Rabbi on the Block

Director Brad Rothschild and participant Tamar Manasseh expected to attend

Presented in partnership with Value Culture and the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

Black rabbinical student Tamar Manasseh believes in “Jewing” or Judaism as a verb. This inspiring documentary follows her work as a community organizer based on the South Side of Chicago. As the founder of Mothers and Men Against Senseless Killings (MASK), she tirelessly pursues social justice. Manasseh champions reproductive rights and gun control while leading Yom Kippur services. She often counsels and cares for her neighbors from a street corner. Eager to pave a path for her two children and grandson, she decides to become a rabbi so that she can serve as a bridge between communities and create welcoming spaces that bring together all people against common fears. However, she faces numerous challenges on her path to becoming ordained. She and her mentor, Rabbi Capers C. Funnye Jr., expose ongoing racism and misogyny within Jewish spaces. Their desire for greater recognition and acceptance of Black Jews within the broader Jewish American landscape is palpable. Director Brad Rothschild (They Ain’t Ready for Me, SFJFF 2020) offers an intimate portrait of their congregation, Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, which becomes a model for a diverse and inclusive Jewish center. This moving portrait reminds viewers that being Jewish is a call to action to repair the world.

Preceded by Periphery

World Premiere