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Einar

Publisher
Category
  • Documentary
Published
  • 10.02.2020

A pagan priest in Israel

Being pagan in a strongly monotheistic society such as Israel isn't a simple thing; there is often immediate incomprehension of those who believe in Nordic mythology.

Adding to the suspicion surrounding Nordic paganism is the widespread belief in Israel that the practice is associated with Nazi ideology.

In order to clear up any misconceptions, Einar decided to feature in my documentary.

001
Who is Einar?
  • Einar is a professional cook by trade, and his Jewish name is Eliad.
  • He came to Nordic mythology as an adolescent, after having family difficulties.
  • Since that time, he has gradually deepened his knowledge and made contacts with others in Israel who practice paganism.
002
Being a pagan in Israel
  • "The Asatru community here has a thousand members. There are 20,000 pagans in Israel overall," Einar said.
  • Since the community's members can't have a fixed meeting place, they maintain contact through phone messages and periodically gather in places immersed in nature.
  • There, they make sacrifices to the gods using various animals (cows, chickens, sheep, goats) and then eat the meat.
  • "The gods fill me with a sense of well-being that I never knew before," Einar said.

Project Facts

"There is no contact between us and neo-Nazi groups, they usurped our symbols for their own purposes," Einar said.

In fact, contrary to ideologies that spread hatred, the Asatru community preaches honesty, tolerance, and respect for the environment.

"The swastika is a symbol of strength and has very ancient origins. It was even reproduced in a mosaic in an old synagogue," Einar said, referring to the Ein Gedi ancient synagogue on the Dead Sea, not far from Masada.