Periphery is an evocative photographic and film project that bears witness to ethnic diversity in the Jewish community.
Periphery is a photographic and film exhibition created in partnership by No Silence on Race (NSOR) and the Ontario Jewish Archives (OJA). Periphery is a short film about ethnic diversity in the Jewish community in Toronto, Canada. Sharing narratives from individuals of multiracial and multiethnic backgrounds, Periphery creates space to look, listen, and learn from participants as they share their experiences and explore ideas of representation, intersectionality, ethnicity, race, and sexuality. Periphery invites us to appreciate the richness of Jewish identity and cultural expression while illustrating the feeling of grappling to belong. The film and portraits draws our attention inwards and invites us to examine how we foster and support a broader and richer view of the Jewish community.
The Periphery Curriculum is an extension of Periphery, drawing on the photographs, interviews, and film to create, workshop, and disseminate curriculum guides for grades 8-12 within the Jewish Day School system and the local public school system (TDSB, PDSB, YRDSB), as well as content suitable for distribution within the general Jewish and non-Jewish populations across Canada and the United States. Through learning about Jewish communities in Canada, students will explore their own identities and engage in dialogue about the complexities of identity and belonging while deconstructing stereotypical tropes associated with Jewish people.
No Silence on Race is a non-profit dedicated to building Jewish communities by and for Jews of Colour in Canada through arts, culture, education and advocacy. Connect with us at www.nosilenceonrace.ca
The Ontario Jewish Archives (OJA) is the largest repository of Jewish life in Canada. Through exhibitions, programs, research assistance, and walking tours, the OJA tells the stories of Ontario’s Jewish community. You can find us online at www.ontariojewisharchives.org
Director & Producer
Sara Yacobi-Harris
Sara Yacobi-Harris is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker and educator. She is the co-founder of No Silence on Race, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating Jewish spaces for multi-ethnic Jews across Canada through art, culture and community engagement. In its first year, NSOR garnered nation-wide recognition and support. Sara has been making films for 7 years with a particular interest in exploring and capturing intersectional identity and belonging from a multidisciplinary lens. Sara has worked at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). She holds a Masters of Education (M.Ed) in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. Sara has guest lectured at Toronto Metropolitan University and her work has been featured in CBC, BlogTO, The Times of Israel, Ynet, and The Forward.
Cinematographer & Editor
Marcus Armstrong
Marcus Armstrong is a cinematographer, director and editor who, in January 2020, started his own production company, Introspective Films. It is through Introspective Films that he aspires to collaborate and continue to produce films that will help shine light on the stories of the diverse Canadian community.
Portrait Photographer
Liat Aharoni
I’m a Toronto based photographer that explores love and human connection through photographing weddings and intimate portraits. I highlight fleeting moments and raw emotions with a candid and artistic approach. I’m self taught and over the last decade I’ve often said how lucky I am to call this my job. It’s truly one of the greatest privileges of mine!
