The documentary covers interviews with many Hassidic Jews, most living in NYC, some who have survived concentration camps and their descendants. It focuses on the Hassicdic way of life, the relationship of the individual with its community, and the relationship (or lack there of) of the Hassidic community with "America." It also tries to explain, sometimes through interviews with Hassidic individuals, and sometimes with the interviews with experts who study Jewish and Hassidic culture and history, the hard decisions the community and the "Rebes" had to take to come to America and to survive, as a closed culture, in America. There are interviews also with "outsiders," an ex-Hassidic Jew and a very vocal and articulate black man (who happens to be a city parks and rec employee, if I remember correctly.) The documentary answered some of my questions about how the Hassidic community survives. I was not sure if they went to college and university; the documentary makes it clear that the movement of Hassidim was basically an "anti-education" movement. In other Jewish cultures, education is highly encouraged. So some felt left out, as they were from rural areas and did not have access to higher education, so Hassidim was born to include those people. However, it seems to have gone to the other extreme of actually encouraging lack of education. This, of course, has a huge impact on the community, as it leaves the whole community, except for a few businessman who make it, very poor. On top of it, the emphasis on having many children further impoverishes the community. But what nobody mentions is how such a community and its many many children are affecting the whole system, especially the health system.
Perhaps the most interesting two interviews are with a woman at the very beginning, who says "we take no minor or major decisions without asking our Rebe." confirming that in such a repressive and closed society the adults are a bunch of children who refuse to grow up and have to refer to another person for every little decision they make. From all other interviews, it is clear these Rebes are worshiped. Someone says "He is king." another says, "We are just crazy about everything he says, he does." Another tries to tell us how there are different roles for everyone in Hassidim, like children and adults, and then you cannot help but think that the only people allowed to be adults are the Rebes and all others are little children in adult form. Another interview that is hilarious and unbelievable is a young man (who I believe eventually became an antique appraiser?) who says "I just wanted to study (the Torah) you know, so I wanted just a rich girl. What do I know about girls, I just wanted to keep studying and she puts supper on the table." So the women cook, clean, rear children, so that the men can "study" all day long. This does not seem to be everyone's opinion, but more wishful thinking. "If they could, they would," kind of situation...
No matter what you believe, this documentary is a good peek into a secluded and willfully-ignorant and closed religious community who think they are superior to all others. It's fascinating.
The one thing I could not understand is the Hassidic women in the film were much more liberal in their dress code than the Hassidic women I see in 2011 walking around in Brooklyn and Manhattan. In the doc these women are wearing flowery dresses, big 80s-like haircuts, no hair nets. The Hassidic women I see always wear black or dark colored, plain dresses and cover their heads. There was even a Hassidic man who smiled and said "hello" to a black cop, which would have floored me if I saw it happen now. I have NEVER EVER seen a Hassidic anyone SMILE, let alone make eye contact, with a non-Hassidic person on the street. This is something they learn early on, as even the children avoid eye contact with others. A smile? As the professor in the doc says, maybe only those who work at B&H (that is the store he is referring to, where Hassidic men work selling electronics in midtown.)
Perhaps the most interesting two interviews are with a woman at the very beginning, who says "we take no minor or major decisions without asking our Rebe." confirming that in such a repressive and closed society the adults are a bunch of children who refuse to grow up and have to refer to another person for every little decision they make. From all other interviews, it is clear these Rebes are worshiped. Someone says "He is king." another says, "We are just crazy about everything he says, he does." Another tries to tell us how there are different roles for everyone in Hassidim, like children and adults, and then you cannot help but think that the only people allowed to be adults are the Rebes and all others are little children in adult form. Another interview that is hilarious and unbelievable is a young man (who I believe eventually became an antique appraiser?) who says "I just wanted to study (the Torah) you know, so I wanted just a rich girl. What do I know about girls, I just wanted to keep studying and she puts supper on the table." So the women cook, clean, rear children, so that the men can "study" all day long. This does not seem to be everyone's opinion, but more wishful thinking. "If they could, they would," kind of situation...
No matter what you believe, this documentary is a good peek into a secluded and willfully-ignorant and closed religious community who think they are superior to all others. It's fascinating.
The one thing I could not understand is the Hassidic women in the film were much more liberal in their dress code than the Hassidic women I see in 2011 walking around in Brooklyn and Manhattan. In the doc these women are wearing flowery dresses, big 80s-like haircuts, no hair nets. The Hassidic women I see always wear black or dark colored, plain dresses and cover their heads. There was even a Hassidic man who smiled and said "hello" to a black cop, which would have floored me if I saw it happen now. I have NEVER EVER seen a Hassidic anyone SMILE, let alone make eye contact, with a non-Hassidic person on the street. This is something they learn early on, as even the children avoid eye contact with others. A smile? As the professor in the doc says, maybe only those who work at B&H (that is the store he is referring to, where Hassidic men work selling electronics in midtown.)