Reviews (6)

Excellent!
This nine-part documentary is not only a history of the Jews, it's a history of the western world! Hundreds of thousands of dollars were probably spent in the production of this series. Abba Eban takes the viewer all over the world to examine one of the world's most gifted and intriguing people - the Jews. These tapes will not put you to sleep. The music and images allows the viewer to relive Jewish history. And consequently, come to understand the world we live in today much better. I know the tapes are pricey, but own this documentary if you ever have the chance. You'll never regret it.

Heritage Civilization & the Jews by Abba Eban
I thought the documentry was thought provoking, and set a good example of what documentries should convey -- "the facts" -- minus "too much" so-called "perspective". I took an amature film-making class years ago, and as much as I like classic films; it is always super to view "factual" documentries (minus the "revisionist" approach to manipulating the facts!) The legacy of the relative time factor puts adequate perspective on such "factual" documentries. It's NOT a regular movie after all -- it's a "review of historical facts". ... Thank you for the great books, and service you provide at Amazon.com. :)

Heritage - Civilization and the Jews DVD
WOW! This is an incredible set to have. The DVD is a reprint from a PBS special in 1984 (Peabody winner, at that). Abba Eban is an incredible, captivating speaker. My only problem is that there is so much information, I can only watch about two hours at a time. This is a must have whether you are Jewish or not. The series pulls together world history unlike any class I took in college. The addition of the DVD-Rom with tons of maps, historical documents, and video clips is awesome. It has answered most of the questions I had, and let me view a moving graphical history by sliding the scroll bar. Super buy for a history buff!

superb! Teaches us that Jews and christians are brothers
and sisters. One realizes how alike we are andwonder how we could have persecuted our Jewish brothers for the past 2000 years.

Re-issue of a great documentary from the 1980s
This DVD is a re-issue of a 9-hour mini-series that first aired in the 1980s, and was recently (Nov-Dec. 2001) aired again on PBS. Each segment is 1 hour long, making it a useful tool in history classes covering many different periods. Since the "history of civilization" textbooks rarely mention what the Jews were doing in the 1900-year period between the rise of Christianity and the Nazi Holocaust, this series plays an important role in helping to make the curriculum more inclusive. Plus, The DVD version has a lot of additional resource materials not in the original PBS series.

Regarding classroom appropriateness in public schools, this is a documentary, not a "religion" series. Yes, the series does talk about religion in some places, but it's called "Civilization and the Jews" for a reason. To be Jewish is not just a "religion," it is also a culture, with its own art, music, literature, etc. The approach is a mix of history, theology, archaeology, art, architecture, etc. that is intended to inform, not preach. The series clearly shows how Jews have contributed to the various civilizations where they lived, and how, in turn, the Jews benefitted from interaction with many of the different cultures where the Jewish communities were located. Yes, it also covers the pesecutions of the Jews, but it's well-balanced with positive experiences and events. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Description

Leading statesmen, generals, terrorists and others who made the headlines in one of history's most bitter and enduring struggles tell the story of the Arab-Israeli conflict in The 50 Years War: Israel and the Arabs. Opening with the U.N decision to partition Palestine in 1947, the program charts the ensuing half-century of enmity, warfare, mediation and negotiation.

Among the current and former heads of state and prime ministers interviewed or featured in the series are Benjamin Netanyahu, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Shamir of Israel; King Hussein of Jordan; Yasir Arafat of the Palestine Authority; Hafez al-Assad of Syria; Jafaar Numeiry of Sudan; and U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush and Jimmy Carter. Also appearing are foreign ministers, defense ministers, commanders in the field, heads of intelligence and guerrilla leaders, as well as high-ranking officials in the United States and the former Soviet Union. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Excellent but narrow documentary
Whatever your political views are regarding the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians (and I certainly have my own strong opinions), all serious students of the conflict in the Middle East should watch this PBS documentary. For those intimately familiar with the general course of the conflict, there are no groundbreaking revelations here. On the other hand, this five-hour DVD is chock full of archival footage and interviews with many of the political leaders, generals, guerrila/terrorists and diplomats that shaped the many decades of this frustrating struggle after World War II. Arafat and Sharon, enemies that they are, get to tell their fascinating sides of the story, as does Peres and an aging King Hussein, along with file interviews from Rabin and Sadat.

This DVD is essentially the diplomatic history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Its story narrowly revolves around wars, conversations between diplomats and heads of state, etc. If you are looking for an account of the social history of the Israeli or the Palestinian people and their grievances, or want a detailed discussion of the history of settlement activity, terror bombings or life under the occupation, you will be disappointed. Such controversial and disputed topics are (perhaps wisely) beyond the scope of this documentary.

A significant shortcoming in the video is the absence of any prelude episode that looks over the history of the area in the early twentieth-century under Ottoman rule or the Palestinian mandate. It begins rather abruptly just as the new state of Israel declares its independence in 1948. For an understanding of how the roots of the conflict were sewn, again you will have to look elsewhere. Finally, the video was produced several years ago, when Netanyahu was still Israeli PM. Eager viewers will have to await a future DVD to explore the terms of Barak and Sharon and the al-Aqsa intifada.

Moving. The human face of a bitter political conflcit.
This is a moving story that shows the human face of one of modern history's longest and bitter conflicts. "The 50 Year War, Israel and the Arabs" shows in two Dvds, with a running time of five hours a complete and balanced account of the Middle East, starting in the first episode with Israel's struggle for statehood, the partition of Palestine and the war of 1948. Also on the second and third part of the first DVD, the viewer will find about the Six Days War of 1967, the history of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Yasser Arafat's turbulent rise to the leadership of his people, the lebanese war and the tragedy of the refuggee camps. On DVD number 2 also divided in 3 chapters, the film deals with the Yom Kippur War, the peacemaking process, the Camp David accords of 1978, the Palestinian Intifada, the Oslo agreements of 1993 and later events up to 1999. Included in this documentary are interviews with Middle East leading statesmen, political leaders and warriors, such as the late King Hussein of Jordan, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres, Arafat, former israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S presidents Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton among others. A well made documentary, a complete and balanced film that show us the tragedy and the drama, the hopes and the dreams of arabs and jews, and in a sense of the whole world that has been protagonist and witness of one of the most dramatic events of modern times

Excellent Documentary
Documentary is excellent for everyone who want to know what had been happening in the middle east for past 50 years or so. I agree with one of the reviews made earlier that the beginning of the documentary is not what it should have been. It does not tell about the region under Ottoman rule and the British mandate after World War I. Furthermore, I was very shocked and in utter disbelief that there is no mentioning of massive airlift provided by the United States to Israel in the 1973 war that effectively saved Israel. No word at all. One must wonder why? Any way overall a very informative documentary.

Arafat should shut up!!!
Yasir Arafat is a baby.

He blames everyone for the woes of the Palestinians.

Did you see the 60 Minutes report on what a criminal he is? He is a thief!!!

The worst thing Israel has ever done is not getting rid of him years ago.

the naked truth...
This is the only objective report I ever came across.All the ones
I watched or read before are biased -99% of them favoring the jews.This DVD , in contrast , shows the naked truth of how the jews under the cover of British colonialism came to Palestine as illegal immigrants and took over...
I wish I had 6 billion copies to give to the whole world for free so that they see the naked truth... ... Read more

Description

In New York City, the Hasidim are a common sight, but their way of life remains a mystery to those outside their community. With their use of Yiddish, their distinctive clothes and their strict observance of Jewish ritual and law, the Hasidim are considered by many an insular people with little connection to mainstream America. And yet their values are those that many Americans find most precious: family, community, and a life of meaning.In this extraordinarily intimate film, seven years in the making, we are taken into the depths of the Hasidim's joyous, sometimes harsh, and often-beautiful world. From mystical tales to mesmerizing music, Rebbes to Holocaust survivors, A Life Apart reveals a strange, insular world few outsiders have seen, and fewer yet could imagine. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Vivid portrait of a living people...
Even after several viewings, this video is still compelling and colourful. Nimoy and Parker lovingly narrate, describing accurately the joy and depth of life in these religious communities.

I found that a few of the interviewees came across as caricatures: the lazy yeshiva student (all grown up but unwilling to take on the responsibilities of real life), the dissatisfied feminist poet (Pearl Gluck, who was raised in a Chassidic family and decided to leave). So, please... if you watch this movie (and I do recommend it!), be aware that these caricatures are not representative. Most members of these communities are hard-working and devout; the "dropout rate" is astonishingly low. But that's a little less interesting on film, so you've got to take what you can get.

This documentary would be valuable for anyone interested in Judaism, or religious life in America, but it's especially helpful for non-religious Jews who have always been curious (or suspicious, or even hostile) about this closed little world.

Vivid portrait of a living people...
Even after several viewings, this video is still compelling and colourful. Nimoy and Parker lovingly narrate, describing accurately the joy and depth of life in these religious communities.

I found that a few of the interviewees came across as caricatures: the lazy yeshiva student (all grown up but unwilling to take on the responsibilities of real life), the dissatisfied feminist poet (Pearl Gluck, who was raised in a Chassidic family and decided to leave). So, please... if you watch this movie (and I do recommend it!), be aware that these caricatures are not representative. Most members of these communities are hard-working and devout; the "dropout rate" is astonishingly low. But that's a little less interesting on film, so you've got to take what you can get.

This documentary would be valuable for anyone interested in Judaism, or religious life in America, but it's especially helpful for non-religious Jews who have always been curious (or suspicious, or even hostile) about this closed little world.

Excellent documentary
This is an excellent documentary. It is narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker and Leonard Nimoy. There is a great deal of footage of several Hasidic groups in Brooklyn, many interesting interviews (of course), and some footage filmed in Eastern Europe. Although the point of view of the film is from the outside looking in, there is a definite affection for the subject matter on the part of the filmmakers. The film includes some dissenting voices as balance (a neighborhood person who finds the hasidim rude, a former hasidic woman who has left the community to become a professional academic). The tape also includes a PBS interview with the two filmmakers. Highly recommended as cultural documentary and as a film about the Hasidim.

A MUST SEE
I was given this Video to look at by a friend who had converted to Judaism. Since much of it was filmed where I live and I know personally some of the people in it, I have a different perspective. I have suggested to a number of people to see this in order to see what real chassidim are like. It is the closest you will ever get to it unless you actually live in the community. It is NOT perfect, and there are a few things that I would like to point out.

1. Most of what the scholars say is funny, and not to be taken seriously. They seem to show an uncanny ability of not understanding.
2. Some of the critiques of chassidim show a non-Jewish perspective. (The feminist views were funny. I find it hard to believe that a man who has to rise early and go to work in the cesspool of Manhattan is exposed to more spirituality, then a women who stays home in a pure enviornment raising pure holy children. It seems women get more spiritual benefit from that lifestyle then the men.)
3. I never got an understanding of why Pearl Gluck left the community. In general they did not point out that people leaving is very rare, and women leaving is even rarer.
4. Some of the Yiddish translations are not so correct.

However, the positives far outweigh the negatives. And in any case, there really is nothing out there that gets as close to the truth as this does.

In Search of...Jews
With Manis Friedman and Shmuely Boteach popularizing the philosophy and beliefs of Orthodox Judaism, particulary the Chasidic branch of Lubavitch from which they both began (although Rabbi Boteach parted ways with Chabad over a decade ago) the world of the Hasidim is larger than ever before. Of course, the Lubavitch branch of Hasidim is merely the most popular and "evangelistic" (using that term loosely since they only reach out to Jews and they are much less eager to tell non-observant Jews what's good about them than what's wrong.) but there are several branches and most are based in NYC. Many filmmakers have recently used the Hasidic lifestyle in their movies - Price above Rubies, Kadosh, Stranger Among Us, The Chosen - and interest continues.

Unfortunately this video is merely window dressing. There are some good stories, some vignettes, plenty of shots of the neighborhoods (which are hard to get if the director of THe Believer is right) but a lot of it is reinforcement of the romanticized image vs. the distaste that non-observant Jews have with Chasidic Jews. It shows the female "rabbi" complaining that the Chasidic Jews didn't want her talking to their son because she was dressed immodestly. It has the formerly Chasidic woman talking about her life outside the community and her continued affection for it. It shows the professors painting the communities with broad strokes (don't go to college, only gets married, doesn't take jobs that require advanced degrees, stay poor, etc.) ignoring the exceptions like the Lubavitchers going to college or the diamond businesses. Most of it rings true. Some rings rather false - especially the non-Chasidim passing judgment on the Chasidic - as with the Macalaster professor smugly stating that if men are distracted by women's voices why would G-d want to use them (the flip side of that argument is why would G-d create men that are so uptight that they can't feel a stirring at a woman's singing voice)

The narration is amusing just because Leonard Nimoy is in full "In Search of..." voice as if he's talking about some strange tribe that eats bugs while piercing their noses and not his own relatives. Sarah Jessica Parker's narration is so entwined with Sex and The City that you expect her to say "Do Frum Jews have sex? Do they enjoy it?"

It's a nice video. A good introduction to the world of Chasidim. There's nothing too deep about it. YOu aren't going to hear about the Yeshiva drug scenes or the ways in which Chasidic Jews embrace and pull away from the communities. They don't even mention WHY the Gaon of Vilna excommunicated the Chasidic movement which has a lot more to do with Shabbtei Zvi's lunacy of a generation before and a lot less to do with any dogma on his part. Nor is the movie going to even mention that the Modern Orthodox students playing hockey are just as frum as the Bobov Rabbi that's teaching them - just in different ways.

The movie ends with the wedding of the great granddaughter of the Bobov Rebbe and the subtitles read that he was the last rebbe to bring his community over from teh Holocaust. The sheer number of people celebrating that wedding is astounding but that's the main point of the movie - Chasidic Jews are nuts but they keep Judaism alive. Like Sholem Aleichem it seeks to romanticize a people that it doesn't want to join, rather than the works of I.B. Singer which engages them like real flesh-and-blood people. However, it does an excellent job of presenting a general overview - even if it's superficial. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Aviva Kempner's Oscar-nominated documentary is about baseball likeField of Dreams is about cornfields. Kempner efficiently covers all thebases of Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg's magnificent career witharchival footage and talking heads, including family members, formerteammates and baseball legends, broadcasters and sportswriters, and suchunabashed fans as Alan Dershowitz and Walter Matthau. If this biography'sstyle is not remarkable, its subject certainly was. Greenberg, the son ofimmigrant parents, was a beacon of hope to Jews. As one observer notes,baseball was a way of "showing we were as American as everybody else." To seeone of their own succeed in the national pastime at a time of virulentanti-Semitism was a source of pride and inspiration. One lifelong fan, arabbi, states, "He was the baseball Moses." Winner of several criticsassociation awards for Best Documentary, this is a stirring film for allseasons. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Fantastic Documentary
have to admit it, before watching Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, I really didn't know that much about Hank Greenberg. I of course had heard his name mentioned as 'one of the greats' and I had heard that he was one of the first openly Jewish ballplayers to play baseball, but I really knew very little about his life story. As with many great documentaries, after watching Life and Times of Hank Greenberg I now feel like I really know the whole Hank Greenberg story, and it is a pretty amazing story.

Greenberg played at a time where there simply weren't openly Jewish ballplayers. And while Hank wasn't a deeply religious person, he didn't (like some) conceal the fact he was Jewish. Hank Greenberg is known both for standing up in the face of bigotry as well as being an amazing ballplayer. Playing for the Detroit Tigers for the majority of his career, Hank Greenberg was the first player in the American League to receive the MVP award twice. In 1938 he came amazingly close to breaking Babe Ruth's single season home run record 23 years before it was broken by Roger Marris.

Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is a loving tribute to a man who didn't let bigotry get in the way of his love for baseball and never stopped giving it his all. The documentary was produced over the course of 12 years and features interviews with Hank (who is no longer living), as well as many of the ball players and children of the people he played with. Watching a movie like Life and Times of Hank Greenberg really gives you a glimpse into what makes baseball America's pasttime and something that has the ability to create legends. If you're a baseball fan I'd highly recommend you check out Life and Times of Hank Greenberg - it's a fantastic documentary.

Hank Greenberg the Jewish Babe Ruth/Moses/Jackie Robinson
If the point of "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" is lost on the viewer, then history itself put the writing on the wall when the owner of the Detroit Tigers misunderstood the meaning of an old photograph of Greenberg and traded his star to the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1947 season. Greenberg's last season in the baseball was Jackie Robinson's first, and Greenberg was in the National League to witness it first hand. Not surprisingly, Greenberg was one of the few opposing ball players to offer Robinson encouragement in breaking baseball's color line. But then, as this 1999 documentary proved repeatedly, no white player in the history of the game had been subjected to the abuse Greenberg suffered because his was Jewish. Without a doubt Robinson suffered more, maybe even more that first season than Greenberg his entire career. But this documentary also shows that Greenberg was as important to the American Jewish community as Jackie was to African Americans.

I remembered that Greenberg was the first person to win the MVP award at two different positions and that in 1935 he had 100 R.B.I.'s at the break and was not selected for the All-Star team (Manager Mickey Cochrane did not want to be accused of playing favorites with someone from his own team and picked Lou Gehrig and Jimmy Foxx instead). But what I really picked up from this documentary was how good Greenberg made the Detroit Tigers during his career. If you look at his career batting statistics you will see that Greenberg played eight full seasons and batted in over 100 runs seven times for the Tigers between 1933 and 1946 (several seasons were lost to injury and military service). The Tigers played in the World Series in 1934, 1935, 1940, and 1945, and Greenberg was the common denominator for those teams. You will be hard pressed to find a major league baseball player with that sort of success ratio since Greenberg's day outside of New York Yankees like Berra, Ford, Mantle, and Jeter.

Writer-director Aviva Kempner balances Greenberg's playing career with the impact he had as baseball's first Jewish star. There are some clips from an old interview with Greenberg, who died in 1986. But most of the talking heads are from contemporary clips of Greenberg's family, former teammates, reporters, and lifelong fans. The last category are the most interesting, because it includes not only famous people like Walter Matthau and Alan Dershowitz, but ordinary fans, including several rabbis and a self-admitted "groupie." These are the people with whom "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg" resonates the most. Clearly this is a documentary which will be of interest to baseball fans but also to those interested in the story of a true American hero.

Final Note: The documentary does not point out that in 1938 when Greenberg hit 58 home runs, two short of Babe Ruth's record, he hit two balls into a screen that were ground rule doubles; however, that screen was not there when Ruth played in 1927

An exceptional documentary
I think this is a truly exceptional documentary on many different levels. First, it tells the story of one of the best baseball players in history, who often goes unrecognized for his skills. I consider myself a big baseball fan, especially in the history of baseball and stars of the past. Yet before this movie, I knew very little about Hank Greenberg. Despite being one of the best hitters at that time, Greenberg isn't talked about very often. This DVD gets his story out, and shows how dominant of a ball player he was.

A major reason that Greenberg is often overlooked when people talk about great ball players is that he spent many of his prime years serving the war effort and was away from baseball. This has kept his lifetime stats and therefore his notoriety down.

Another major reason this movie was so good was how it showed Greenberg's career in baseball as a Jewish baseball player. Although his abuse was less than what Jackie Robinson would later recieve, he still did suffer abuse. Also, he was watched and revered by the Jewish community. He was respected and admired as a Jewish man who was just as good as other American ball players, giving Jews a sense of pride. One of the best parts of the film is when the viewer learns that Greenberg talked to Jackie Robinson about playing in baseball as a minority, and gave him support.

Whether he was helping Detroit win the World Series, serving his country in the war, being a symbol of pride for the Jewish population, or giving Jackie Robinson advice, we can see that he meant a lot to a lot of people. This is a remarkable story about a remarkable man, through the lens of baseball. If you like baseball and baseball history, this movie is a must-see.

Important Ballplayer for many reasons.
Hank Greenberg seemed like a pretty decent fellow and a whale of a ballplayer. Like many, he lost his prime years fighting those jerks in the Pacific. No telling how good his career number would have been if he could have been back in the states poking at the pill. Even with that handicap he still played in three World Series and won 2 MVP awards. This move does a pretty good job of documenting his life, but it seems to define him too much by his religion. Greenberg wasn't even a religious person, but the film continues to go back to the subject. I'm sure that he found discrimination along the way, but when you see the actual footage of him interviewed in 1983, you get the impression that he would be very uncomfortable with his life being told through that lens. He seems too no nonsense for that. It's interesting when he collides with rookie Jackie Robinson in 1947, and offers him encouragement. It's really a poetic moment in baseball history.

The movie is good enough that it seems too short. A shame that there isn't more baseball footage from that time period.

A Thorough and Rounded Biographical Film
My father often talks of how Hank Greenberg is not given the credit he deserves as a ballplayer, as a great power hitter and as an amazing story of persistence in coming back as a tremendous player after serving in World War II. I bought him this video as a Father's Day gift, and I think I enjoyed it as much as he did. This documentary/biography is not at all dry. Many people, famous and not, are shown speaking of their admiration for Hank Greenberg as a player and as a man. The video emphasizes heavily his role as the first openly Jewish player in major league baseball, the bigotry he faced, and the grace with which he responded to it. A home run with two men on base was Greenberg's reply to an ethnic slur; what could be better? I enjoy the statistics of baseball and Greenberg's performance numbers were not mentioned as much as I would have liked, but that is a minor point. After seeing this video, I feel I know the first Hammerin' Hank as well as any of today's players, and admire him more than the vast majority playing today, not just for his hitting prowess but for his character. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

On September 5, 1972, eight Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli athletes and took nine others hostage at the Munich Olympic Village. The event stopped the games, gripped the world, and perhaps for the first time fully illustrated the volatile state of affairs in the Mideast to the world. Kevin Macdonald's 1999 Academy Award(r)-winning documentary painstakingly reconstructs the events, shedding light on what the world saw on television with the exasperating revelation of behind-the-scenes blunders.

This visceral, tense film uses riveting news footage to great effect, weaving in affecting interviews. Macdonald mourns the deaths of the innocent Olympic hostages and dutifully gives a voice to the Palestinian cause through interviews with Jamal al-Gashey, the only survivor of the eight terrorists, who briefly came out of hiding for the film. He earnestly but half-heartedly sketches a picture of the social and political situation that fueled the act, reserving his anger for the grossly unprepared German police force. The tragedy that erupted at the Fürstenfeldbruck air base becomes all the more upsetting in light of the incompetence and unforgivable mistakes: botched rescues, poor planning, bad intelligence, and lack of contingency plans. Even the irresponsibility of the media circus gets off lightly. It's a sobering, angering, often frustrating piece of non-fiction cinema, a thorough piece of historical research brought to life with an angry immediacy. Macdonald simply doesn't know what lessons to draw from it all. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Brilliant and Unforgettable.
One Day in September is a documentary like no other. Good documentaries will leave you with a sense of what a specific period in history was actually like. One Day in September goes far beyond just giving you a sense of the events which occurred during the Munich Olympics, it seems to immerse you in those events. Before unfolding the actual chain of events in the Munich Crisis, the film does a great job of depicting the political, social, and emotional state of the early 1970's. Then, the film proceeds to lay the hostage crisis out in a seamless sequence of events. Throughout the film, one feels the events escalating and the desperation building. None of the incident is left un-inspected and unreported. In addition, the film is made even more complete by the insertion of present-day interviews with the Israelis and Germans involved, as well as the only surviving Palestinian terrorist who took part in the operation. To hear commentary by those who were personally involved, proved extremely powerful. If this film doesn't give you a true sense of the gravity and horror of the Munich Hostage Crisis, I'm not sure what will.

fascinating subject, disappointing documentary
A film by Kevin MacDonald

"One Day in September" is a documentary film dealing with the terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympic Games held in Munich, Germany. On September 5, 1972, eight Palestinian terrorists stormed the Olympic Village and killed two Israelis athletes and took another nine Israelis hostage. This began the standoff between the German police and the terrorists.

The documentary starts by letting us know who some of the victims are (though, I suppose if you had no idea what this was about you wouldn't know they were the future victims). The film focuses on one particular Israeli and his wife speaks about him and what kind of man he was. We also get the perspective of Jamal al-Gashey, one of the terrorists. He speaks on camera (though obscured by lack of light) about the planning for the incident. The documentary then tells us about the hopes for the Munich games, the first Olympic games since the 1932 Berlin games when Hitler was the host. The hope was that the games could be a reconciliation after World War II. But then the attack occurred and the standoff began.

From the start, nothing went right. "One Day in September" shows the ineptitude of the German police throughout the event. One example is that the police put together a task force to rescue the hostages at the Olympic village. Sounds great, but they were doing it in daylight and there were television crews covering the standoff and they barely realized in time that every room in the Olympic village had a television and the terrorists were likely watching every move the police made. It got worse from there. It wasn't until the final rescue attempt at the airport that the ineptitude reached a critical level. I couldn't believe how many things were not taken into consideration, such as the sniper team had no communication with the police so they did not know how many terrorists there were, and two of the snipers didn't have helmets or bulletproof vests so they were pinned down and couldn't take a shot.

I have two main thoughts running through my head about this film. The subject of the film is fascinating. This is something that I want to know about and it is a huge moment in Olympic history (and gets alluded to in the two Steve Prefontaine movies). The other thought is that while the subject was incredibly interesting and the movie won the 1999 Academy Award for Best Documentary, I don't feel that it was as well made as it could have been. The documentary was somewhat boring, very slow moving (a documentary can move at a swift pace even for an event covering a short period of time), and was not very engaging. It is a movie that I wanted to like, but I think it was only average. It lingered too long at times and did not move on in telling the story fast enough.

Terrorism at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.
ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER is an intriguing documentary covering the brutal killings of eleven Israeli athletes by a radical Palestinian terrorism group at the 1972 Olympic Games held in Munich, Germany. First-rate film archives of the unfolding drama are shown throughout this film and are interspersed with present-day interviews of numerous individuals directly involved, including the sole remaining terrorist who remains in hiding to this day in fear of Israeli assassination squads. Although the ending is not a secret I found this film to be gripping and suspenseful.

One of the most compelling aspects of this film pertains to how Germany failed repeatedly to effectively protect the athletes and to successfully rescue the hostages. Participating in the 1972 Olympic Games was a momentous symbolic measure for Israel as German-Jewish relations remained sore nearly three decades after the collapse of Nazi Germany. Security surrounding the Olympic Village was intentionally relaxed and the guards did not carry guns. This apparent loophole enabled the terrorists to infiltrate the Israeli housing complex and carry out their treats to the vicious end.

Watching this documentary is very timely considering present-day political situations in the Middle East and the upcoming summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. It is my dear hope that the Greeks will learn from the mistakes of the Germans and protect all the athletes and spectators from harm. The camaraderie and spirit of the Olympics should not be overshadowed by acts of terrorism. It's sobering to realize that 30 years later the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains in the headlines and claims countless of lives. Highly recommended.

"The Myth of Utter German Ruthless Efficiency"
An excellent documentary that demonstrates in crystal-clear fashion the danger that fundamentalist Muslims pose to the civilized world, and how the Palestinians were every bit as cold-blooded, fanatical, and murderous as kidnappers in 1972 as they are today as homicide-bombers. During the 1972 Munich Olympics, eight terrorists waltzed into the Olympic compound right under the nose of German authorities and held 11 Israeli athletes hostage, demanding that Israel release 200 terrorists held as prisoners. Long story short, one hostage was shot in front of the others, one pitched out a window, and the rest were slaughtered at a German airport, in the terrorists' botched attempt to flee the country with the athletes still captive.

The film is as visually stimulating as it is informative. The standoff and negotiations between the Palestinians and Germans were captured in their entirety on film, as was the ensuing journey to the airport; interspersed with the live footage were current news reports, including portions of the ABC sports broadcast and commentary about the scene at hand. Anything not captured live on film was photographed, and the film's music was artfully chosen to convey the events' drama and anguish. Amazingly, the sole surviving Palestinian terrorist was interviewed incognito for the film, who said about the initial hostage capture, "I felt very proud that for the first time I was able to confront the Israelis." The shots of the slain athletes (both at the compound and the airport) are a brutal reminder of what the Palestinian idea of "confronting" innocents entails.

One Day in September also shows that the Germans hadn't traveled very far from Nazism by 1972, except that their military ineptitude had grown in leaps and bounds. Not only did the German police and Olympic authorities handle the crisis as effectively as a cross between Gilligan, Mr. Magoo, and Inspector Clousseau, but they were more concerned with continuing the games than they were with saving the lives of the hostages. Furthermore, they held the Mossad at bay and prevented it from getting the job done; the Israeli squad, like so many others, was unfortunately initially fooled by what one called "The Myth of Utter German Ruthless Efficiency."

German cluelessness and cowardice abounded: the police tried to raid the compound from the roof, only to learn just in time that the terrorists could watch their every move on live TV coverage; agents got cold feet and bailed at the last second before descending on the terrorists; at the airport, they didn't even use real snipers, and had their men positioned in one another's lines of fire; one of the Germans accidentally shot a hostage. In the interviews given by the Germans for the documentary (especially that of General Wegener), the tone can best be described as a shrug of the shoulders and a, "Hey, what can you do?" The greatest insult of is that the Germans allowed the three surviving terrorists to escape during their transport, as cowardly means of insurance against future acts of terrorism. The terrorists received a hero's welcome in Libya.

An amazingly sad story, captured as vividly as can be- One Day in September is the essence of what documentaries of historical events should be. The only happy ending is that the Mossad later killed two out of the three terrorists- it's just too bad the remaining one couldn't have been shot in the face as soon as his interview for the project finished.

The Munich Olympic Massacre is finally examined
Without going into the historic details, this DVD is a masterpiece of documentary filming. Severely affecting, it made several members of my family cry throughout the film. By the time the movie ends, you will be deeply disturbed. This DVD is a must-have. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In "Taking Root 1820-1880," the second installment of They Came for Good, a series that aired on PBS, the role of Jews in American history is examined in an informative and entertaining manner. In the early days of the new nation, 15,000 Jewish peddlers traveled the roads and were a main method of distribution for goods manufactured in the industrial northeast. As many of the peddlers settled down, small towns across the country often had one Jewish-owned store on the main street. Stories tell of some of the notable Jewish merchants and businessmen, including a peddler named Levi Strauss who arrived in California during the Gold Rush and made his fortune by inventing pants made of heavy canvas that were soon the preferred work clothes among miners. Actors in period garb appear to enact the roles of prominent Jews, speaking passages discovered in diaries and letters written by Jewish religious, civic, and business leaders. The development of reform and conservative Judaism in America is also discussed, and historians offer insights into how Jewish life developed in unique ways in America, including service on both sides in the Civil War.By 1880, more than 250,000 Jews would arrive in America as they fled persecution in eastern Europe, and a young Jewish woman in New York, Emma Lazarus, would write "The New Colossus," the poem associated with the Statue of Liberty. This is an engaging look at how Jews contributed greatly to the building of the American nation. --Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Amazon.com

The story of Jews in America is told in "Present at the Creation 1654-1820," the first installment of a series that was shown on PBS, They Came for Good. Beginning with the arrival of 23 Brazilian Jews who fled persecution and arrived unwelcome at the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam in 1654, the story involves a number of heroic figures who fought for the rights of Jews to own property and practice their religion in the New World. One such colonist, Asher Levy, whose name is memorialized on several landmarks in New York City today, was a successful merchant who fought against being treated as a second-class citizen. During the American Revolution, Jewish financiers helped the Colonial cause, and in what would have been startling in a European country of that era, President George Washington wrote a letter expressing his wishes that America not practice bigotry directed at Jews. Actors in period costume appear as Jews of the time, telling stories derived from diaries and letters of how they managed to mesh in the new country while at the same time keeping to the strict Jewish customs. This is a very intelligently produced look at an aspect of early American history that is often overlooked. --Robert J. McNamara ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Lots of good info, but a glaring error
This documentary is filled with lots of good information and many interesting stories. I learned much from it. However, at one point, the narrator refers to North America at the time of European colonization as an "Empty Continent". Such a gaff calls into question the perspective of the entire program. In describing the oppression of the Jewish people and their struggle to overcome it, the program does an immense disservice to that struggle by implicitly denying the oppression of another people - an oppression that all Europeans contributed to.

A historical documentary worth seeing.
A documentary of the Jewish history during and after the creation of the United states of America.

It speaks about the role of the Jews in the American life and history.

Whether during the constitution or civil war they were always there as American Jews. Soldiers ,philosphers ,lawyers and economists .

A worth watching tape.

really good i learned alot
intresting over view educational and should be viewed by peoiple inrtrested in hostory as well as the jewish peopl really fasanating ... Read more

Description

During his own lifetime, Marc Chagall became a legend--the grand old man of French painting. Born in the Jewish ghetto in provincial Russia, he broke away from the restrictions of poverty and religious constraints to become swept up in the political and artistic maelstrom of the Russian Revolution before moving to Paris, at that time the artistic capital of Europe. Cubism, Expressionism, Surrealism--Chagall learned from all of these movements and rubbed shoulders with many of the great painters and poets of the century, but he stayed very much his own man and developed a unique style which was his hallmark through the years. This important film was completed shortly before Chagall's death and is the only film made about this great artist during his lifetime. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

MYSTIC ARTIST
A flying cow, an artist with seven fingers, two lovers engaged in an intimate kiss but one of them has an elongated neck that resembles a snake and then we see the face of a fiddler, a green face. What in the world are these images doing on a canvas? Is the artist insane or just playing with our minds? If you have come across those images, welcome to the world of Marc Chagall who captivated art lovers for over half a century.

Who is this man? We are given a guided tour of his works and life by an artist who is trying to figure out the same question. He does this by taking us to the places where Chagall worked, introduces us to Chagall's techniques as a painter and explores the impact of his personal life on his art. Born in a Jewish Ghetto in Russia and later moving to Paris, Chagall rose to become the greatest artist of his time.

Many of his critics and even our narrator had problems with his style, his use of light and his lack of explaining what he was seeking to convey in his pictures. Since Chagall feels no need to explain, he is called a Mystic, in a negative since. Mystics of course have their heads in the air and have no idea of what they are doing. Of all the major flaws of this video I would say the incessant need to explain and analyze Chagall takes away from the viewer the ability to make up their own minds. Chagall speaks for himself in his paintings infused with thems from Russia, the Bible and his own sense of whom he is. Of special note was Chagall's work in stained glass a medium which one wouldn't think such a person could be effective since his medium is the pallete and canvas. Overall this is a good video in introducing you to the artistic works of the artist as well as his life. Oh, as a "Mystic" artist Chagall does an outstanding job in touching your spirit through his works that few artists can achieve. ... Read more

Description

Winner of the coveted Peabody Award, Heritage - Civilization and the Jews is the monumental nine-part series spanning five millennia of Jewish history and culture. The series is hosted by former Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Abba Eban, who describes it as "a celebration of our common humanistic and moral heritage, explored through the mysteries of preservation, renewal, and resonance of the Jewish people." From the stony heights of Sinai to the shores of the Dead Sea, from a Greek amphitheater in Delphi to the Forum of ancient Rome, out of the ashes of concentration camps to the rebuilt cities and villages of Israel, Heritage brings to life the long and complex history of the Jews and their centuries-old interaction with the rest of Western civilization. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Excellent!
This nine-part documentary is not only a history of the Jews, it's a history of the western world! Hundreds of thousands of dollars were probably spent in the production of this series. Abba Eban takes the viewer all over the world to examine one of the world's most gifted and intriguing people - the Jews. These tapes will not put you to sleep. The music and images allows the viewer to relive Jewish history. And consequently, come to understand the world we live in today much better. I know the tapes are pricey, but own this documentary if you ever have the chance. You'll never regret it.

Heritage Civilization & the Jews by Abba Eban
I thought the documentry was thought provoking, and set a good example of what documentries should convey -- "the facts" -- minus "too much" so-called "perspective". I took an amature film-making class years ago, and as much as I like classic films; it is always super to view "factual" documentries (minus the "revisionist" approach to manipulating the facts!) The legacy of the relative time factor puts adequate perspective on such "factual" documentries. It's NOT a regular movie after all -- it's a "review of historical facts". ... Thank you for the great books, and service you provide at Amazon.com. :)

Heritage - Civilization and the Jews DVD
WOW! This is an incredible set to have. The DVD is a reprint from a PBS special in 1984 (Peabody winner, at that). Abba Eban is an incredible, captivating speaker. My only problem is that there is so much information, I can only watch about two hours at a time. This is a must have whether you are Jewish or not. The series pulls together world history unlike any class I took in college. The addition of the DVD-Rom with tons of maps, historical documents, and video clips is awesome. It has answered most of the questions I had, and let me view a moving graphical history by sliding the scroll bar. Super buy for a history buff!

superb! Teaches us that Jews and christians are brothers
and sisters. One realizes how alike we are andwonder how we could have persecuted our Jewish brothers for the past 2000 years.

Re-issue of a great documentary from the 1980s
This DVD is a re-issue of a 9-hour mini-series that first aired in the 1980s, and was recently (Nov-Dec. 2001) aired again on PBS. Each segment is 1 hour long, making it a useful tool in history classes covering many different periods. Since the "history of civilization" textbooks rarely mention what the Jews were doing in the 1900-year period between the rise of Christianity and the Nazi Holocaust, this series plays an important role in helping to make the curriculum more inclusive. Plus, The DVD version has a lot of additional resource materials not in the original PBS series.

Regarding classroom appropriateness in public schools, this is a documentary, not a "religion" series. Yes, the series does talk about religion in some places, but it's called "Civilization and the Jews" for a reason. To be Jewish is not just a "religion," it is also a culture, with its own art, music, literature, etc. The approach is a mix of history, theology, archaeology, art, architecture, etc. that is intended to inform, not preach. The series clearly shows how Jews have contributed to the various civilizations where they lived, and how, in turn, the Jews benefitted from interaction with many of the different cultures where the Jewish communities were located. Yes, it also covers the pesecutions of the Jews, but it's well-balanced with positive experiences and events. Highly recommended! ... Read more