"Miriam Zohar" "Tal Friedman" "Yehudah Levi" "Anya Buchstein" "Vladimir Friedman" "Dov Navon" "Hannah Azulai Hasfari, Amos Lavie, Sharon Elimelech" ""The Schwartz Dynasty"" "Screenplay:" "Amir Hasfari" "Directed by Shmuel Hasfari, Amir Hasfari" "You could start this story 50 years ago, when my grandfather Yekutiel Schwartz and Grandma Miriam founded Bnei Avraham, a small green town full of henhouses and surrounded by fields." "Most of its residents were immigrants from Yemen." "You could also start this story one year ago, when my grandfather committed suicide, a week before Yom Kippur." "He was head of the council and was accused of embezzlement." "He was questioned by the police and had his picture in the paper." "Grandpa Yekutiel was so hurt, he jumped off the water tower." "Grandma hardly stepped foot out of the house since." "She sat and planned how she'd clear Grandpa's name at his one-year memorial service in the presence of all Bnei Avraham residents." "She brought Pinhas Goidar, the present head of council, and told him exactly what to say tomorrow at the memorial service." "Here, outside the council building that you headed, we say to you:" "You fulfilled your calling, Yekutiel." "May you rest in peace, and speak up." " And speak..." "What?" "Speak up." "And point when you're talking." "Point?" "At who?" "When you mention the synagogue, point at the synagogue." "When you mention the council building, point at it, so people will see." " Okay, I'll try." "Don't try, do it." "Then invite everyone over to my house." "I'll take care of the refreshments." "Wait..." "Maybe Avraham should speak." "He's the son." "It's customary for the son to..." " You, you are the head of council, it's important that it comes from your mouth, Pinhas." "You can't rely on Avraham, as you know." "Pinhas knows that you can't rely on Avraham." "When they were kids, my dad hung him on a tree by his feet and left him dangling there till morning." "Bomba, the army is evacuating us with force." "Then stay put with even more force." "Do you have enough chains?" "Over." "Yes, but there's nothing to tie them to." "Avraham, nicknamed Bomba,:" "Is my father." "He lives in a West Bank settlement and is the reason I left home and moved near Grandma in Bnei Avraham, you'll see..." "Chain yourselves together and start singing "No fear"." "My father loves the Land of Israel, loves cussing, but what he loves the most is running other people's lives." "And that's me." "Avishai Schwartz." "A cantor and bar-mitzvah teacher." ""And rightfulness..." Good, keep going." "Tomer, I don't hear you." "Rabbi Avishai, what are you doing?" "The tobacco spilled out, I'm putting it back in the cigarette." "And I'm not a rabbi." "Who said you could come in here anyway?" "Get out, sit down." "To this day, I've never had love." "Keep going, Tomer." "Never mind." "Back to my father, who took upon himself to put up notices all over town for Grandpa's memorial service." "Come over here, kid." "Me?" " You with the crappy bicycle, come over here." "If my father wasn't a settler, he'd probably be a gangster." "Listen kid, I have an important assignment for you." "Not interested." "It's not an assignment, it's a mitzvah." "A mivtzvah?" "Why not." "No one understands how my regal grandmother and my grandfather, the great educator wound up with a son like my father." "When he left to become a settler 20 years ago, the whole town sighed." "With relief." "But now he's back." "Well?" "What's wrong with it?" " Nothing's wrong with it." "Tomorrow morning, ultra-orthodox kids will put them up all over town." "You'd think ultra-orthodox kids would do it as a mitzvah?" "No fucking way!" "I had to pay them..." "I'm sorry, Mom." "I'm sorry." "Shame on you." "It just came out, I said I'm sorry." "You come two weeks late with these notices and expect to be applauded?" "Thank you, Avraham, we managed without you." "I see, I'm going to Avishai's." "In your dreams." "The whole town is coming here tomorrow after the service." "Start setting the tables and arranging the chairs." "And don't touch the food, it's all counted." ""Bnei Avraham Synagogue"" "This is Zaki." "And this is what he likes doing in the morning." "That was the window of his aunt" "Ziona's new non-kosher butcher shop." "What are you looking at?" "Start cleaning up!" "Keep going, kid!" "Three more to go!" "A strong nation doesn't break!" "Go on, kid!" "Ziona married Dr. Alex Alexandrov, a breast cancer surgeon who emigrated from Russia and became a butcher, thanks to her." "Another one ran off." " Others will come." "We don't need all these showy refrigerators." "What was wrong with the store before?" "It was small and quiet." "Small shop, small money." " I work like a horse." "Selling things I'm ashamed of, God have mercy." "I don't know most of our customers." "They speak a language I don't understand." "You'd already become Israeli, now you're speaking Russian again." "I don't want this." "Ziona honey..." "I sell what people like." "Not everything's chicken." "We Russians eat other things too." "If someone likes Yemenite food, do I go and break his window?" "Eat Yemenite food, what do I care?" "Don't get upset, meat is meat." "And this is Anna." "The heroine of my story." "Good morning." "Just look at her." "Someone broke your window." "They delivered fresh rolls, if you want some breakfast." "Go get circumcised." "She told me... to get circumcised." " When is she leaving?" "Not again!" "What do you want me to do?" "Throw her out onto the street?" "She's my brother's daughter." "She's family." "Grandpa's big memorial service was supposed to start at noon, but they only finished putting up the notices at 11:30." "The smell of a major fuck-up filled the air but my father still found the time to chew me out." "When was the last time I was here?" " About two months ago." "When Mom kicked you out." "Why?" "Because that's when I put this rubber band around your tefillin." "You haven't put it on since." "I get up too late, Dad." " Then get up at seven, damn it!" "Grandpa's service is in half an hour and you're still sleeping?" "Look at yourself!" "You're not married, you don't work or study." "I work!" "I'm teaching four kids for their bar-mitzvah, so don't say I don't work." " Is that so?" "The Jewish people needs tigers, lions, eagles." "What did I end up with?" "Joselito..." "A canary!" "Avishai, could you be gay?" "What?" " A faggot." "A fag." "Aside from raiding my fridge, my father had other plans." "Avishai, I'm running for parliament for the National Religious Party." "Why?" "They need a hawk, a real settler to reinforce them." " So?" "What's stopping you?" " I need votes, Avishai." "And the votes are here in the heartland, not in the armpit of the settlements." "So I thought I'd start here, where I was born and raised." "Count me out." "I know you and there's no way I'm voting for you." "And don't eat up all my salami." "And my pickles!" "C'mon, Dad!" "You'll vote like I tell you to, now move your ass, we're late." "At Grandma's house, everything was ready for those who'd come after Grandpa's service to apologize to the deceased and his widow." "Grandpa's voice wafted from the tape recorder, he was the town's cantor." ""Memorial service:" "Yekutiel Schwartz"" "I said to deliver the pigs at night, not in broad daylight." "What do you want me to do now?" "Tell her to put something on, she's half naked again." "Move." "That'll be 220." "200?" "220." "Thank you." "Here's 220 for you and 20 for you." "Hi." "How are you?" " Fine, thanks." "This is all you're buying?" "I'm a vegetarian." "Then go to a green grocer." "I won't open up the register for this." "See you on Monday." "Do you know him?" " No." "Then what's "See you on Monday"?" "I don't know." "Maybe from one of my jobs." " One of your jobs..." "Anna came to Israel for one week to bring her father to burial." "She didn't know she needed a Rabbinate permission or how much it would cost." "So for months she's been taking any job she can get." "You're so smug, with that little ass of yours." "Beauty doesn't last forever, baby." "It was already 12 o'clock." "But the crowds were nowhere to be seen." "This is it, Avraham?" "Calm down, we'll wait a few more minutes." "Here comes Pinhas!" "See?" "I told you not to worry." "May the Lord give you comfort and consolation." "We're here to make up the holy quorum." "Thank you, but that won't be necessary." "Lots of people are coming." "The head of council told us to come, so we came." "The head of council isn't coming?" "Avraham, why isn't he coming?" ""O Merciful God in heaven" ""Grant proper rest" ""on the wings of the Divine Presence..."" "I should be so lucky." "Look at the privacy this guy has." " Privacy?" "You idiot." "He was buried outside the fence, like a dog." "It was obvious that the gathering Grandma had planned in front of the council building wouldn't come through." "She wouldn't even let us drive her home." "She went alone to plan her next move." "Get back to work." "My clothes." "My money." "In my pocket." "Here." "Anna, please respect this house." "What house?" "Your witch of a wife stuck me in this storage room." "Okay, okay, it's none of my business." "I'm going home anyway." "I have a hearing tomorrow at the Rabbinate." " Again?" "God have mercy." " That's what I came for." "They explained to you that it's impossible!" "The laws here are different!" "Just forget about it, it's been a year now!" " Shut up!" " What?" "Shut up." "You could solve my problem in five minutes, but you don't want to." "Yes I do." "But I can't." "Fine." "Never mind." "I found someone." "He's religious and is familiar with all the laws here." "He'll help me." "I don't need any more favors from you." "How much is it going to cost?" " All of my money." "I'll have enough to buy a plane ticket." "So long, bye-bye." "Anna, you're making a mistake." "Why go back to Russia?" "This is a normal country, a good country, believe me." "Find a job, get married." "You already speak good Hebrew." "Why go back?" "Sometimes one man can bring disaster on everyone." "Sometimes one man does a deed and saves everyone." "Like our little Zaki who fights daily against the pigs." "His good deed will assist us on Judgment Day." "God bless Zaki!" "Yom Kippur is approaching." "Penitential prayers are at 5:30." "Whoever wants to earn another mitzvah should go to the empty Ashkenazi synagogue." "May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life." "Kids, go home to your mother." "I'll join you later." "This is the man that will decide about Anna's matter." "Rabbi Eliyahu Hason." "The head rabbinical judge in Bnei Avraham." "I was still sleeping the morning after the memorial but things were happening fast." "Grandma had a new idea on how to clear grandpa's name." "You've got nothing to worry about." "You can ask about me." "I've never lost a case in my life." "On the other hand a Russian..." "That's a problem." "I don't mean to offend you, but we charge Russians 2000, upfront." "So before we get started, do you have 2000 shekels?" "I have 1500." "In cash?" "Only for you, Svetlana." "Anna." " Anna." "I hope you're not offended." "Sometimes people ask for help, and then they don't pay." "This matter requires stamps, duplicates, translations, forms, authorizations, phone calls..." "Once I went all the way to Bukhara to permit a woman to remarry." "Not now, not now." "Great." "I'm..." "I'm so sorry, Miriam." "There was an unscheduled meeting at the Ministry." "I told them everything, that it's my predecessor, that his widow is a dear friend." "I begged them, but it didn't do any good." "A decree from Above." " Yes." "Come, let's sit in my office." "Ronit, pick up the phone." "I know you're at home." "Ronit, answer me." "Did you get the groceries?" "I want to see you." "Pinhas..." " Not now." "Just a minute, Pinhas." " What's going on?" "Let's sit outside." "Okay, okay." "They're taking over the council." "They do as they please with the budgets, they brought in new rabbinical judges." "God have mercy, Miriam, they're all repentant Jews." "I'm like a dinosaur to them." "An alien." "Nevertheless..." "you're head of council." "There are still things that only you can do." "What do you mean?" "Do you need something?" "Just one thing." "Anna Alexandrov." "A request was submitted to the Rabbinate in Ashkelon, denied." "A request was submitted to the Rabbinate in Petah Tikva, denied." "In Be'er Sheva, denied." "In Ashdod, denied." "Miss Russia, are you developing a network?" "She's not the issue here." "The permission is for the father." "Where's the father?" "He's here, but he's not with us." "So is he here or not?" "Both." "It's hard to explain." "Okay, take it out." "He's in there?" "The father is in there?" "Yes, your honors, the lady would like to give him a Jewish burial, that's all." "I don't know what to say." "I've never heard such a request." "Pinhas, a woman must rest beside her husband." " But..." "We were together our whole life." "I want a burial plot beside my husband." "I'm willing to pay any price." "It's not a matter of money, Miriam." "Yekutiel was buried outside the fence because that's Jewish law, that's where people who committed suicide are buried." "No one is buried there willingly, it's a dishonor, a stain, why would you want that?" "Precisely because of that." "Who will remove the stain if not his wife?" "I owe it to him." "And so do you." "Not now!" "Not now!" "Leave me alone!" "Are you crazy?" "You want your money back?" "Why should I give it to you?" " But you didn't do anything." "Lady, if you went to the doctor and the medicine didn't work, would you ask for your money back?" "Never!" "You think here it's different?" "Give me my money back!" " Let go of my bag!" "I didn't touch her, she just fell." "You're a witness!" "Grandma!" "Grandma, the Russian girl woke up!" "Grandma!" "Stop yelling." "I'm from Russia too." "Why are you hitting me?" "I'm just trying to help." "Go to the kitchen and get a bowl of soup from the pot." "Help and get hit." "I've had it, Grandma." "How are you feeling?" "Can you speak Hebrew?" "A little." "Where do you live?" "Don't worry, your handbag is here." "I have to go." " No, wait." "First have some soup, then a shower." "Then we'll see." "Maybe she was arrested." "Is that why you didn't come?" "She didn't come back, there may be a problem." "There is a problem." "My husband is an idiot." "I'm going to see where she is." "If you go, don't bother coming back, you hear?" "It's none of your business." " None of my business?" "The whole town is talking about me behind my back." "Let them talk." "She's my family." "I don't say anything about your family." "Well thank you, you ungrateful bastard." "My family gave us the money to start the business." "Business..." "Business for their defective chickens, instead of throwing them away, we sell them." "I'm gonna break someone's head open!" "Alex!" "What did you do?" "!" "You can't do that!" "Alex!" "Leave him alone!" "Shut up!" "Why do you keep doing this?" "!" "You've broken my window three times!" "Three times!" "Get out of here, you dogs!" "Alex, Alex." "You're bleeding." "I won't stand for this." "Dad, you haven't stopped making demands since you got here." "You're staying at my place, behave like a guest." "Avishai, you're mine, your place is mine, everything you have is mine." "What is this?" "You like it?" "No." " Too bad." "Because as of tomorrow, you'll be distributing them around town." "Why me?" " Then who, me?" "I lug them, unpack them, distribute them, what'll do you do?" "Get elected." "Now go out and get the other boxes, then go to bed, you have a lot of work tomorrow, and we're going to Grandma's to talk to her about a very important matter." " About what?" "It's a surprise." "Wait till tomorrow." ""Have compassion on Your handiwork" ""And be glad with Your handiwork" ""May those who take refuge in You say" ""when You vindicate those borne by You..."" "He sings like a nightingale." "What a voice." "It's as if Dad were standing here, singing." "People pay to hear him." "Tell her where you did the Passover Seder." "At Club Med in Marmaris." "They paid him to do the Seder for all the Israelis." "I've already heard that 100 times." " Good." "When Pinhas comes, that's what you'll tell him." "That in memory of his late grandfather," "Avishai should be the cantor at the synagogue on Yom Kippur." "It's not like it's the National Auditorium." "Yeah, everyone's old and gone deaf." "But the old folks remember what it used to be like before this town was flooded with those damn Yemenites." "When a knitted skullcap was respected." "I want them to cry." "Why do you want them to cry?" "I just do, okay?" "It's because he wants to run for Parliament." " What?" "Why not?" "They need people like me." "Who needs people like you?" "Just ask Pinhas to let Avishai be the cantor on Yom Kippur." "If Avishai is the cantor, you'll be elected to Parliament?" "Oh, he has a plan." "All the old timers will sit together, hear the grandson pray like the grandfather, they'll remember the good ol' days, and elect Dad to represent them in Parliament." "Look." "It was a stupid plan, but my father believed in it with all his heart." "I see." "He'll sing a little and they'll run to vote for you." "No." "First I'll give a sermon that'll make the walls shake." "They won't let you." " They will if you ask." "There he is." "If Pinhas knew that my Dad was waiting for him there, he'd never enter the mousetrap." "When they were kids, my father hung him..." "I told you this story already." "Hello, Schwartzs." "Go ahead, ask him yourselves." "Ask me what?" "Pinhas sweetheart, I wanted to ask you something." "Those pants you're wearing, have you been wearing the same ones for the past 20 years or did you buy two pairs and keep alternating?" "Avraham, don't start up with me." "Everyone here..." "We really missed you." "I told you." "Truce." "Don't hop." "Apologize." " I apologize." "For what?" "Maybe for not showing up at my father's memorial service?" "I had to attend..." " You had what?" "A service for the late head of the council and the new one doesn't show up?" "Stand up straight." "Stop squirming." "Do you already have a cantor for Yom Kippur?" " Yes." "The youth group leader." " You don't say." "What else do you have in store for us?" "A campfire?" "Folk dancing?" "Scary storytelling?" " Miriam, why did he say "us"?" "Who's "us"?" "He wants Avishai to be the cantor on Yom Kippur." "Aren't you going to Marmaris?" " Yeah." "I mean..." "Changed his mind at the last minute." "Yes, but I already told..." "and we can't pay much." "You don't have to pay him." "How do you like that?" "As long as the grandson carries on where the grandfather left off." "Why are you standing?" "Sit, sit." "Well?" " Well?" "A sermon for the son..." "A sermon for the son?" " What son?" "How many sons do I have?" "Him?" "Come with me." " What now?" "You have to practice, so you don't put me to shame." "Move it." "Look at this." "Do you have an answer for me?" " That's why I came." "I'm dealing with it, but you're making it hard on me." "What's the story with the Russian girl?" "What Russian girl?" "She passed out and I helped her." "That's not good." "People told me that you brought her here." "They saw you." " What's not good?" "She's a fraud, who put some ashes in an urn and asked the rabbinical judges for permission to bury it." "She's not even Jewish and has no right to be here." "It's not good for your request, Miriam, that they'll think you have a connection to doubtful people." "What you're asking for is a very delicate matter." "Very uncommon." "I didn't think it was wrong." "I thought..." "Then I'm telling you that it's wrong." "As long as you're involved with her, I can't grant your request, despite my good will." " Okay, Pinhas." "I heard you." "I'm impressed." "Well?" "Well what?" "Do you have a name?" " Anna." " Anna..." ""Ve'ani anna ani ba." Genesis 37." "Write it down." "Oh my God." "Pleased to meet you." "Avraham." "Mother." "Son." "Freeloader." "Why are you talking with a Russian accent?" "She's Russian, Mom, how else will she understand?" "Ignore him." "Come, I need to talk to you." "Want some?" "Listen." "I'm through with the non-kosher meat, the pigs, the broken windows, the fines, the debts, your Russian friends, and the fights with my family." "If that's not fine by you, I'm through with you too." "Now decide." "It's either me and everything kosher, or your slutty niece and the pigs." "What's she got to do with the broken window?" " Everything!" "I want you to send her away." " She's already left on her own." "I've been hearing the same story for the past year." "I've had it." "You really want to help her go back to Russia?" "Yes." "Here." "Give her this." "What is it?" "Eliyahu." "The head rabbinical judge." "I didn't want to do it, but..." "See that address?" "He's going there to meet a woman." "How do you know?" "People saw him." "He lives there, but hangs out there." "What does that mean?" "If you really want to help her, give her the note." "She should catch him red-handed, threaten him, yell at him, bring this matter to an end and get the hell out of here with all the pigs you brought in here." "Take those away." " But why, Ronit?" "Because, I don't need any favors from you." "Why do you come here?" "I came to see how you're doing." "It's none of your business anymore." "Stop calling, stop coming." "But I worry about you." "Eli, you already had the chance to worry about me and you missed it." "So just forget about me." "Take them away." "Take them." "Tell me how the tests went." " None of your business." "When's the operation?" " There's a mile-Iong waiting list." "There is no operation." " Maybe I can do something to help." "What a man." "More important people tried, but couldn't do anything." "Goodbye." "Regards to your wife." "If you admit you're still crazy about me," "I'll take the groceries." "Tell them about your father, about his dream to immigrate to Israel and not being able to fulfill it." "They are decent people, that's why they're there." "Did you tell them that it was his last wish to be buried here?" "Yes, but they threw me out." "One of them said that because my mother isn't Jewish," "I'm not Jewish either." "But did you tell them that you don't want anything?" "No money, no aid." "Just to bury the ashes and go home?" "They make fun of me, because I'm from Russia." "It doesn't make sense." "Pick that one, on that branch down there." "Can you reach it?" "Tell me..." " What now?" "Would you do her?" "C'mon, Dad." "Avishai, I'm your father." "Everything you think about, I've already thought about before." "Look, Anna, I've heard you and I believe you." "I'm going to talk to the judges." "They'll treat me differently." "And that girl who you belittle leaves everything, comes to a foreign land, stays here for months, like a dog, to fulfill her father's last wish to be buried in a Jewish cemetery in Israel." " That's what she says!" "That's exactly what she says." "Why don't you believe her?" "How do you know what those ashes are in that urn?" "It could be a cat." "Or a gentile." "How do you know she'll want to go back to Russia afterwards?" "She may fall in love with us and want to stay." "Someone has to be the bad guy and ask these unpleasant questions." "Even at country clubs they don't admit just anybody." "All the more so at a holy cemetery." "We need proof, and if there's no proof, there's no permission." "Okay, she got the picture." "Now step outside with me." "What about cases that can't be proven?" "But this case can be proven." " The witness can prove it." "Witness?" "There's a witness?" "What witness?" "What if she doesn't convince them?" " Get real." "My family founded this place." "Of course she'll convince them." "Who are all these people?" "Those who lived until the Holocaust." "Those who were killed in the Holocaust." "The one with the medal is my late grandfather." "And the one with the mustache is my father." "They all have mustaches." "Oh yeah." "30 years ago they went to build settlements in the West Bank." "Right where the Arabs lived." "Ever heard of settlers?" "Never mind." "That's where I was born." "Here." "Where did you get this?" "Grandma grows it for me in the garden." "Your grandma is a good woman." "Yeah." "But she doesn't know." "She waters it, it grows, I smoke." "That's me." " Cute." "Just an ordinary kid." "What's wrong with that?" "With a dynasty like this, I should've turned out a genius." "But I'm not." "So what do you do?" "You smoke, that's what you do." "Come here." "I'll teach you something." "What was that?" "Paravozik." " Para what?" "How do you say in Hebrew the engine of a train?" "Locomotive?" " Locomotive, but little." "I can't breathe." "Can we do it again?" "Grandma, it's not what you think." "I was telling her about our dynasty." "About all the rabbis, the mustaches, in the Holocaust." "Especially about Grandpa." "Avishai, go home." " But I'm..." "I need to have a word with Anna." "But..." " Now!" "I tried to help you and you deceived me." "You're wrong, Miriam." "You're wrong." "They told me you're a fraud!" "And I didn't believe them." "You think I'm easily deceived?" "Why should I deceive?" "It's just a burial permission." "What's the problem, Miriam?" "It's only ashes." "Who knows that he's Jewish?" "How can they bury him in a Jewish cemetery?" "There are rules!" "And now all of a sudden, there's a witness." "Who is he?" " My father's brother." "What?" " But he won't testify, he has problems with the religious council." "What's his name?" "What's his name?" " Alex." "Alex what?" "Where is he?" "Here, in town." "He has a butcher shop." " A butcher shop?" "The non-kosher one that belongs to the Russian?" "Yes, it's his." "But he gave me a job and a place to sleep, just because he's my father's brother, but he won't testify." "I tried everything, he won't do it." "Do you want me to leave?" "What happened?" "Why is she angry?" "It's none of your business." "Let me go." " Go where?" "I have work to do." " What work?" "Let me at least walk you." "Not yet, don't look yet." "Just a minute." "Dad's election campaign started gaining momentum." "He got off my back and started abusing the old people." "Dear founders." "Remember the days when our synagogue was filled with knitted-skullcap wearing congregants every Sabbath?" "Good." "Now please turn around." "Open your eyes." "Woe to the eyes that see this." "See what?" "That there's nothing to see." "The Ashkenazi synagogue is forsaken and empty." "And?" " And, it's our duty to fill it." "Okay, okay." "Let's go home, Tzivia." "Let's go." " Wait, where are you going?" "Avraham, you don't even have the key." "How do you expect to fill it?" "With a little faith, Mrs. Pomerantz." "With a little faith, we'll fill the synagogue by Yom Kippur." "Men, women and children." "Bomba's promise." "Bomba's promise." "I'm glad you agree with me." "Good, good." "Lift your head a little." "Bend your left arm and stretch out your left leg." "That's it." "Very good." "Good." "Bye." "You should be ashamed of yourself." "What are you doing here?" " I saw everything." "You're a whore!" "Why are you doing this?" "Because I need money." "And I don't have a grandmother and father to help me." "I'm all alone." "I'm sorry." "Anna." "Where have you been?" "How did it go?" "It didn't." "And the money?" "Gone." "So, it means you stay with us?" "I don't know what to do." "I have nothing here and I can't leave until I finish this." "Here." "What is it?" "I'll explain it to you..." "Take." "Six, seven, eight, nine, ten steps." "There you go." "Ten steps divided by two is five meters." "It's very close." "Near the pathway too." "There's easy access and a water faucet." "Even half a meter." "I asked to be buried beside him." "I checked it out, Miriam." "According to Jewish law, that's as close as you can get." "The law is very specific." "But I want to be next to him out of my own free will." "What's wrong with that?" " Your will isn't enough." "I may have been able to arrange something under the table, but you went and ruined everything with that Russian girl." "The whole religious council is talking about you." "They don't understand what you're doing with her." "You promised." "I promised to check it out and I did." "You can't get any closer." "I'm doing everything I can." "I arranged for your grandson to be the cantor on Yom Kippur, your son is permitted to give a sermon afterwards." "It wasn't easy..." "So it's fine by you that this man who raised you, who made you his assistant, who bequeathed his job to you, that this man will lie here alone in disgrace and everyone who enters the cemetery will say:" "Here lies the crook who committed suicide." "Will it change anything if you lie here too?" "Yes." "Mr. Sharabi?" "May I have a minute of your time?" "What do you want?" "Do you take the art class at the community center?" " Yes." "My name is Avishai." "I've heard about your class." "It's awesome." " Yes." "Look, I'm an avid art lover, but personally" "I'm not interested in Picasso, Van Gogh, Mozart, or Salvadori." "Who's Salvadori?" " Never mind." "I'm more into paintings by the common people." "I'm interested in purchasing one of your paintings." "Seriously?" " Yeah." "The one you did this week." "I'll pay you 50 shekels for it." "Get out of here, you psycho." " 100 shekels?" "You know what?" "Wait here." "I already had 19 paintings in my bag." "Sharabi was the last one on the list." "Here." ""Let all our vows" ""and oaths and the obligations" ""we incur to You, O God..."" "Why are you bending down over there?" "Want some soup?" "Want some gefilte fish?" "Want to fight with me?" "What do you want?" "For you to let me listen to the tapes at my place." "They don't leave this house." "They're the memories I have from your grandfather." "If you want to practice, practice here." "You're a real angel." "I didn't throw her out." "She left on her own." "Fine." "Yura, stop eating and start playing!" "That's what you're here for..." "See how they took our song and translated it into Arabic?" "Anna." "Why are you sitting in here?" "Come outside." "We're having a barbecue." "You have to be a little happy." "How much happiness do we get?" "Get out of here!" "Fima, where are you?" "I'm coming..." " It's an Israeli song, did you translate it into Russian?" "Well?" "Ladies and gentlemen, we will sing and we will dance, but now for the official part." "Come on, speak up." " Friends," "I have a special announcement:" "As of tomorrow, anyone who wants decent food, can go to hell." "Today is your last chance." "So eat up and whatever's left over, take home." "Because as of tomorrow, I'll be selling only kosher meat." "Some parasite inspector will come, hang a certificate on the wall, take his money, and that's it." "But don't worry, from the back door, we'll keep selling defective chickens from Ziona's distinguished family." "Alex." " Okay, it's a family secret." "In any case, life goes on." "To life!" "To the chickens!" "You're driving me crazy with all your mitzvahs." "Reading Psalms, changing the mezuzahs every other day." "What do I need your mitzvahs for?" "When I really wanted you, you got up and left." "What other choice did you leave me?" "You made fun of me." "You purposely smoked in front of me on the Sabbath." "Go away, Eliyahu." "I'm not made of stone." "When I see you on the street with your children, it makes my stomach turn." "Leave me alone." "I'm begging you." "I can't, you're my flesh and blood." "That you dumped, and then went to another woman." "Ronit, I swear to you..." "If you promise to observe the Sabbath and keep kosher," "I'll come back to you." "Then kiss me." "Kiss me." "What are you doing here?" "This isn't your house." "And you're judging me?" "You're a rabbi." "Shame on you." "You pretend to be religious and come here to be with her." "Excuse me, who are you?" "I'm going to tell the Rabbinate what you're doing here." "So you came here to blackmail me, eh?" "How did you know I was here?" " Everybody knows." "He's religious and comes here." "What does he have here?" "A girl!" "He's religious and you're not." "There!" "Eliyahu, what does this lady want from you?" "This lady is trying to blackmail me to get her own way!" "This lady brought an urn and said that her father's ashes are in it and that we'd better believe her." "Not only that, she sent the widow of the late head of council, the one who..." "Schwartz." "So you're here to blackmail me, darling?" "Change your decision or I'll tell them about your whore!" "Shut your dirty mouth or I'll kick you out!" "Chill out." " But did you hear what she said?" "Listen, sweetie." "I'm not a whore, I'm his ex-wife." "We used to be married." "Great, why don't you offer her a cup of coffee?" "Here. 500 dollars." " What?" "Take it, I'll bring you more later, just change your decision!" "Get your hands off me!" "But it's my father!" "Eliyahu..." "I'm calling the police." "Wait a second..." "Go after her." "Go after her." "Looking for mitzvahs?" "A little one just ran off on you." "Go." "Go talk to her." "Call Mrs. Schwartz to come get her." "My father was Jewish and I don't know what to do to make you believe me." "It was his last wish." "That may be true, but my hands are tied." "I want to help, but..." "If you need help with anything else, like learning Hebrew or converting, I can work something out." "But there's the Shulchan Aruch when it comes to this matter." "Shulchan Aruch?" "The Jewish code of laws." "You need a witness, a certificate." "There are no two ways about it." "I hope you can understand me." "There are no two ways about it." "I still don't know what touched Grandma more:" "Anna's sorrow or my sorrow." "Go to your uncle, tell him I want to meet him." "He won't agree." "So tell him I want to give you work." "But before that" "I want to meet the family." "Okay?" "Where did you study medicine?" "At the military academy in St. Pittsburgh." "St. Petersburg." "The Kirov Academy?" "How do you know?" "We have his diploma at home and the license he got in Israel." "We should've brought them." "But I heard they didn't accept Jews there." "Jews, non-Jews, what does it matter now?" "The main thing is that we're all here now, we have a strong state and army." "And your brother, Yuri, he didn't serve in the army?" "Dad paid so he wouldn't have to go." "When it was my turn, there was no money, so I went." "But it doesn't matter." "The main thing is that I made it to Israel." "And then he met me." "Tell her, Alex." "Yes, I met you, like a diamond in the earth's ass, as they say." "In a hen house." "She was waiting for me." "Especially for me." " It was my pleasure, darling." "Thank you." " Sacha..." "Would you like some more borsht?" "Yes." "Miriam, your borsht is delicious." " Thank you." "Yummy." "It's okay, Avishai will get it." "What am I, a waitress?" "So you never saw your brother again after you left?" " No." "I met Anna for the first time here in Israel." "You know... family, you do what you can." "Avishai, why don't you sing something for us?" "Sing something special for your grandmother." "It may have been the pressure that made my voice come out so high." ""She opens her mouth with wisdom" ""And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue" ""She watches over the ways of her household" ""And does not eat the bread of idleness" ""Her children rise up and call her blessed" ""Her husband also, and he praises her..."" "That's it, we're leaving." "Yafim." "Yafim, sit down." "Alex, what's with you?" "She wants me to testify." "You heard the questions she was asking me." "These are good people." " Oh yeah?" "Then why was she asking if Jews were accepted there?" "What does it matter now?" " So she asked." "Answer her, finish eating, say goodbye and she'll take Anna." "Or do you not want to give her up now?" "Look at this wall." "There's a whole Rabbinate here." "This one got a medal." "Don't you guys mind that I'm here?" " What?" "I can hear every word you're saying." "Don't you care?" "What do you want?" "Doesn't my presence make any difference to you?" "I could be a spy from the Rabbinate." "Are you?" " No, but how would you know?" "Didn't you say you're a cantor?" " Yeah?" "So?" "Then keep singing." "Fima, stop gobbling..." "Yafim!" "They're gone." "What did you say?" "I'm an atheist." "I won't go near the Rabbinate." "Why not?" "It's a matter of principle." "I'm a rational person." "My brother is dead." "It's over." "They're ashes." "Go scatter them at sea, what does it matter?" "Don't give me that nonsense." "Go, testify, and then keep being a man of principle all you like." "Is tomorrow morning good for you?" " Come here." "I want to let you in on something." "He wasn't circumcised." "One brother had it done and the other didn't?" "No." "The other brother didn't have it done either." "When he went to testify for her and they heard about the butcher shop, they told him to pull his pants down and prove that he's Jewish." "Then he should get circumcised." "Your mother should get circumcised!" "Great, she learned a new word." "Circumcised, circumcised." "You're a gentile, and you're telling him to get circumcised?" " Why not?" "Because I'm not gonna wait to have sex for 6 months until it heals." "And what if something happens to it?" "Will you fix it?" "I won't take the risk." "But it's for her father." "His brother." "It could be his grandmother, for all I care." "If my brothers find out he's uncircumcised, we'll be divorced tomorrow morning." "They give me a hard time as it is for bringing home a Russian." "What do you mean?" "I found you in a hen house." "34 years old." "In chicken shit." "I'm a surgeon, they treat me like dirt." "But if Anna means a lot to you..." " I mean more to him." "What about her?" "I can't." "Period." "You don't want to." "I'm sorry." "It's my life against hers." "Let's go." "She's pretty, that's true." "But you'll find yourself a nice girl, one who doesn't have to convert." " Yeah, right." "Don't smoke here." " Great." "Nice." "Finally some girl notices that I exist..." "Hallelujah, you're getting laid." "Avraham..." "Who noticed that you exist?" "Grandma, control your son." "Avraham, watch your mouth, you're not in Parliament yet." "Just a matter of time, because tonight the Lord himself is setting me up for a goal." "I keep explaining to people that things here are going downhill and no one knows what I'm talking about." " Neither do I." "Don't you smell anything?" "The whole town is full of smoke." "The black suits are burning down the Russians' butcher shop." "What?" "The smell of an extra large barbecue." "Extra-extra large." "It's all up in flames, including the meat." "Yafim, call the firemen!" "We've already did ten times, they're not coming!" "It's all because of her!" "My urn is in there!" "Get more water!" "My urn is in there!" "Whore..." "What happened?" "Who did this?" "Where are you going?" "The urn is in there." "You can't go in there, it's all burning!" "Stand here, don't move!" "Is there any hot water?" "I want to take a shower." "A shower..." "This is where I live." "This is the kitchen." "This is where I sleep." "Did you get hurt?" "No." "Let me see." "What?" "Everything's okay." "The shower is all yours." "Good morning." "Open for business?" "The war on Dr. Alexander was not over." "And this time grandma dropped an unconventional bomb." "Good job." "You sold pork, did you think people would turn a blind eye?" "Are you Alex?" "What do you want from him?" "To start behaving like a human being, damn it!" "We have enough trouble without you." "I'm here to help you." "How can you help?" "Stage one." "In two days, your husband reports at the council." "He looks the rabbis in the eyes and says determinedly that you're Jewish, your brother is Jewish, your father is Jewish, your grandpa and grandma, you're all Jewish, a family of rabbis, then they'll cut the bullshit." "Go fuck yourself." "You're a doctor, aren't you?" " How do you know?" "Shut up." "Two phone calls to the right people and I can get Dr. Surgeon a job at the hospital by tomorrow morning." " As a doctor?" "A pathologist." " A pathologist?" "Why not?" "It's like a doctor, but the patients can't complain." "Bomba's promise." "And our debts?" "Stage two." "You and your Russian friends come to our synagogue on Yom Kippur." "Russians at synagogue." "You've got to be kidding." "Fine." "But when they take away everything you have and kick your asses out of this town, don't come running to me." "By the way, I'm Avraham Schwartz." "Call me Bomba." "Nice meeting you." " Are you from the Rabbinate?" "On the contrary, ma'am." "I'm from the Religious Front for the Liberation of Bnei Avraham." "This is my platform." "The minute he left, my dad arranged everything with one phone call." "The guy is an expert surgeon, don't bury him in pathology." "Speaking of surgery, I need one more favor..." "People are waiting outside, your honor." "Ask them to wait patiently." "Miriam..." "I apologize." "Something must've happened." "It's Yom Kippur eve." "He's a doctor." "Perhaps he's been held up by patients." "This joke has gone too far." "Let's move on to the next hearing." "Absolutely not." "He didn't show up." "What do you want them to do?" "Wait a little longer." "Your phone." "Hello?" "I asked you to leave me alone, Bomba." "No, he didn't show up." "They're moving on to the next hearing." "What are you yelling at me for?" "Who?" "How do you know him?" "All right." "Stop yelling!" "Wait a second." "It's for you." "Yes." "Ronit?" "They're going to operate?" "When?" "It will be all right." " Are you sure?" "Thank you..." "Thank you very much." "Bye." "People, this case is never going to end." "If the witness doesn't come to us, we'll go to the witness." " What?" "He knows there are more operations today, he doesn't care." "He says it's Yom Kippur and he's burnt out." "He says you can kiss his ass." "What is this?" "Dr. Alexandrov." "Where I am gonna find another surgeon now?" "Hurry up!" "Two floors down, at the end of the corridor." "Let's go." "What?" "No, forget it, no one will come." "This way." "Pathology." "What is this smell..." "It's disgusting..." " Come on, get in here." "Alexander Alexandrov." "We're going to end this matter right now." "It's a slaughter-house..." "All I'm asking for is one sentence." "He's not talking." "Let's go." "Tell these people that you're Jewish, that your brother, Anna's father, was Jewish too." "My brother's dead, it's over." "Jews have a soul." "The soul is eternal." "Oh yeah?" "Where is the soul?" "Here are the kidneys, the stomach, the heart." "I've had 5 body-chopping shifts here." "There is no soul." "It's all flesh." "That's all there is." "The divine soul is in every Jew." "Oh yeah?" "Okay." "You tell me." "Is he Jewish?" "Arab?" "Chinese?" "Look for his soul." "All right." "There is a soul, there isn't a soul, just testify what you promised." "All right." "I'm Jewish, my father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, so was my brother Yuri, Anna's father." "That's not enough, that's not enough." "What?" ""A claim must be established by two witnesses."" "The judges are out cold." "There aren't enough witnesses." "Then what do you want?" "For him to show he's circumcised." " What?" "That's the way it goes." " That's the way what goes?" "No witnesses, no permission." "Dr. Alexandrov, proceed to the operating room urgently." "Dr. Alexandrov, proceed to the operating room urgently." "Wake up!" "You've gone too far, Miriam." "You could've made more of an effort." "You think someone made more of an effort for me?" " Yes." "Who?" "The deceased?" "Yes, my deceased husband made a big effort for your career." "I was his deputy and was appointed in his place." "That's all." "Wake up!" "It wasn't my fault there was a financial scandal or that he got caught." " And you didn't." "You didn't say a single word in his defense." "So he commits suicide?" "It's against Jewish law." "It's even worse than murder." "There are things that I can't do." "I'm a religious man." "And what do you think I am?" " You?" "You do whatever's convenient for you." "You feel sorry for the Russian girl so you flush the whole Torah down the drain." "You want to clear Yekutiel's name and the whole code of Jewish law has to bend for you." "Jewish law forbids you to be buried beside your husband and you know that, but you still ask, you appointed yourself Chief Rabbi!" "All right, enough." "I relieve you of all my requests." "I'm sorry if I asked you to do things that you can't do." "Things that are against Jewish law, Miriam." "You're right, Pinhas." "All right." "I'm sorry for raising my voice." "So am I." "We tried." "All right." "We tried." "There's something I have to finish up." "Why are you yelling?" "I'll have the pre-fast meal here." "I'll see the kids at synagogue." "Make sure to drink a lot, okay?" "Mrs. Schwartz." "Yes?" "Miriam..." " I'm waiting outside." "I'm truly sorry, but regarding the ashes..." "If he was buried and no one knew where he was, no one would dig up the whole cemetery." "But the way things are now, I'm truly sorry." "I hope you understand..." "All right." "I understand." "Have an easy fast." " You too." "Well, Mom, what do you say?" "Don't leave your gun there." "She's in surgery, he's in pathology, what do you have to say?" "Good job, Avraham." "I'm like a little elf." "I come at the right time and fix everyone's lives." "Welcome, pre-fast meal." "Come, kreplach dumplings, come to Uncle Avraham." "Come, my dears." "Cover up you knees, just a little." "Stop it." "I'm not a child." "Let me dress as I please." "He's gonna kill you." "It's Yom Kippur." "People pray and cry..." "People will lift their eyes and boom, there's your ass." "Pull it down a little." "Hello there." "What are you wearing, you jerk?" "A white shirt." "What does it say on your pocket?" "Christo." "It's the logo." " Christo." "What's Christo?" "Christ." "Jesus Christ." "You're bringing Jesus Christ to synagogue on Yom Kippur?" "Go home and change your damn shirt." "I'm not going." "What did you say?" "I'm not a child, I'll dress as I please." "Way to go, you've become a man." "Now get inside." "What was the slap for?" "So you-know-what doesn't go to your head..." "Come on." "The house was filled with the atmosphere of Yom Kippur." "I put on Grandpa's white kittel and my heart sank to my stomach." ""Who will rest and who will wander" ""Who will live in harmony and who will be harried" ""Who will enjoy tranquility and who will suffer" ""Who will be impoverished and who will be enriched" ""Who will be degraded and who will be exalted" ""But repentance and prayer" ""and charity remove" ""the evil of the decree..."" "Let's go, everyone's waiting, Avishai." "Anna, stay with me for a few minutes." "Mom." "You go ahead." "I'll come in a little while." "Don't you want to see your grandson praying?" "Your son giving a sermon?" "Go ahead." "We'll come in a little while." "Let's go, Dad, we're late." "Happy holiday." " Happy holiday" " Happy holiday." " Happy holiday." "Are you ready?" "Where's your urn?" "What do you mean?" " Let's go." "So, Bomba, Bnei Avraham is awakening?" "Looks like everyone's gone to sleep." "Fuck." " It's a shame you didn't write the sign in Russian." "Have a little faith, Pinhas." "It'll be all right." "If the Russians don't show up, we're in deep shit." "Start digging." "Your father made you swear to bring him to Jewish burial." "This is a Jewish burial." "We'll bury him here." "Get started." "I'm scared." "There's nothing to be scared of." "Everyone here is dead." "Go on." ""Let all our vows and oaths" ""and the obligations We incur to You, O God," ""between this Yom Kippur and the next, be null and void" ""should we, after honest effort," ""find ourselves unable to fulfill them..."" "May you merit to do many mitzvahs." " Thank you." "You kept your promise to your Dad." "After the holiday you could fly back home." "Yuri Alexandrov, everything we've done was on your behalf." "Forgive us if we've disrespected you in any way." "Say amen." " Amen." "Always remember, it's ten steps from the last row, right next to this grave." "This is where we all will lay." "Read this." ""May His great Name be exalted and sanctified" ""In the world that He created as He willed..." ""May He give reign..." ""In the world that He created as He willed" ""May He give reign to His kingship..."" ""In your lifetimes and in your days" ""and in the lifetimes of the entire family of Israel."" ""Amen."" "Ronit." "How are you feeling?" "How are you feeling?" "Good." "Doctor." "I'm..." "Okay, okay." "Feel better." "Miriam, let's go." "I'm cold." "Here." "You go ahead." "I want to stay for a while with my husband." "Are you sure?" "Go." "They'll be back from synagogue soon." "You can keep the sweater as a souvenir from me." "You did great." " Thanks, Dad." "Where's Grandma?" "I don't know, I haven't seen her." "Anna isn't here either?" " I'm going to give my sermon." "Good luck." "Good luck." "The campaign's pinnacle moment had arrived and Bomba went up to give an election speech that would make the walls shake." "Dear friends." "On Yom Kippur..." "On Yom Kippur, the heavens open up..." "I prepared a sermon, but..." "Last Yom Kippur, the 7-day mourning period over my father ended." "Most of you knew him, some of you came here with him and founded this place," "and we always hoped that new people would come here." "And they did." "They're here with us today, but we didn't know how to welcome them." "If my father was alive, he'd be standing here today, emotional," "he'd look at you and say:" "You are our brothers." "This place is yours as much as it is ours." "Welcome." "I'd like to end with a prayer." ""May You regard our gathering together with love" ""and obscure our sins with love." ""May You transform all hardship and evil" ""to joy and gladness, to life and peace," ""for us and for all Israel who love truth and peace."" "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life." "Thank you." "Anna had no idea what to do next." "Suddenly she got cold." "So she put on the blue sweater and sat on the stairs." "My name is Avishai Schwartz." "A cantor and bar-mitzvah teacher." "My wife's name is Anna and we named our newborn daughter Miriam." ""The Schwartz Dynasty"" "English:" "Suzy De Lowe" "Subtitles by:" "Elrom Studios"