Hi Sara, what’s your new project all about?
Sara: “He Who Has Made Me a Woman” is a documentary project that seeks to explore the changing face of Judaism by focusing on female rabbis across London. The title is a reworking of a traditional morning blessing in which Orthodox Jewish men thank God for not making them a woman. Using a series of portraits taken at participants’ homes or workplaces, I aim to challenge hurtful stereotypes and showcase a deeper understanding of Judaism. Additionally, by capturing daily religious objects, I will highlight how personality can be expressed through garments and tools.
Museum: What inspired this project?
Sara: Initially I envisioned this as a project by and for young Jewish women, but it has evolved to include a wider audience and start conversations about feminism and its place within ancient Abrahamic religions. The project is rooted in my personal experiences growing up in a conservative city and facing discrimination both within and outside of my Jewish community, which pushed me to explore the intersection of Judaism and feminism.
Museum: What are the aims of the project?
Sara: The recent surge in antisemitic attacks shows how important it is to counter prevailing stereotypes by portraying Jews in a positive light. The final objective of the project is therefore to demonstrate that there isn’t a universal approach to Judaism, but instead plenty of multifaceted ways to live a satisfying religious life. It also holds significance in its potential to challenge existing stereotypes and showcase the evolving role of women within Judaism. After all, photographs say: “I am here, I exist. I matter.”
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Selecting an object
Museum: Tell us more about the photos you’ve selected
Sara: My first participant was Rabbi Emily Reitsma-Jurman, from the West London Synagogue. Rabbi Emily is part of that younger generation of female rabbis that joined the growing number of Reform Jews in London to make Judaism inclusive for everyone. Her kindness and jolliness were what immediately drew me to her and, as a queer woman myself, I identified with her life story.
A Toronto native, Rabbi Emily was raised into a very secular family and identified simply as ‘culturally Jewish’. Her favourite meal growing up was her uncle’s Christmas ham, and she found services an interminable bore. Things have truly changed for her, and she now focuses on creating an engaging, safe, and welcoming environment for everyone, something which I believe to be essential when creating a strong community.
Photographed here are some of her favourite elements of the West London Synagogue: the colourful chairs where visiting rabbis wait before giving a sermon, an ancient mezuzah, prayer books, and Torah scrolls. Rabbi Emily cares deeply about questioning tradition and deconstructing ancient notions to move forward as a community.
For more information visit: www.srj.photography/
