Faith & Fate is a must for every Jewish and open-minded non-Jewish home.
By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICHfate disk 88 224(photo credit: Courtesy)
If there is any one thing that could counter intermarriage and assimilation in the Diaspora and promote Zionist fervor everywhere, it is watching this DVD on events leading to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. All Jewish schools and organizations, pro-Israel Christian groups and aliya institutions should disseminate this program as widely as possible, and Israeli TV stations and Web sites should show it to increase Israelis' understanding of why they deserve their homeland.
Integrating rare archival film of the historic era between 1945 and 1948, contemporary interviews of witnesses and discussions by Israeli and American historians with narration by educator and Jerusalem Post columnist Rabbi Berel Wein, the DVD brings tears to the eyes of viewers. The resource guide fortifies the emotional reaction with its factual source material, while the teacher's guide provides solid historical background about events and personalities, including lesson topics and questions for pupils.
World War II and the Holocaust are over, but survivors - Ashkenazim and Sephardim - who become displaced persons remain a target of pogroms; some in DP camps lose their belief in God and the future, while others are impelled by faith to risk everything to reach their homeland in Palestine. "The Jewish state gave them something to look forward to; it gave them hope," says Israeli historian Prof. Anita Shapira.
The British use every means to prevent Jews from succeeding - sending them to Cyprus or even back to Europe. The absolute refusal of British officials to allow entry to even a small number bolsters the survivors' determination to go and fight for a Jewish state. "The Arabs wanted all or nothing," notes Wein, who continues that if their leaders had been willing to live and let live with the Jews, history and today's reality would have been much different.
Beyond the historical details, the faces and personal stories of the Jews are imprinted on the hearts of viewers. Faith & Fate, whose multimedia series is due to cover the entire 20th century within three years, is a must for every Jewish and open-minded non-Jewish home.
Faith & Fate: The Miracle of Israel 1945-1948, set of DVD (English, with Hebrew and Russian subtitles) and interactive DVD-ROM resource guide in English by Rabbi Berel Wein and the Destiny Foundation for Windows and Mac, for ages 13 through adult, $50 or NIS 139.
Rating: *****
www.jewishdestiny.com
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