Fargesn (Yiddish: v. Forgotten) ... From Forgotten to Ferguson

The Fargesn Media Project is a collaboration between rabbinical student and activist Sarah Barasch - Hagans, Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis and documentary filmmakers Emmett Williams and Shira Kahan.

The title of the project was inspired by the incredible sermon from Rabbi Michael Rothbaum "Ferguson/Fargesn."

We have two goals for this project:

1. GIVE A VOICE TO THE PEOPLE OF FERGUSON

After the death of Michael Brown, the international media descended on St. Louis to spin their own narrative of what was happening on the ground. This project gives local people the chance to tell their own story, unedited and with no agenda.

2. DOCUMENT HOW AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND JEWISH COMMUNITIES CAME TOGETHER IN PROTEST

There is a long history of these two peoples working together that was intensified on the streets of Ferguson and in local synagogues and churches. We will tell these stories.

This project needs to happen now because even though much of the Ferguson story has left the media spotlight, the same issues  are still regularly being felt by the people of Ferguson and St. Louis. 

The Fargesn Media Project will consist of three parts.

PART ONE: Starting in mid-July, the people of Ferguson and St. Louis will have their stories recorded  for an online audio archive that will forever preserve their version of the events of 2014. This archive will be free and available for anyone who wants to understand the many sides of the story. 

PART TWO: A 7-episode documentary web series will tell the story of the past and present connections between African-Americans and the Jewish community, building towards a Jewish religious response to today's Black Lives Matter Movement. This series will focus on the narratives of Black Jews who have provided huge leadership yet been the most overlooked by the media.  It will explore the  tensions and the teamwork that lead to coming together in protest, and imagine what the future looks like. 

PART THREE: On Sunday, August 9, the anniversary of Michael Brown's death, 10  filmmakers will each be tasked with making a short documentary throughout the city of St. Louis. The films will take the pulse of how and if the city has been altered since the events of 2014.

We have two more major parts of the project which we will be announcing soon, but know that our goal is to make this a living, breathing resource for everyone.