A film by Menachem Daum and Oren Rudavsky

Narrated by: Leonard Nimoy and Sarah Jessica Parker
This program has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
 

The program begins with a wedding ceremonial of a Hassidic community in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Their spiritual leader, Rabbi Shlomah Halberstam of Bobov leads the wedding of his great granddaughter.
When Hassidic survivors arrived in this country after World War II, America opened its doors to them. Like other emigrants before them it was taken for granted that they would soon loose their eastern European ways. However, Hassidim refused to follow this script.
Hassidim are a minority in a minority. They arose controversy amongst other Jews, no less than among gentiles. 
Prof. Arthur Hertzberg (New York University): "Hasidim don't consider themselves American or Polish or anything else. They are living n America as they are living in Poland. They don't for that matter consider themselves Israelis. Their prime identity is the worship of the Lord."

Most Hasidim do not watch movies or have television; they tend to the studies of the Thora and maintain their style due to the tremendous strength of early Hasidim leaders. Hasidic survival depends on each family transmitting their story to the next.

Hasidim believe that God can be encountered within us and all that is around us. Hasidism started as a spiritual revival movement which emphasized prayer, joy and charity. The founder of Hasidism, Rebbe Baal Shem Tov, lived from 1700 to 1760. He was a man of the people who made spirituality accessible to everyone. Rebbe Baal Shem Tov said that God could be served by everything one did: Eating, working, raising children, even sex could become a spiritual act.

Hasidism spread its teachings through story telling so that everyone could understand. Rebbe Baal Shem Tov sensed when prayers were not reaching God. He paused in prayer and after a moment of silence a shepherd played a tone with his flute. Rabbi Baal Shem Tov then knew that this pure note pierced through the heavenly gates, and only then the prayers were permitted to follow. After his death Hasidism was banned. Despite the ban, Hasidism became a form of Judaism in much of Eastern Europe. The movement was lead by charismatic teachers known as rabbis (Rebbe).
When the Sowjet Union tried to eliminate all religion, religion was forced underground.

For the Jews who remained in Eastern Europe World War II brought complete devastation and the death of 6 million people. Among the Hasidim 4 out of 5 were killed. Prof. Yaffa Eliach: "After the war there was definitely a great pain and most of all anger. … the only element which remained stabile was God. And the anger was directed against God."
The first survivors reached New York in 1946.
Prof. Arthur Hertzberg: "They came here not in search of the American dream, but in search for to do what they have always done; in freedom and without being persecuted and without being murdered by Hitler."

When a Rebbe came to America he saw many empty Synagogues and only a few religious schools. He said: "We will do exactly the opposite from these Americanized Jews. We will give by with small Synagogues. Instead we will build big schools with many children learning the Thora."
The adults protect them from the world outside, but they also look to those children for the fire. If the fire is still burning in the eyes and the hearts and the voices of the children, then you know the future is intact.

Hasidim limit themselves to occupations which are consistent with their way of life. They do not accept job which require to compromise with their dress, believes or rituals. Hasidim reject professional careers which demand university degrees. The mother is the one who installs everything which the child will remember all his years.
A woman is the foundation of her home. Hasidic women are expected o find spiritual fulfilment primarily in motherhood.

Some cannot live this separated life. Interviewees who have chosen to live differently share their opinion and a man from Brooklyn shares his anger about the way he was treated by a Hasid. He said he will pray for him. The man wonders why the Hasid had felt he needed prayer from him: Do Hasidim feel better of themselves than of other people? In all day work: What does it do to Hasidim when they -as employees- wish a customer to "Have a nice day."?

When asked where God is a Rabbi answered: God dwells wherever man lets him in. After 50 years they have discovered that it is indeed possible to be a Hasid – even in America.
While others are searching for spiritual truth or a spiritual home, they are sure they live it.

The program ends with Rabbi Shlomah Halberstam of Bobov celebrating the wedding of his great – granddaughter. He is the last Rebbe to rebuild his Pre-Holocaust community in America.