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"There is something magical about the film and it conveys a picture of hope." - Head of the Political Section, Embassy of Israel in Ireland |
“Which rabbi today would be courageous enough—perhaps crazy enough—to sit with the leaders of Hamas and to call for Jewish Israelis, including settlers, to live alongside Palestinians with full equality? The more desperate and brutal Israel’s oppression of Palestinians becomes, and the more desperate and brutal the Palestinian response, the more desperately we need Rav Froman’s legacy. And we need a new generation, of Palestinians and Jews, to carry it on - and this movie can help do that."
- Peter Beinart
- Peter Beinart
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We are creating both a feature length "Froman's Way", and offering unique "Froman's Way"
impact screening/discussion events. |
Our impact events are available anytime starting February 1, 2025 (see details below).
Our feature film will be finished by June, 2025. And you can help us finish it!
You can contribute any amount to our finishing funds campaign here:
https://igg.me/at/fromans-way
As it is said, "It takes a village to make any indie movie".
Thanks for becoming part of our international peacemaking community!
Our feature film will be finished by June, 2025. And you can help us finish it!
You can contribute any amount to our finishing funds campaign here:
https://igg.me/at/fromans-way
As it is said, "It takes a village to make any indie movie".
Thanks for becoming part of our international peacemaking community!
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THE UNIQUE STORY OF ISRAEL'S "SETTLER RABBI FOR PEACE" |
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Rabbi Menachem Froman (1945-2013), often known as the "settler rabbi for peace", was very well-known (even notorious) in Israel, but not so much in the United States. He was a founding member of Gush Emunim (the pivotal early settler movement), and served as the chief rabbi of Tekoa settlement, for more than 30 years. But in the 1990's, he had a realization: the Messiah would not come - unless there was peace and friendship between neighbors in the West Bank (AKA, Judea and Samaria, the "Territories"). So he started to publicly befriend many Palestinians (including notoriously, Yasser Arafat and Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual founder of Hamas). He reached out in countless ways to his Palestinian neighbors. He was a natural activist, embracing ezut d'kidusha (a term he used - quoting Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, one of his inspirations - which means basically "holy chutzpah"), and his belief in building religious bridges between Jews and Muslims. Rav Froman's courage, creativity, and everpresent humor helped his message reach many thousands of people throughout the world.
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Rabbi Froman had the amazing ability to support and embrace all sides: he also went to Gaza in 2005 to protest the expulsion of Jews living there - he believed that simply, "No one should be kicked out of their homes". He could hold complex, even contradictory truths.
We followed Rabbi Froman the last 5 years of his life: and our first version of our movie, called "A Third Way", premiered in 2016 (it is the only feature documentary on Rabbi Froman). It also contained many scenes about Rabbi Froman's friend, the Palestinian activist, Ali Abu Awwad. Several years ago, we realized we need to update our movie story, to take into account the difficult recent times, including of course the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Our updated movie project is called "Froman's Way". One thing it asks: What would Rabbi Froman do now if he were still with us? Other new excerpts include moments with courageous Froman protégés and activists, Israeli and Palestinian: Hadassah Froman (Rav Froman's widow), Ali Abu Awwad, Shaul Magid, Khaled Abu Awwad, Gershon Baskin, Shaul Judelman, Ziad Sabatin, Yossi Klein Halevi, Eliyahu McLean and others. |
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"It drew a diverse audience in what is otherwise a very politically divided campus, breaking down the dichotomy of "us and them" that too often prevails here. Our post-screening discussion was extremely thought provoking, and exposed students both to tough questions and innovative ways forward. Kol Hakavod for this inspirational film event!" - Marissa Young, Aryeh (Columbia University Students Association for Israel) |
"The movie's powerful narrative conveys to us the profound empathy and hopefulness of Rabbi Froman's approach, without losing sight of the profound cynicism and mistrust between the two communities. In this sense, it is a very balanced film, and a very good basis for a dialogic, peace-building program." - Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Kiener, Temple Israel (and Compassionate Listening Project), Greenfield, MA |
The Land doesn't belong to us, we belong to the Land. |
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עזות דקדושה = "Holy Chutzpah" |
Rav Froman rescuing a Torah from a Gush Katif synagogue about to be destroyed by the Israeli army, during the expulsion of Jews living in Gaza (2005)
We are offering unique "Froman's Way"
Impact Screening/Discussion Events
In these events, available anytime from February 1, 2025, we show excerpts - and then we lead exciting, honest discussions and engaging workshop activities based on the issues in them. There is nothing more powerful than a group of people experiencing short movies together, and then jumping into related activities inspired by these movies. (And we can also incorporate into our events, short videos made by some your community's teens on similar local themes - videos made in a prior brief zoom process led by "Froman's Way" director Harvey Stein).
Events (in synagogues and other houses of worship, JCC's, universities, Hillels, and elsewhere) are co-led by Stein and leaders/authorities from your community.
Cost of an Impact Screening/Discussion Event: $500 - $1000, plus transportation to your neighborhood.
In our events, we uncover tools for fostering dialogue and understanding in our own communities, including facing the challenges of anti-semitism around us these days.
We ourselves can be activists for peace, safety, and freedom for all. Our events ask:
What would Rabbi Froman say and do now, in this very difficult time - if he were still with us?
And - we presented over 20 such Impact Screening/Discussion Events with our previous version of our movie, "A Third Way", in 2016 - 2019 - throughout the United States, Europe and Israel (including at Columbia University, Cambridge University in Great Britain, and elsewhere)
Impact Screening/Discussion Events
In these events, available anytime from February 1, 2025, we show excerpts - and then we lead exciting, honest discussions and engaging workshop activities based on the issues in them. There is nothing more powerful than a group of people experiencing short movies together, and then jumping into related activities inspired by these movies. (And we can also incorporate into our events, short videos made by some your community's teens on similar local themes - videos made in a prior brief zoom process led by "Froman's Way" director Harvey Stein).
Events (in synagogues and other houses of worship, JCC's, universities, Hillels, and elsewhere) are co-led by Stein and leaders/authorities from your community.
Cost of an Impact Screening/Discussion Event: $500 - $1000, plus transportation to your neighborhood.
In our events, we uncover tools for fostering dialogue and understanding in our own communities, including facing the challenges of anti-semitism around us these days.
We ourselves can be activists for peace, safety, and freedom for all. Our events ask:
What would Rabbi Froman say and do now, in this very difficult time - if he were still with us?
And - we presented over 20 such Impact Screening/Discussion Events with our previous version of our movie, "A Third Way", in 2016 - 2019 - throughout the United States, Europe and Israel (including at Columbia University, Cambridge University in Great Britain, and elsewhere)
Some press on our previous "A Third Way" documentary about Rav Froman:
- "Prayer as Performance" - a Times of Israel article by director Harvey Stein
- i24 Video interview with Harvey Stein
- Haaretz article
- Jewish Week article
WHO WE ARE:
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Vered Post is an Israeli producer, writer and educator, and Co-director of Jerusalem New York Productions. She has lived and worked in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and New York. She co-produced "A Third Way". She has co-written several produced Israeli feature screenplays, as well as being a lead writer for the Israeli-Palestinian version of “Sesame Street”. She has also produced many short promotional films, for clients such as Ayeka, and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
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Harvey Stein is an American-Israeli filmmaker/activist who has lived in Jerusalem since 2006, when he moved there from New York City. Co-director of Jerusalem New York Productions. Stein presented over 50 impact screening/discussion events of our earlier version of "Froman's Way", from 2016 - 2020 - in North America, Europe, and Israel, which also had limited theatrical distribution. Stein is also director of the "Green Rebels" impact feature documentary project, about the American-Israeli solar energy visionary, Yossi Abramowitz, who, with his African partners, is bringing large solar fields to Africa (where 600 million people have no electricity).
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Rabbi Riqi Kosovske, Community Advisor - is Head Rabbi at Beit Ahavah Reform Synagogue in Northampton, MA. She is a spiritual leader and educator, ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in 2007. Rabbi Riqi has brought her creativity, expertise and commitment to issues of feminism, ecology, artistic and musical spiritual expression, social justice, building a progressive Israel, LGBTQ celebration, and other areas. She has spent much time in Israel, and has presented events in the U.S.A. with several organizations focusing on peace between Israelis and Palestinians, including Standing Together and others.
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