Beyond the Pulpit: Facets of a Rabbi

Renaissance-Man-and-Rabbi William Kramer is profiled in this video, which "goes beyond the pulpit" and explores his personal life and philosophy. We see him exercising, thrift-shopping, teaching art history, making funeral arrangements, and talking with his wife. Rabbi Kramer is an accomplished and compelling person, but don't we all exercise, shop, work, make funeral arrangements, and talk with our spouses? In other words, so what? The general public is just not familiar enough with Kramer to warrant interest in a special video about him. The grammatically- and typographically-challenged video cover-which doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the producers in the first place-claim that their tape "presents a fresh outlook on Reform Rabbis and the Jewish faith." It does not, and is not recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Glaser)