Still Waters Run Deep; Windows To the Soul

Contrary to popular belief, Jewish brides do not engage in the Mikvah--a ritual immersion in purified rain water following the menstrual cycle--to clean their physical bodies. It's not about cleanliness, but rather spiritual purity. Still Waters Run Deep examines this 2,000-year-old practice, combining interviews with women who observe the ceremony and Jewish educators who comment on its history. Couples refrain from sexual relations for a two week period each month (the week of the menstrual cycle and the week following), and then resume lovemaking after the wife visits a center with a Mikvah bath. Interestingly--according to the video--the divorce rate among Jewish couples is estimated to be 51%, but only 1.6% amongst couples who practice Mikvah. The conclusion seems to be that abstinence makes the heart grow fonder. Finding favor with contemporary Jewish couples, the ceremonious observation of Mikvah is an important component in Jewish spiritual life. A good overview. Recommended.Windows to the Soul, by contrast, is a disappointingly superficial biography of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, known as "the Rebbe" to his worldwide admirers, which included Margaret Thatcher and Elie Wiesel. Combining sound bites from interviewees, an incessant upbeat musical soundtrack, and primitive markers along the Rabbi's life journey (the video actually uses captions like "The Rebbe Was a Naval Engineer"), Windows to the Soul praises Schneerson's work in founding Lubavitch schools devoted to Jewish education across the globe, and other accomplishments, without ever stopping to really explain much about the man or his work. We are left with a blur of compliments and images set to music (music that would feel at home in an aerobic exercise video, no less). Sara Just, an ABC Nightline producer, loved this, and it's easy to see why: the video is more flash than substance, which makes for good TV but only a fair documentary. An optional purchase. (R. Pitman)