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This astonishing documentary by Oren Rudavsky and Menachem Daum, which is narrated by Leonard Nimoy and Sarah Jessica Parker, offers the viewer a birdseye plan of an captivating, insular, and miniature known, yet often misunderstood, sect of Judaism. Founded in Eastern Europe in the eighteenth century, it is characterized by mysticism, prayer, and religious zeal. It is not a lifestyle for everyone, but it is certainly a lifestyle about which everyone should know.
Hasidim are singular in their contrivance of living. The men wear the same type of clothing that was customary in Eastern Europe in the eighteenth century, hats, which often befriend to distinguish one Hasidic sect from another, murky pants, unlit jackets, and white shirts. The men are bearded and sport the obsolete “payess”, or side curls. The women mask their heads with scarves or interpret wigs and are always modestly clothed, covered from head to toe. The Hasidim adhere to the same customs as when they were first founded, verbalize Yiddish, seem to have a universal, collective mind, for the most share, and adhere to a strict, ultra-orthodox interpretation of Judaism.
The Hasidim came in sizable numbers to America sometime after World War II, peaking in the nineteen fifties. The narrators account for some of the reasons why the Hasidim, strangers in a odd land, were able to flourish. Many settled in Modern York City, and there are huge communities of Hasidim in Brooklyn, where they try to co-exist with their non-Hasidim neighbors, not always successfully. They chiefly beget the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Crown Heights, and Boro Park. They even have their fill town in upstste Novel York, Kiryas Joel. The documentary films the Hasidim in their downstate milieu and gives token recognition to how they are perceived by their non-Hasidim neighbors, who tend to opinion the self-imposed seclusion of the Hasidim as exclusion of themselves. To some extent they are just, though not in the map one might reflect.
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While there are a number of sects, such as the Bobovs, the Satmars, the Lubavitchers, objective to name of few of the most prominent here in America, each sect is ruled by its maintain Rebbe who is the acknowledged leader of the sect and highly revered. The film dwells upon the commonalities, rather than differences, that exist among the various sects. Their differences, however, are a tale for another documentary. This film focuses more on giving the viewer a somewhat loving concept of the Hasidim, touching only briefly upon the differences between the Hasidim and the non-Hasidim. Quite frankly, in some neighborhoods, there is a icy war going on between these two factions. One need only reach to Brooklyn, Fresh York to leer this.
The Hasidim tend to shun the media and do not see films or television, for the most allotment. In fact, in watching the film, the viewer can peer many Hasidim shielding themselves from the peer of the camera, so as not to appear. Some who did appear, however, expressed a justification for doing so. The Hasidim do not, as a whole, send their children to college to pursue a higher, secular education. The lack of higher education, however, precludes them from professional jobs such as lawyers, doctors, accountants, pharmacists, etc. They tend to work at jobs within their community where possible, though they will venture out into the larger non-Hasidic community for employment, when significant. This is a source of inconvenience for them and a test of their strength and determine to adhere to their believe ways, as such employment forces them to interact with a community with whom they normally would not.
The film also takes the viewer into one of their schools or Yeshivas, allowing the viewer to gape how the children are acculturated from early on. The Hasidim are essentially fundamentalists, and, as are many fundamentalists, they are extremely narrow in their world notion. The film also interviews Paula Gluck, an obviously intellectual and inform, young woman who left the Hasidic community to live her life as she chose, to write and survey a higher education among the non-Hasidim. The film balances this defection by interviewing a man who affirmatively chose to become Hasidim, though his Jewish parents, holocaust survivors, were not. It is an even handed handling of two issues germaine to the Hasidim, those who leave and those who join. The Hasidim are not allotment of mainstream America, nor do they wish to be, though they care for many of the values cherished by other Americans: family, home, hearth, and community. Marriages, however, are arranged by the parents, often through a matchmaker. This documentary memorializes a Hasidic wedding and illustrates the division of the men from the women, even during such a joyous occasion.
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Whether one agrees or disagrees with their chosen method of life, however, this documentary is a most consuming film. Working in Brooklyn and finding myself often having to interact with the Hasidim, I absolutely loved this documentary, even though it was a bit of a white wash, leaving out some of the darker aspects of this segment of the Brooklyn community. One of the most essential issues with respect to this community was entirely omitted. This was on the yelp of their importance politically, as a group with which to be reckoned. This group holds a substantial deal of political power, because they will follow their Rebbe’s lead and vote as a block. Politicians in Current York do not hesitate to curry favor with this group and court them because of it. Most recently, the Hasidic community of Kiryas Joel in upstate Original York made headlines for the procedure they voted in the hasten for U.S. Senator from Recent York and was the subject of mighty heated debate.
Still, for those unique with the Hasidim, this documentary will be an keen and delicious revelation and will enjoy the interest of the viewer throughout. The documentary is well done, beautifully filmed, and clearly, a labor of appreciate. Those viewers who are enthusiastic in other cultures, ultra-orthodox Judaism, or the religious beliefs of others will have a deep appreciation for this amazing and informative documentary.
This documentary is currently my #1 recommendation to students, teachers, and others who want a superb visual presentation of Hasidic culture. I highly recommend it in my well-used Hasidism FAQ, and it is the #1 best-selling educational video on my website. Whether you are teaching a unit on “The Chosen” in some remote status where there are no Hasidism, or living in Modern York City where you notice Hasidim every day on the streets and have always wondered about them, this video is for you. It’s an excelent multi-cultural tool and, because of its PBS documentary style, it can be conventional in public schools without violating the separation of church (synagogue, actually…) and plot.
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My one complaint is that the producers fell for the ubiquitous “obligatory” politically-correct need to include a dissatified woman (poet Pearl Gluck) who left the Hasidic community. I realize that PBS wants to be unbiased, but why not balance this with a anecdote about a “unusual” woman who left that world to become Hasidic (of which there are MANY!!!)
I also felt that the segment about the sunless guy who was offended when he asked about a Jewish holy day and was told “we are praying for you, too” was not well explained. The sunless guy notion the Jew was being paternalistic toward blacks by praying for “the terrible murky guy” (his assumption) but that was not it at all. Since the Jewish group was gathered around the water saying prayers, I lift it was Rosh Hashanah (Jewish Fresh Year) and they were doing the tashlich service. The THEME of Rosh Hashanah includes prayers for the whole world –it has nothing to do with bustle. It would have been nice if ths had been explained somehow.
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Still, this is the best documentary on Hasidism currently available on video and, in spite of these flaws, it is well worth buying as an educational resource. (I currently recommend it on my Hasidism FAQ residence) . The video also has an engaging trailer interview with the producers, who discuss various reactions to the film, how and why it was made, etc.
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