Educators’ Guide to “By the Grace of Heaven”
“By the Grace of Heaven” is a documentary movie that offers a rare glimpse into the Haredi community of Bnei Barak during the COVID-19 crisis. As part of our Izzy…
Touch Away Project
A Touch Away – the award-winning TV Series
A forbidden love story between secular Russian Israeli, Zorik, and his ultra-orthodox neighbor, Rochele. This beautifully acted, sensitively directed, and intelligently scripted Israeli TV series draws us inside two different aspects of Israel: the world of a Russian émigré family, and the world of a Bnei Brak haredi family. As the series develops, our stereotypes are filled out with nuance, our assumptions and expectations spin, as we wait with bated breath to see whether a crazy Romeo and Juliet-type love can conquer all!
What is the Touch Away Project?
This is an innovative project that develops a unique collaboration between independent home-based activity, and public communal events.
- The first seven episodes of the TV series Touch Away are distributed to 20 key connectors in the community, for them to see at home at their convenience.
- All are encouraged to view the episodes with friends, and to hand on the DVDs to others when they are finished.
- The series spreads virally throughout the community.
- The final cliff-hung episode #8 is screened at a public event in the congregation – all those who saw episode 1 thru 7 in private will be drawn to see the final episode together. (more…)
Talking a Touch Away
These conversation guidelines are for you to use at your own discretion. Feel free to use them fully, partially, or to ignore them completely…
To download the pdf print-out, click here.
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Michael Wegier – Red Lines in the Sand
The 1st of two questions we should be asking ourselves is
- Why are we non-Ultra-Orthodox so unwilling to draw red lines in the sand?
The Haredi world in Israel( unlike in the Diaspora) is exploiting the rest of the country’s feebleness. We allow vast numbers of them not to work and not to serve in the army and not to educate their children in line with the rest of the citizens. For the sake of a few mandates we shut our eyes, write the checks and send our kids to serve.
I applaud the Haredim who want to change this situation and so the 2nd question must be :
- What more can we (responsible Haredim and non-Haredim) do more to help the process advance speedily? (more…)
