Torn

Can a person be a practicing Jew and a Catholic priest? Romuald Jakub Weksler-Waszkinel’s mother left him as a baby on the doorstep of a Polish gentile family in 1943. She told her neighbor, “You say you are religious, so take him in the name of Jesus whom you so believe in.” These words were prescient, for Jakub joined a seminary at 18 and began a lifelong journey in the priesthood. At 35, Jakub’s Polish mother revealed to him that he was Jewish. He continued working as a priest and teaching at the Catholic University in Lublin until age 67, when he was moved to try living in Israel. Encouraged by Michael Schudrich, the Chief Rabbi of Poland, Jakub journeys to Israel where his dual identity as a Polish Jew and a Catholic priest confounds many of those he encounters. Ronit Kertsner’s (Menachem and Fred, SFJFF 2009) heartfelt and insightful documentary captures a poignant search for identity while raising questions about who is a Jew and what being Jewish means.

Ronit Kertsner Resume Education · 1977 - 1981 Cinema and Television Department, Tel Aviv University Professional Experience · 1999-2001 Director and Editor of a 55-minute documentary film, "The Secret" (produced by Belshir International) with the help of: Steven Spielberg's Righteous Persons Foundation and The Fund for original programming on cable- Israel · 1997 - 1999 Editor of the following documentary films: "Ethiopia, Israel, Jamaica" for Israel's Channel 2 TV station "Strangers in their Country", a documentary for "Fact ", an Israeli investigative TV program "Dancing up a Storm - Jacques Demboise" (40 minutes - for JCS) "The Silver Leaf of the Golden Age" (30 minutes, produced by Shira Skolnik) "The Last Theater Play " (30 minutes, for Israel's Channel 2 TV station) "Makhram Khouri Makhoul" (for Israel's Channel 2 TV station) "School for Engineers (for Israel's Channel 2 TV station) "The Children of the Submarine" 1998 Jerusalem Festival (30 minutes, for Israel's Channel 2 TV station) "Much more Than a dream"(55min.)1999 Haifa festival · 1993 - 1999 Permanent senior editor for the Israeli cable TV stations "Tevel" and "Golden Channels" · 1985 - 1992 In-house editor at Beacon, Tel Aviv As part of my work in Beacon, I edited documentary films, cinema advertisements, public service announcements, as well as approximately 200 image and sales films for companies in all sectors of industry. I edited a dramatic series for young people - for the Israeli National Film Service. I also edited multi-screen (3 to 5 screens) presentations, among them: Five screens - "Always 18", an Israel Defense Forces presentation for Israel's 40th Independence Day celebrations (joint production of Beacon and Telemedia) Three screens - "A Cave of Prehistoric Man", produced by Anima (screened at the site of the cave of prehistoric man in the Carmel Caves). Three screens - "Netafim" - Ministry of Defense (for the Paris Air Show). Three screens - "The Armored Corps" (screened at the site of the Armored Corps at Latrun). · 1981 - 1985 Editing of video films Documentary films for Israel Television's Documentary Department and the Israeli National Film Service, including: A series on the streets of Jerusalem, another series on Israeli painters, a documentary on Zvi Ben-Yosef, poet and composer, and several other documentaries. Features for the Mabat and Second Mabat current affairs TV programs. Editing of a TV drama, "Tailspin", for Israel Television's Drama Department -