Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1760), known as the Ba'al Shem Tov ("Master of the Good Name"), is one of the most beloved and celebrated, yet elusive, figures in Jewish history. Today, Jews worldwide – and even non-Jews – revere him as the founder of the Hasidic movement, a 18th-century offshoot of Judaism that promotes a mystical interpretation of the Bible, and as a model of piety and spirituality. The documentary A FIRE IN THE FOREST explores the life and legacy of the Ba'al Shem Tov through interviews with religious leaders and scholars, and on-location footage. The title derives from a tale about rabbis finding a hidden fire in the forest where they could appeal to God for help and have their prayers answered.
Ukraine,
United States of America
Documentary
58 minutes
2012
Netanel Miles-Yépez
Throughline Productions
2018
0.0
2009
7.0
1998
0.0
2019
6.0
0.0
2000
6.0
2022
0.0
1972
0.0
2022
0.0
2019
6.0
0.0
2000
0.5
2007
10.0
2013
6.0
1998
4.2
2009
4.2
1984
8.0
2006
7.0
1998
0.0
2014
9.0