Saturday, November 26, 2005
Ushpitzin, a feel-good holiday motion picture from Israel.
LOOKING AHEAD by Wally Dobelis
You are getting this review because I was inveigled into seeing a strange movie about the Hasidim of Jerusaalem, people who live on alms, and a poor Rabbi who wanders into a rich Jews’ trading room where lemons for the lulau of tomorrow’s Succot are evaluated at 1,000 shekels ($250) while he cannot afford ano rdinary one. He needs a miracle to hold a feast, build a little tabernacle and his barren wife needs another, to produce a heir. Through the miracles of faith and prayer, the Succot materializes, and with that two escaped jailbirds from the Rabbi’s past life. Now you have a plot to follow, that challenges the Rabbi’s steadfastness, his acceptance of trials as tests of faith, his ability to walk away from fights. And miraculously, the faith is rewarded, and you walk out feeling good.
You are getting this review because I was inveigled into seeing a strange movie about the Hasidim of Jerusaalem, people who live on alms, and a poor Rabbi who wanders into a rich Jews’ trading room where lemons for the lulau of tomorrow’s Succot are evaluated at 1,000 shekels ($250) while he cannot afford ano rdinary one. He needs a miracle to hold a feast, build a little tabernacle and his barren wife needs another, to produce a heir. Through the miracles of faith and prayer, the Succot materializes, and with that two escaped jailbirds from the Rabbi’s past life. Now you have a plot to follow, that challenges the Rabbi’s steadfastness, his acceptance of trials as tests of faith, his ability to walk away from fights. And miraculously, the faith is rewarded, and you walk out feeling good.
# posted by Wally Dobelis @ 7:19 PM 
