Rabbi on the Block

Post-screening discussion with director Brad Rothschild and film subject Rabbi Tamar Manasseh on Jan. 15 & 16

This gripping documentary profiles the transformative and visionary Rabbi Tamar Manasseh, who is devoted to building bridges between the Black and Jewish communities on Chicago’s South Side. With verité intimacy, filmmaker Brad Rothschild (They Ain’t Ready for Me) shows how the issues playing out within these Chicago neighborhoods reflect larger realities across contemporary America, at a moment when antisemitism and racism are on the rise. The film also evokes Manasseh’s struggles in gaining acceptance within the larger Jewish community, as well as joyous events such as her rabbinical ordination and the bris of her first grandson. Rothschild creates an economical, humane portrait of a woman and her tireless battle that’s as intimate as it is widely socially relevant.