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.
Interview with Berel and Chanie Lazar about their work as shlikhim (Chabad emissaries) in the Jewish community in Moscow and about their courtship prior to marriage. (Part 2) 11/28/1993.
00:00:57 - Berel Lazar: It's not enough for us to wait for people to come into the synagogue, we have to reach out to them. Mitzvah mobiles (vehicles used by Chabad Hasidim as portable outreach centers). Lighting Hanukkah candles in the street. Especially in Russia, it's important not to hide being a Jew. Staying in Crown Heights and not leaving as the community changed: be proud of who you are and people will respect you.
00:05:38 - Chanie Lazar: Jews in Russia who were openly Jewish focused on learning Hebrew, going to synagogue. But they were missing joy. A melave malke (gathering Saturday night after the end of Shabbos) for couples.
00:07:07 - Chanie Lazar: Harder to get food in Russia. Menus depend on what's in the stores. Getting used to living on potatoes and beets. Berel Lazar: In Russia it takes jumping through hoops to do the simplest things. But what you accomplish has a greater impact there than it would in the US.
00:10:27 - Berel Lazar: even one good deed balances the scales of the world and changes the world for the better. Even just to put on tefillin (leather straps and boxes containing biblical verse worn for weekday morning prayer) once or light Shabbos candles just once. But performing one mitzvah (a commandment of Jewish law; also, a good deed) brings more mitzvahs.
00:11:55 - Berel Lazar: How he and Chanie in the early days of their marriage spoke about being role models for their children and about being willing to devote themselves to being emissaries to the Jewish community in Russia.
00:15:50 - Chanie Lazar: On always knowing that she wanted to do shlikhus in her own adult life. Berel Lazar: On their courtship. Chanie: courtship in the Hasidic world more serious matter than in the secular world. [Problems with audio from about 15:58 and it eventually cuts out to end of film]
Interview with Berel and Chanie Lazar about their work as shlikhim (Chabad emissaries) in the Jewish community in Moscow and about their courtship prior to marriage. (Part 2) 11/28/1993.
00:00:57 - Berel Lazar: It's not enough for us to wait for people to come into the synagogue, we have to reach out to them. Mitzvah mobiles (vehicles used by Chabad Hasidim as portable outreach centers). Lighting Hanukkah candles in the street. Especially in Russia, it's important not to hide being a Jew. Staying in Crown Heights and not leaving as the community changed: be proud of who you are and people will respect you.
00:05:38 - Chanie Lazar: Jews in Russia who were openly Jewish focused on learning Hebrew, going to synagogue. But they were missing joy. A melave malke (gathering Saturday night after the end of Shabbos) for couples.
00:07:07 - Chanie Lazar: Harder to get food in Russia. Menus depend on what's in the stores. Getting used to living on potatoes and beets. Berel Lazar: In Russia it takes jumping through hoops to do the simplest things. But what you accomplish has a greater impact there than it would in the US.
00:10:27 - Berel Lazar: even one good deed balances the scales of the world and changes the world for the better. Even just to put on tefillin (leather straps and boxes containing biblical verse worn for weekday morning prayer) once or light Shabbos candles just once. But performing one mitzvah (a commandment of Jewish law; also, a good deed) brings more mitzvahs.
00:11:55 - Berel Lazar: How he and Chanie in the early days of their marriage spoke about being role models for their children and about being willing to devote themselves to being emissaries to the Jewish community in Russia.
00:15:50 - Chanie Lazar: On always knowing that she wanted to do shlikhus in her own adult life. Berel Lazar: On their courtship. Chanie: courtship in the Hasidic world more serious matter than in the secular world. [Problems with audio from about 15:58 and it eventually cuts out to end of film]
Collection
Duration
00:19:15 (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.
Persistent/Share URL
https://54098.surd9.group/show.php?pid=njcore:194781
Basic LTI parameter
pid=njcore:194781
PID
njcore:194781
Metadata