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.
Visit of the Ger Rebbe to Yeshiva Yagdil Torah in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Rabbi Berkowitz's class after the visit. An alef-bais (alphabet) lesson. (Part 2) 11/9/1993.
00:00:49 - Everyone stands up to look as the Ger Rebbe leaves the synagogue. The room breaks out in song: "The Torah of your mouth is more valuable to me than limitless gold and silver." A path is cleared for the Rebbe and his entourage to leave the room. Men gather up the remains of cake that the Rebbe has touched. Order is regained as an announcement is made for the children to take their seats and be quiet as class by class leave the room.
00:04:50 - (Partial audio) The camera follows Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Berkowitz's class as they head back to their classroom. The boys are seated at their desks. The rabbi holds up a bottle of grape juice and bundles of chocolates "from the tish [table] of the Rebbe, which the Rebbe has sent up to all the children." He reviews the event with the children and reminds them that they will remember the honor of seeing the Rebbe their entire lives.
00:05:20 - Rabbi Berkowitz asks: Who saw the rebbe? All respond: I did. Who heard the rebbe? All respond: I did. Can you repeat one word from the Rebbe? Response: No. The Rebbe said you should be fine children and grow up to be great Torah scholars…. From now on you will pray better than usual and for many years you will remember that today you were privileged to see the Ger rebbe.
00:10:12 - Rabbi Moshe Yehudah Berkowitz leads the boys in chanting and singing prayers, including the "Shema" (Hear O Israel) and "Adon Olam" as he walks around the room. He admonishes one boy for putting his feet up on the desk. He distributes primers to the class.
00:18:00 - Boys cover their eyes with their hands and say the Shema.
00:18:24 - The boys open their primers. One boy points out that not all the children have received primers. One little boy humorously suggests (in English) that the Rabbi didn't see the boys who didn't get books because he thought they ran away in the synagogue. When the rabbi tells them to be quiet he imitates him.
00:22:49 - (Partial audio) Alef-bais (alphabet) lesson. A boy identifies each Hebrew consonant and its vowel and chants the complete phoneme aloud.
00:29:54 - Audio Only. Wild sound. At about 28:00: instructions in Yiddish to children on how to behave when Rebbe enters the room. The rabbi tells the assembled that they are being filmed: "This isn't video, it's 16mm film, movies."
Visit of the Ger Rebbe to Yeshiva Yagdil Torah in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Rabbi Berkowitz's class after the visit. An alef-bais (alphabet) lesson. (Part 2) 11/9/1993.
00:00:49 - Everyone stands up to look as the Ger Rebbe leaves the synagogue. The room breaks out in song: "The Torah of your mouth is more valuable to me than limitless gold and silver." A path is cleared for the Rebbe and his entourage to leave the room. Men gather up the remains of cake that the Rebbe has touched. Order is regained as an announcement is made for the children to take their seats and be quiet as class by class leave the room.
00:04:50 - (Partial audio) The camera follows Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Berkowitz's class as they head back to their classroom. The boys are seated at their desks. The rabbi holds up a bottle of grape juice and bundles of chocolates "from the tish [table] of the Rebbe, which the Rebbe has sent up to all the children." He reviews the event with the children and reminds them that they will remember the honor of seeing the Rebbe their entire lives.
00:05:20 - Rabbi Berkowitz asks: Who saw the rebbe? All respond: I did. Who heard the rebbe? All respond: I did. Can you repeat one word from the Rebbe? Response: No. The Rebbe said you should be fine children and grow up to be great Torah scholars…. From now on you will pray better than usual and for many years you will remember that today you were privileged to see the Ger rebbe.
00:10:12 - Rabbi Moshe Yehudah Berkowitz leads the boys in chanting and singing prayers, including the "Shema" (Hear O Israel) and "Adon Olam" as he walks around the room. He admonishes one boy for putting his feet up on the desk. He distributes primers to the class.
00:18:00 - Boys cover their eyes with their hands and say the Shema.
00:18:24 - The boys open their primers. One boy points out that not all the children have received primers. One little boy humorously suggests (in English) that the Rabbi didn't see the boys who didn't get books because he thought they ran away in the synagogue. When the rabbi tells them to be quiet he imitates him.
00:22:49 - (Partial audio) Alef-bais (alphabet) lesson. A boy identifies each Hebrew consonant and its vowel and chants the complete phoneme aloud.
00:29:54 - Audio Only. Wild sound. At about 28:00: instructions in Yiddish to children on how to behave when Rebbe enters the room. The rabbi tells the assembled that they are being filmed: "This isn't video, it's 16mm film, movies."
Collection
Subject
Duration
00:31:08 (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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https://54098.surd9.group/show.php?pid=njcore:194772
Basic LTI parameter
pid=njcore:194772
PID
njcore:194772
Metadata