| Summary: | A small group of South Americans are eager to affirm their Jewish faith. Their ancestors - Spanish Jews - were forced to convert during the Inquisition. Even after centuries of living in the New World as Catholics and intermarrying, their families still managed to secretly pass down some Jewish traditions from generation to generation. These practices have convinced them that they were originally Jews and fuel their desire to convert. Set in Ecuador, 'The longing' tells the story of a group of "conversos" attempting to regain their birthright. Among those featured are three women who traveled 36 hours roundtrip, by bus, from Colombia and a couple from a small Ecuadorian town. On the Internet, they have found a Brazilian-American rabbi (Jacques Cukierkorn) from Kansas City committed to helping "lost Jews" throughout the world reclaim their identities. Now they are meeting the rabbi in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The film provides a rare glimpse into the conversion process, including the ritual mikvah (submersion) and Beit Din (rabbinical court).
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