Abstract
Footage from the 1997 documentary “A Life Apart: Hasidism in America” (directed by Menachem Daum and Oren Rudavsky), the first in-depth documentary about Hasidic Jews, members of a distinctive group within Judaism that has roots in pre-World War II Eastern Europe.
Dedication of a new building for the Ger Yeshiva in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and visit of the Gerer Rebbe. (Part 3) November, 1993.
00:02:35 - Cantor David Werdyger singing "El molai rakhamim," the prayer for the dead. Faces in the crowd and on the dais. Those who have seats in the crowd sit down.
00:06:13 - (No audio) Shots of the crowd, men and boys. Police behind barriers. Man with toddler on his lap. People watching from windows. Men sitting at table in front of the dais. Women and children watching from separate section.
00:09:21 - Gerer Rebbe leaving the yeshiva, surrounded by crowds of men. Men jostle each other to be near the Rebbe. More jostling to be near the Gerer Rebbe, who is seated near the door to the dais.
00:12:53 - Scenes of the crowd. Faces in the audience.
00:18:44 - Interview with Rabbi Berish Ehrlich about the founding and humble beginnings of the Ger yeshiva in New York. He speaks of the yeshiva as a continuation of Ger Hasidism in Europe before the Holocaust and the difficulties of maintaining its legacy and emphasis on education in the modern world. But "all this is going in one direction." He is sending his own son to the school.
00:21:47 - Shots of the audience: men and boys. Woman and children on the street.
00:22:52 - Interview with man: the yeshiva is a monument to all the Jews who died in the Holocaust and it will allow their children to walk in the ways of their fathers. "This is what our ancestors and the Gerer Rebbe and his predecessor wanted for us."
00:23:49 - (No audio) The Gerer Rebbe and his followers daven (pray). Closeups of the Rebbe and others.
00:26:31 - Mezuzah (verses from Deuteronomy affixed to the doorposts of Jewish residences and institutions) is hammered into the doorpost of the new yeshiva building by the Gerer Rebbe and others. The crowd parts to let the Rebbe leave Men take turns hammering in the mezuzah.
00:27:21 - (No audio) Hubbub inside the sanctuary in the yeshiva. Men and boys make their way into the room and take turns shaking the hand of the Gerer Rebbe. To some, he gives a piece of chocolate. A man lifts a small boy, who kisses the wall of the yeshiva.
00:29:25 Man tries to kiss the rebbe’s hand but the rebbe pulls his hand away. (Such behavior, which is accepted in other Hasidic groups is frowned upon in Ger.)
00:32:38 - (No audio) Crowds outside after the ceremony.
00:34:45 Audio Only. Gerer Rebbe's speech and other speeches.
00:35:12 - Beginning of interview is at 18:44: Man says he will try to speak in a mixture of English and Yiddish. He tellsa parable about someone coming to a rebbe and seeing only a blank wall but not understanding that there is much more to it: the work and sweat that went into building it. The same goes for this building: you have to realize that it's more than just a building. Re the speeches at the ceremony: raising our children in the way we want is the only power we truly have -- we will build our future with education. He himself was one of the first 6 students in the Ger Yeshiva when it was founded ca. 1970.
00:40:25 - Audio of Rebbe speaking.
00:51:50 - Audio and wild sound.
Dedication of a new building for the Ger Yeshiva in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and visit of the Gerer Rebbe. (Part 3) November, 1993.
00:02:35 - Cantor David Werdyger singing "El molai rakhamim," the prayer for the dead. Faces in the crowd and on the dais. Those who have seats in the crowd sit down.
00:06:13 - (No audio) Shots of the crowd, men and boys. Police behind barriers. Man with toddler on his lap. People watching from windows. Men sitting at table in front of the dais. Women and children watching from separate section.
00:09:21 - Gerer Rebbe leaving the yeshiva, surrounded by crowds of men. Men jostle each other to be near the Rebbe. More jostling to be near the Gerer Rebbe, who is seated near the door to the dais.
00:12:53 - Scenes of the crowd. Faces in the audience.
00:18:44 - Interview with Rabbi Berish Ehrlich about the founding and humble beginnings of the Ger yeshiva in New York. He speaks of the yeshiva as a continuation of Ger Hasidism in Europe before the Holocaust and the difficulties of maintaining its legacy and emphasis on education in the modern world. But "all this is going in one direction." He is sending his own son to the school.
00:21:47 - Shots of the audience: men and boys. Woman and children on the street.
00:22:52 - Interview with man: the yeshiva is a monument to all the Jews who died in the Holocaust and it will allow their children to walk in the ways of their fathers. "This is what our ancestors and the Gerer Rebbe and his predecessor wanted for us."
00:23:49 - (No audio) The Gerer Rebbe and his followers daven (pray). Closeups of the Rebbe and others.
00:26:31 - Mezuzah (verses from Deuteronomy affixed to the doorposts of Jewish residences and institutions) is hammered into the doorpost of the new yeshiva building by the Gerer Rebbe and others. The crowd parts to let the Rebbe leave Men take turns hammering in the mezuzah.
00:27:21 - (No audio) Hubbub inside the sanctuary in the yeshiva. Men and boys make their way into the room and take turns shaking the hand of the Gerer Rebbe. To some, he gives a piece of chocolate. A man lifts a small boy, who kisses the wall of the yeshiva.
00:29:25 Man tries to kiss the rebbe’s hand but the rebbe pulls his hand away. (Such behavior, which is accepted in other Hasidic groups is frowned upon in Ger.)
00:32:38 - (No audio) Crowds outside after the ceremony.
00:34:45 Audio Only. Gerer Rebbe's speech and other speeches.
00:35:12 - Beginning of interview is at 18:44: Man says he will try to speak in a mixture of English and Yiddish. He tellsa parable about someone coming to a rebbe and seeing only a blank wall but not understanding that there is much more to it: the work and sweat that went into building it. The same goes for this building: you have to realize that it's more than just a building. Re the speeches at the ceremony: raising our children in the way we want is the only power we truly have -- we will build our future with education. He himself was one of the first 6 students in the Ger Yeshiva when it was founded ca. 1970.
00:40:25 - Audio of Rebbe speaking.
00:51:50 - Audio and wild sound.
Subject
Duration
00:59:36 (HH:MM:SS)
Language:
English
Copyright Date
1997
Rights Declaration:
This recording is protected by copyright. You are free to view it but not download it. Please contact the Brooklyn College Archives for further information about how you may use this recording.
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PID
njcore:194766
Metadata