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The Man Who Changed The Face of Orthodoxy in America

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Dr. Samuel Belkin with Albert Einstein
Dr. Samuel Belkin with Albert Einstein
Paying tribute to Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin

On viewing this documentary one is immediately struck by the creator’s succinct use of interviews with family members and university faculty to paint such a complete portrait of this great man. The personal interest and copious research by director, David Levy and producer, Eddie Nuvakhov, reveals a clear motive to create a panacea for an audience of people like themselves, who formerly knew little about these great Jewish leaders in contrast to their larger than life achievements. Once garnered, familiarity with the meritorious life of Dr. Samuel Belkin makes the potential for a documentary conveying his story obvious. This is the first in what will hopefully become a series of videos documenting distinguished Jewish leaders. The duo have created a beautifully shot synopsis describing this great man.

For those who may be unaware of his contributions, the documentary accurately describes Dr. Samuel Belkin as a man that during his presidential tenure at Yeshiva University guided the institution through the largest growth in its history. What the video exposes through interviews with family members is the remarkable fact that this was only a short time after arriving in the United States and with just a few pennies to his name. As his daughter describes the scene of watching his father shot in their Polish home, we certainly get the impression that this dramatic life event served as an impetus for his phenomenal drive towards accomplishment. The video effectively communicates the determination he had to fulfill his dream and the exemplary way with which he conducted his personal affairs, thereby endearing others to support him in the journey towards his tremendous achievements.

The ease with which the documentary portrays the humbleness of this great man is one of it’s numerous strengths, expressing his personality through the medium of film. Featuring original music and professional narration, these quality productions are thankfully becoming increasingly popular and easy to commission. With multiple camera, archival footage and photographs (including rare footage of Einstein speaking at the inauguration of the medical school) the video effectively pays tribute as well as educates. The documentary ties into the current Yeshiva University ethos, with Belkin’s own desire to excel in secular studies while keeping the Torah lineage alive. As an audience we can only hope for continued productions of similar quality documenting our larger than life Jewish leaders.

Something that really touched me was the beautiful conclusion. Featuring an archival recording of an inspiring speech delivered by Belkin, in the background I noticed sounds reminiscent of the holy shofar. To me this symbolizes a dual remembrance, a remembrance of this great man and also the idea of the important place of remembrance that has always been embedded within Jewish culture. This scene concludes the documentary with an implicit call for viewers to follow the path of a great leader and strive to be such themselves.

“Belkin – The man who changed the face of orthodoxy in America” directed and produced by David Levy and Eddie Nuvakhov.

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