Video: Hasidim – A Life Apart

A 15-year-old documentary by Menachem Daum and Oren Rudavsky, narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker and Leonard Nimoy, A Life Apart takes a largely nostalgic look at the hasidic community.

 

[Hat Tip: Burich.]

Comments

[Confused]

Live long and prosper!

[Nachum]

Fifteen, Shmarya.

[haredi]

who is this Former Ex-Haredi girl who acts in the movie at Mark 56:00 ? its sounds like another debrah feldman...

[ruthie]

thank you

[netflix]

LOL I used to have this on VHS.

The woman at 56:00 is named Pearl Gluck. She made her own documentary in 2004 called the Divan about her mission to find a couch that had belonged to her great grandfather in Hungary.

[Paul Shaviv]

This is a beautiful movie. Best lines:"My father in law went bankrupt, so I became a teacher...' (1:13),closely followed by the memorable fishmonger....

I showed this film many times in the classroom.

[who knows]

15 years ago I'd see this movie with very different eyes then today, after seeing what hassidic life really leads to.

The satmar hasid's story in the beginning where he is joking about his rebbe's promise to ruin America for all other Jews is no longer funny at all.

[who knows]

The story of a BT who was inspired to become a Hasid by visit to village of New Square is also at odds with what we know about the Twersky clan today.

[Shoshi]

who is this Former Ex-Haredi girl who acts in the movie at Mark 56:00 ? its sounds like another debrah feldman...

Posted by: haredi | February 09, 2012 at 04:31 AM

I don't think she's like Deborah Feldman at all (other than being ex-religious). This lady seems content and mature.

As it happens, my husband and I watched this documentary a few weeks ago. We were struck by how much things have changed. Since it took them 7 years to make the movie, and it was released in 1997, it covers Chasidic life all the way back to 1990 (over 20 years ago).

When we saw the clothing styles, sheitel styles, and so forth, it reminded us of what the Orthodox community had been like at that time (not just in the Chasidic community). There have been noticeable changes in the time since then.

One of the producers (Daum) later did a documentary in which he took his Charedi sons to Poland to track down the family who hid his wife's family during the war (Hiding and Seeking - http://www.pbs.org/pov/hidingandseeking/). He was concerned that the very religious today not only learn that non-Jews are out to get them, but are taught actual hatred of non-Jews.

Sadly, after the whole thing, which even included the Polish family being awarded a Righteous Among the Nations award, the sons still hold to their belief that non-Jews are hateful and this family is just an aberration. One son remarks, "Okay Dad, so you showed me an exception to the rule, but given the opportunity they [the Poles] would probably do it again."

[Jeff]

Sadly, after the whole thing, which even included the Polish family being awarded a Righteous Among the Nations award, the sons still hold to their belief that non-Jews are hateful and this family is just an aberration. One son remarks, "Okay Dad, so you showed me an exception to the rule, but given the opportunity they [the Poles] would probably do it again."

Posted by: Shoshi | February 09, 2012 at 07:48 AM

I watched both documentaries two or three years ago. I remember that business about the two sons; I was going to mention it, myself. Daum's family is an illustration of two phenomena - the aggressive, predatory nature of Orthodox missionary activity (I don't believe Daum is Orthodox, but his sons obviously are), and Orthodoxy's move to the right over the past several decades.

[JJJ]

Daum is Orthodox.

[Shoshi]

Daum's family is an illustration of two phenomena - the aggressive, predatory nature of Orthodox missionary activity (I don't believe Daum is Orthodox, but his sons obviously are), and Orthodoxy's move to the right over the past several decades.

Posted by: Jeff | February 09, 2012 at 08:21 AM

Yes, Daum is Orthodox, but old school, so his family really, really shows your second point--an incredible move to the right that moved right on out of what I would consider to be Torah values.

Daum is apparently one of those parents who was/is so proud of his kids becoming much frummer than he is. But at least his eyes are open to the fact that some of what has come along with that is nothing to be proud of.

[Shoshi]

This is a beautiful movie. Best lines:"My father in law went bankrupt, so I became a teacher...' (1:13),closely followed by the memorable fishmonger....

I showed this film many times in the classroom.

Posted by: Paul Shaviv | February 09, 2012 at 07:15 AM

Yes, the VERY memorable fishmonger--my husband hasn't stopped talking about him since we saw the movie a few weeks ago. Because that fishmonger seems to embody so much of what is good in the Charedi world--people without an agenda enjoying a meaningful way of life, rather than people with a billion hang-ups using their way of life to abuse others in whatever way their particular derangement fancies.

[Shoshi]

It just struck me, how condescending is a "Righteous Among the Nations" award? Wonder how I'd feel if there was a "Good Jew" award conferred by gentiles?

[Jeff]

But at least his eyes are open to the fact that some of what has come along with that is nothing to be proud of.

Posted by: Shoshi | February 09, 2012 at 09:31 AM

Indeed.

[Jeff]

It just struck me, how condescending is a "Righteous Among the Nations" award? Wonder how I'd feel if there was a "Good Jew" award conferred by gentiles?

Posted by: Shoshi | February 09, 2012 at 09:51 AM

It is a little anachronistic. It may be time to rename it, although I don't know what they'd call it. It was intended to honor Gentiles who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

It's probably moot, anyway. Soon the Haredim will take over Israel, then do away with the award altogether.

[Betzalel]

Shoshi,

I don't think it's so bad to have a "Righteous Gentile" award, but a better name might be "righteous and pure in his generation award". That's how the Torah describes Noah in Genesis 6.

To be righteous in that generation in WWII Poland and hide Jews away from Nazis was an incredible act of bravery and deserves such an award.

[Shoshi]

Betzalel: I definitely agree with the idea of honoring people who literally risked their lives to protect people from the Nazis. However, "righteous gentile" is sounding to me too much like "male nurse" (or like the "Good Samaritan")--that it needs to be remarked because it is so unusual you would assume otherwise.

[Jeff]

"righteous and pure in his generation award"

Oh, that's not bad.

[Shoshi]

In other words, calling them a righteous gentile and even giving them an award for being a righteous gentile could be reinforcing the idea of Daum's sons that the vast majority of gentiles are not righteous and hate Jews, but here and there you find an exception that is so rare you need to honor and glorify them.

But I want to emphasize, again, that I believe the particular people we are talking about (those who protected people from Nazis) ARE exceptional people and SHOULD be recognized for that. Maybe they should be called tzaddikim or heros, without calling attention to the fact that they did these things in spite of being non-Jews.

[Shoshi]

>"righteous and pure in his generation award"

Oh, that's not bad.

Posted by: Jeff | February 09, 2012 at 10:55 AM

I agree.

[Confused]

I just downloaded it via Realplayer, but I decided that I will put the DVD on my Netflix queue. This way I can see it on my home theater.

Thanks for the heads up!

[S.]

Shoshi

"It just struck me, how condescending is a "Righteous Among the Nations" award? Wonder how I'd feel if there was a "Good Jew" award conferred by gentiles?"

That just struck you?

It's an unfortunate literal translation of a phrase from rabbinic literature, "tzadikei umot ha-olam," which is a necessary term because it is an integral part of Jewish theology. However, it does not mean "gentiles who risk their lives to save Jews." It basically means "good people," and there are far more good people than brave and noble people. If they wanted to keep "tzadikei umot ha-olam" in mind, I think it should have just been called the Righteous award.

[Litvish]

I just finished watching the film.

Many mixed feelings.

On one hand, it is nice if they are happy with their lives though, since they know nothing else and have imbibed the party line since birth, it would be unusual to see any of them make the jump to break away and taste the world.

On the other hand, the statement of the fishmonger, whom so many here seem to like, that no gentile could ever appreciate life like they do, could never be as happy as they are, is, unfortunately, one of the most pathetic scenes in the movie.

The fact is, as the black guy earlier in the film says, these creatures truly believe that they are better than anyone else. This attitude of superiority, this assumption that they are the center of the world and everyone else is less loved and favored by hashem, is one of the cornerstones of this perversions of Torah that makes these people avdei avodah zorah.

The Vilner Gaon was right.

They are an abomination and in herem.

The fact that they have convinced ignorant Jews that they are the heart of Jewish tradition shows how ignorant the world has become.

The herem exists and they must never, ever be allowed into Jewish life until they renounce their hillul hashem, avodah zorah, Rebbe worshipping, better than thou lives.

This film only reinforces this and I hope that everyone will watch it and learn the truth about these creatures.

[Litvish]

I was wrong to write that they are creatures.

They are human beings and they are stuck.

We need to have rakhmonos for them.

And we also need to do whatever possible to stop the spread of this cult.