I became intrigued by the 'Superjews' already a long time ago. In fact, my first encounter with the Superjews - this is the nickname of certain Ajax supporters - happened in the first month, after having moved from Tel Aviv to Amsterdam.
I was 22. I was accepted at the Rietveld Art Academy and moved to Amsterdam. When I left my beloved Tel Aviv, my dad told me to be careful: ‘Not everywhere people like Jews,’ he said. ‘Put away your Davidstar necklace, so that you will not be recognized as a Jew immediately. You never know who supports you – or doesn’t.’
Not even a week in town, I found myself in a tram, going from the Stadionplein in Zuid towards the centre, full of loud, young and sweaty people. Many of them were bold headed. Skinheads? They appeared to be Ajax supporters. Some of them were waving with Israeli flags, some had a David star stitched on their coat or, even, tattooed on their arm. I could not believe my eyes. ‘Jeeeeews, Jeeeeews / Jooooden, Jooooden’, they screamed. 'Who are these people?', was my first thought. They were chanting all kinds of songs which I never heard of. And then all of a sudden I heard them sing: ‘Hava Nagila Hava…’. They only sang the first few words, about the rest of the song they had no idea. 'Hava Nagila Hava' is an old, classic Israeli folk song. I was amazed, I did not know how to react. ‘Superjews’, they called themselves. Who are these people? Certainly not Jews. What were they doing with my flag and my Davidstar? I left the tram – intimidated, scared.
I was appalled and intrigued in the same time. I had many questions, that basically also reflected on my own Jewish identity. Why have these supporters taken – or borrowed – my identity? Why my flag? Why my songs? What do these Superjews have to do with me?
This documentary explores the concept of identity, the use of symbols, and what it means to be Jewish or feel Jewish in the Netherlands and in Amsterdam in particular.
World Premiere at IDFA
24th November 2013
Tuschinksi Amsterdam
