Rafael Balulu is an award-winning Israeli filmmaker whose work explores the histories and cultures of Jews from the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the complex relationships between Jewish and Muslim communities in the region.

This talk presents excerpts from Balulu’s documentary films, examining Jewish life, spiritual leadership, moral courage, and Jewish Arab relations in North Africa during the twentieth century. The program brings together the story of the remarkable account of Khaled Abdelwahab, who sheltered Jewish families during the Nazi occupation of Tunisia, and the revered Moroccan kabbalist Yisrael Abuhatzeira, known as the Baba Sali.

Together, these stories illuminate lesser-known dimensions of North African Jewish lives while exploring themes of faith, leadership, and cross-religious solidarity.

The presentation will be followed by a discussion with Hilla Nehushtan, PhD., Jewish Studies, and Naama Perel- Tzadok, PhD candidate, Department of Music.