Aired on public television, filmmaker Allen Oren's documentary presents 18 takes on the sacred Jewish chant “Kol Nidre.” The film begins with archival footage from the U.S. Holocaust Museum, in which survivor Shony Braun recounts a performance of “Kol Nidre” in a Nazi labor camp, a remembrance that haunts Oren, who wonders why the Yom Kippur prayer (which consists of only four Aramaic lines repeated three times) has become so meaningful to so many people, including non-Jews. Oren suspects that the true power lies in the mournful melody underlying the piece, which is performed here by several participants, including Cantor Angela Warnick Buchdahl from Manhattan's Central Synagogue, who adds Eastern tonalities, and composer/pianist Ben Zebelman, who plays his “Kol Nidre Variations.” Others offer their insights on Kol Nidre, such as Cantor Bruce Siegel, who reads from his children's book The Magic of Kol Nidre, and cinema scholar Dr. Eric Goldman, who talks about Al Jolson's rendition in 1927's The Jazz Singer, noting that “it's among the first words to be uttered on film.” Oren also interviews rabbis, historians, archivists, theologians, law professors, and radio producers to provide a well-rounded look at this deceptively simple song, which has also been recorded by Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, and the Electric Prunes, among others. Oren concludes with an a cappella performance from Cantor Raphael Frieder of Temple Israel in Great Neck, NY. DVD extras include full performances by Buchdahl and Frieder, as well as Amir Eldan's presentation of Bruch's 1881 cello adaptation. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
18 Voices Sing Kol Nidre
(2010) 40 min. DVD: $24.95 ($74.95 w/PPR). Voices of Kol Nidre. Volume 26, Issue 2
18 Voices Sing Kol Nidre
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: