I’m not Jewish. I don’t even profess to truly understand what it means to be Jewish; the curses and the blessings. God created the world and He created them as “His” people. I am Christian—kind of like a cousin; sometimes cursed, sometimes blessed. Maybe one day I will write more about that but for today, I’ll get on to my movie review.
I don’t know if many of you partake in the Fathom offering of films in your local theater but I find some of the most interesting events happening in the theaters today are these “gems.” For those of you who don’t know about Fathom you need to put it on your “to do” list and research it.
Firstly, yes, it is the “dreaded” documentary. As a rule, you are either a documentary junky or you are not. I proudly claim the junky label. There is truly so much to learn in the world and if we don’t learn from history, we repeat it. The world has always tried to re-write Jewish history. I recently went, and took several friends, to see Restoring Tomorrow. I eagerly awaited it since first seeing it advertised on Fathom.
Restoring Tomorrow is a film by Aaron Wolf. It is a chronicle of sorts about the building and the rebuilding of the Jewish Synagogue on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. It was built in the early 1920s with the money, dreams, and talents of the Hollywood community. It was nothing short of spectacular. It some ways, it was like an early movie set—opulent and beautiful. It had a robust, thriving populace, but over the years it fell into decline. After the riots in the 1990s, the community changed. The wealthy moved to Beverly Hills and eventually another, less spectacular place of worship was built closer to where they lived. This amazing edifice was eventually closed.
Aaron Wolf was raised attending worship in this beautiful building. His family had their names on the wall. He received a wake-up call one day from the Rabbi: “Let’s restore the temple.” The cost would be astronomical–$150 million. Clarity and doubt for the mission ensued; could it really be done, and why?
The “Why” was the important part of the equation. Historical Cultural Centers around the world are closing everywhere. Is there a deeper meaning to all of this decline? The answer is “yes,” and it’s relevant and generational. We are losing touch with our roots, both religious and cultural. History, whether religious or just our national heritage is not being taught in school. Buildings falling apart is symbolic of our heritage falling apart. If the schools won’t teach about our heritage we must teach it in our homes and movie theaters.
Aaron Wolf said it beautifully: “We don’t think of ourselves as ancestors because we’re alive. The essence of being a good ancestor is to be it while you’re still alive.”
I am happy to say this beautiful temple now includes a plethora of community gifts, like medical, cultural, and yes, religious services. It is once again doing what it was built to do—sustain life.
Do whatever you need to do to find the film. Restoring Tomorrow is a treasure in so many ways. As always, I wish you a happy New Year of discoveries in film. Contact me at Carolyn@carolynhastings.com
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