A good Rabbi is hard to find. In this documentary about Rabbi Willy Wolff, you’ll see the unbelievable stamina and faith it takes to perform his many duties. Now in his late 80s, he leads two small communities in Germany, Schwerin and Rostock, commuting back and forth from his home in England. A deeply religious man, Wolff still finds time to practice yoga, learn Russian, go on fasting retreats, visit family in Israel and enjoy the racetrack with friends, and is rarely seen without a beatific grin on his face and twinkle in his eye. But his personal history is complex and tinged with sorrow. After escaping with his family from the Nazis as a child, he became a renowned British political correspondent and left a successful career behind in his 50s to become a rabbi. Wolff’s joie de vivre is remarkable, but the film’s true value is in showing us the work that goes into being a rabbi and the sacrifices rabbis make for their communities. Rabbi Wolff: A Gentleman Before God takes us behind the scenes of the rabbinate, showing us what it takes to be an effective spiritual leader, and challenging the ideas we have about what rabbis can and should do. —Tamar Fox
WEST COAST PREMIERE