Documentary on people with special needs, ‘Exposed,’ screens in Jerusalem, Jan. 27

SHEKEL is a leading nonprofit for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the general community.

By HANNAH BROWN JANUARY 26, 2025 01:23

EXPOSED’ CHALLENGES conventional perceptions and evokes empathy through personal, unforgettable stories. (photo credit: Courtesy of SHEKEL)

SHEKEL – Inclusion for People with Disabilities, an organization that provides services to Israelis with special needs, will hold a festive screening of Exposed, an innovative and moving documentary-reality series focused on the challenges of six people with varying mental health and intellectual disabilities from West and east Jerusalem, as well as from Morocco, on January 27. 

The screening, which is open to the general public, will be held at SHEKEL’s Jerusalem headquarters at 9 Yad Harutzim Street at 4 p.m. The six-part series was developed by SHEKEL’s Cultural and Social Division, in partnership with the United States Embassy, as an inventive way of enabling people with disabilities to make their authentic voices heard directly on social media. Four of the episodes were filmed in Jerusalem and two in Morocco.

The series is a product of a year-long program, involving some 35 Jewish and Arab participants with disabilities, who learned filming and social media skills over the course of a year. 

According to SHEKEL chair, Clara Feldman, “Disability inclusion transcends borders and ethnicity; and it is vital that people with disabilities from different backgrounds be able to take part in the broader conversation taking place on social media. Exposed has bridged cultural and international disability communities and has brought their individual voices to the table. It is a bold statement of social change through inclusion.”

‘EXPOSED’ CHALLENGES conventional perceptions and evokes empathy through personal, unforgettable stories. (credit: Courtesy of SHEKEL)

The creative director of the series and program manager, Noam Frohlich, said, “Exposed showcases the courage, creativity, and determination of its characters in an honest and direct way. It challenges conventional perceptions, evokes empathy through personal, unforgettable stories, and is told from the perspective of the six characters themselves, including self-filmed footage.”

SHEKEL partnership

For the two Moroccan episodes, SHEKEL partnered with the Chams Tensift Association for Mental Health, in Marrakesh. Chams’s director, Hassan Hargoune was excited about how the project might continue to develop. 

“It is about the empowerment of people with disabilities to express their inner worlds and their experiences. By inviting us into their lives, they not only offer us the chance to bear witness to their stories, but they also provide society with a unique opportunity to foster deeper empathy and reshape the way we understand disability. 

“Our goal is far more than just observing or listening – it is about transforming societal perceptions, breaking down harmful stereotypes, and dismantling the deep-rooted stigma that continues to isolate and marginalize those living with disabilities.”

SHEKEL is a leading nonprofit for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the general community. The organization provides a wide range of housing models in the community, innovative employment, vocational rehabilitation programs, cultural inclusion and leisure, and educational programs, as well as therapeutic services and accessibility projects throughout the country. 

For more information about SHEKEL, go to the organization’s website at shekel.org.il/en.