The Story
Salam Shalom explores the largely untold history of the Jewish community in Pakistan. Told through the personal stories of Hazel Selzer Kahan, 85, now living in Long Island, NY, and Emanuel Matat, 62, now residing in Tel Aviv, Israel, the film revisits a time when Pakistan was their home. Despite leaving the country decades ago, their connection to it endures. The documentary explores the complexities and joys of growing up Jewish in Muslim-majority Pakistan, examining themes of identity, belonging, and the meaning of home.
The Selzer family in Lahore, Pakistan (1952)
WATCH THE TRAILER
You can support Salam Shalom with a 100% tax-deductible donation to our fiscal sponsor.
Hazel Selzer Kahan
Hazel Selzer Kahan
Hazel Selzer Kahan is the eldest of two children of Hermann and Kate Selzer. In 1933, her parents, both young Jewish physicians, fled Nazi persecution in Germany and Italy, seeking refuge in British India. They eventually settled in Lahore, which became Pakistan's second-largest city after the partition of India in 1947. It was in Lahore that Hazel and her younger brother were raised, while their parents established a thriving medical practice. In 1971, as the tides of international politics and conflict cast shadows of unease over Pakistan, the Selzer family witnessed the safety and warmth of its beloved home of 35 years, dissipate. It is time for the Selzers to find a new home once again. Hazel now 32, said goodbye to Lahore, never to return. Forty years later, now 72, Hazel returns to Lahore, her heart filled with hope and trepidation. Unsure if she will be embraced by the warmth of old memories or left adrift in the echoes of a distant past, Hazel is unprepared for what awaits her.
“I’m very conscious that it’s where I was born… I’m not Pakistani. I’m Jewish. It’s a very emotional thing. It’s where I come from because having come from there, I can’t have come from anywhere else.”
Emanuel Matat, the eldest of eleven siblings, was born in Karachi in 1962. He comes from an Afghan-Jewish family that had been living in Karachi since 1940. Fluent in Urdu, Emanuel attended a prestigious school in the city and grew up with a love for its street food and local cinema. His family was among the last Jewish families to remain in Pakistan until 1986. Although Matat has not visited Karachi in thirty years, he would board a Karachi-bound flight in a heartbeat if he could travel on his Israeli passport.
Emanuel Matat
“I never stopped being a Pakistani. I watch Pakistani TV shows and news. I even read Urdu newspapers. It makes me feel like I still live in Pakistan.”
Our Goals
Promote dialogue to foster understanding and empathy between Muslims and Jews and reduce Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.
Bring people together to discuss identity, immigration, and displacement in the contemporary world, encouraging viewers to reflect on these issues with those they might not normally engage with.
Document and preserve the personal histories of Jewish individuals in Pakistan to ensure they reach a broader audience and are not lost to time.
I hope this documentary film will foster dialogue between Muslim and Jewish communities worldwide, particularly in Pakistan, the U.S., Israel, and Germany. I hope the film will also speak to a larger audience, including those who have immigrated and/or been exiled and tried to find a home elsewhere, and those who have been persecuted because of their faith.
Our Audience
Those interested in the global Jewish diaspora and their histories.
Pakistanis and Muslim communities that are interested in fostering connections between Jews and Muslims.
Religious and interfaith organizations, as well as individuals, promoting dialogue and understanding
among diverse faiths.Human rights advocates engaged in the issues of religious intolerance, extremism, immigration, amnesty, and minority rights.
The public interested in films that explore the complexities of multicultural identities and histories.
Support This Film
To learn more about the film and funding options, please contact our team at salamshalomdoc@gmail.com
Aubin Pictures, a 501(c)3 organization, is our fiscal sponsor. All donations are tax-deductible and directly support the making and distribution of Salam Shalom.