An aerial view of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Zionist education is needed now more than ever. And yet, with the spread of coronavirus, the vital Zionist education work of synagogue schools, Jewish day schools, campus activist organizations, and Zionist youth groups is now greatly curtailed. And this while Israel-haters around the world continue to spread lies about Israel while promoting BDS.

What can be done?

We have developed a playlist of easily available, high quality documentary movies that will enhance any viewer’s knowledge of Israeli history, Zionist ideals, and Middle East politics.

Despite social distancing, self-quarantines, and self-isolation, much can be done to use these movies as part of family discussions, online classes, and/or virtual meetings.

The below list is organized starting with the newest releases. Some documentaries may contain content that is not suitable for all audiences. All movies are available on Amazon Prime Video at the time this article was written in March 2020.

Boycott This! (2018)
1 hour, 36 minutes

Utilizing satire and comedy, Brad Stine explains what BDS really is. Featuring clips from Jackie Mason, Dennis Prager, and Alan Dershowitz.

Body and Soul — The State of the Jewish Nation (2017)
1 hour, 4 minutes

Examines how the Land Of Israel is interconnected with the Jewish people. Alan Dershowitz, Ruth Wisse, and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks all have their say.

A Wing and A Prayer (2017)
1 hour, 1 minute

The story of World War II fighter pilot veterans from the US who volunteered to defend Israel in the 1948 war.

Mekonen: The Journey of an African Jew (2016)
43 minutes

A continuation of the story of one of the IDF draftees told in Beneath the Helmet (see below).

The Hope: The Rebirth of Israel (2015)
1 hour, 49 minutes

Covers Zionism from before Herzl through the founding of the State of Israel.

Beneath the Helmet (2014)
1 hour, 20 minutes

A groundbreaking documentary on five IDF recruits and their army experience.

It Is No Dream: the Life of Theodor Herzl (2012)
1 hour, 36 minutes

A biographical study of the work of the founder of the modern Zionist movement, narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley, this is a Moriah Films movie. Moriah is part of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Refusenik (2008)
1 hour 56 minutes

Om the Zionist activists in the former USSR and in the Diaspora who fought for freedom for Russian Jews in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

Unlikely Heroes (2003)
2 hours

A Moriah Films release narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley. This doc tells the stories of Jews who worked to save fellow Jews from the Nazis. Among those profiled is William Perl, the famed Jabotinsky movement activist who led Zionists to directly save Jews and get them to the Land Of Israel.

The Long Way Home (1997)
2 hours

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary and narrated by Morgan Freeman. The tale of Jews who survived the Holocaust and made aliyah to then fight in Israel’s struggle for independence in 1948.

Exodus 1947 (1996)
56 minutes

This movie retells the famous story that was fictionalized by Leon Uris about the Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees who sought to illegally enter the Land of Israel. Much of the focus is on the role Americans played in the effort.

Moshe Phillips is national director of Herut North America’s US division. Herut is an international movement for Zionist pride and education and is dedicated to the ideals of pre-World War II Zionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky. Herut’s website is https://herutna.org.