Threaded

On July 9 1391, nearly all the Jews in Valencia, Spain were massacred, abruptly ending 1300 years of vibrant Jewish life and community in this area. On July 4, 2025—nearly 634 years later to the day—a nascent Reform Jewish community in Valencia was gifted its first Torah from a sister congregation in Connecticut. Threaded traces the journey of this 100-year-old scroll from its pre-war roots in southern Poland to its longtime residence in several congregations in the northeastern U.S., to its current home in Spain, where Judaism is, half a millennium after the Inquisition, newly ascendant once more. Through the movement of this Torah, we also see mirrored, the vibrancy and resilience of the myriad Jewish communities that have treasured it, as well as the endless capacity for spiritual connection and religious rebirth that marks the story of Judaism the world over.

In a country with a long history of expulsion and violence against Jews, this community is nonetheless marked by rebirth, resilience, and the power of human connection in ways that transcend the current hatred and polarization. The story of the Jews is one of perpetual rebirth, reimagination, and survival. This timely film serves to showcase a vibrant example of these themes in our present, fraught moment.