'Who are we?': Asian American Jews explore their identities in a new video project

(JTA) - When Maya Katz-Ali saw the ad on Facebook recruiting Asian Jews to participate in a new video project about identity, she scrolled through her list of friends to figure out who might be a good fit.

The daughter of a Jewish mother from New York and a Muslim father from India, it didn't occur to Katz-Ali that she fit the bill herself. Though she grew up connected to both parents' cultures - especially the food - she always saw them as distinct. When her mother wanted to hire Indian dancers for her bat mitzvah, she shot the idea down.

"I remember specifically saying, 'Mom, no, that's Indi...