`ALife Apart: Hasidism in America” is actually two well-crafted documentaries in one. It examines Hasidic life in the U.S. today while relating the fascinating history of the movement itself, which began as a sect in 18th Century Europe that focused on mystical experience and the joyful expression of worship as a means to remove Judaism from the scholars and return it to the daily life of the common man.
The film is thick with tales of famous rebbes (the Hasidic equivalent of rabbis) and explains how the rebbes have dictated policy and have worked hard to prevent Hasidim from becoming assimilated.
“A Life Apart,” narrated by Leonard Nimoy and Sarah Jessica Parker, is in many ways a celebration of God and family, but it also addresses some of the more strict and controversial aspects of Hasidism, which have led to claims that the sect is racist, sexist and spiritually elitist. In fact, some of the best moments in the film include an interview with a black man who questions the Hasidic community’s desire to remain isolated from the outside world and an interview with a sad Hasidic woman who has left the fold because of the restrictions.
But these naysayers are nicely balanced by interviews with a number of supporters, including biblical scholars and a jovial fishmonger who waxes eloquent on the sweetness of the Sabbath. “A Life Apart: Hasidism in America” opens Friday at the Village Theatre. No MPAA rating. (star) (star) (star) 1/2
