http://saneasylumrecords.com/audio/gewiz/index.php
AUTHORS NOTE: I grew up a part time, secular, unobservant jew – i also grew up near the observant community of Boro Park, Brooklyn, New York – fyi in full disclosure, my mother, is also the subject of work in progress play/film/exhibition documentary “Sewing Machine & the Immigrant” – she, like many conservative jews had her own internal forgiving god, she spoke to and of and her own private religion & religious interpretations too – she observed the Jewish holidays and lit friday night candles and didn’t work on the sabbath too – as an immigrant & conservative jews, like most of non ultra orthodox jews i she looked down on the observant jews “as giving them (those who were trying to blend in” a bad name!” — In 2011, I thought to myself, here i am an unobservant jew and documentary filmmaker doing a documentary called “Observing The Observant” – the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly – trying to let them tell their own story through my and their eyes with an open minded and heart -NOTE: below is a partial list of content i have been photographing and filming for 8 years and is badly in need of updating too
Observing the Observant
an experiential non-linear work in progress moving/still/audio documentary
from the view point of one who is non-Observant with a little help from my friends, Isaac Schonfeld
(right now focusing on the Jewish culture)
Giving: Rebbe Schneerson – i took this photo in late 1980’s – well actually the photo took itself and i recently discovered it – or maybe it discovered me – it’s my hand reaching out and the Rebbe hand giving – if you are interested in the photo and more details and high resolution or print or to use it – please contact me geo@ObservingTheObservant.com
note: out of respect i didn’t use the watermark over the rebbe face as any other photographer might have – so please if you are going to go behind my back and alter it and use it at least credit me and ObservingTheObservant.com
if you are interested in high resolution photo and more details please contact me geo@ObservingTheObservant.com
JObserving the Observant is an experiential non-linear work in progress documentary that explores the world of the observant as i experienced it, as oine who was born into a secular Jewish family too – this playlist represents 4 videos aprox 1 hour long filmed on July 1, 2014, the 20th anniversary of the Rebbe leaving his body behind and the second time i filmed this event which is at 770 Eastern Parkway, the Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters of the ultra observant community in Crown Heights Brooklyn New York – a mile from where i grew up as a kid –
i first stumbled on this event in 2013 when the Brasilian Chabad, in yellow, came to 770 and at midnight started this mythical dance trance on the tables and 2014 i came back to make sure i got a better, and different perspective – there is more to this then meets the eye-
Observing Asim Rafiqui talks at Chulent March 13 2014
audio mp3 of Asim Rafiqui with Isaac Shonfeld after Asims talks at Chulent March 13 2014
http://Promisedlandofdreams.com/observant/asimrafiqui/asim.mp3
talk and back and forth talk-6-6-2013 – David Siff holds a PhD in Jewish Thought from JTS. He wrote his dissertation on “Messianism and Hermeneutics: Liqutey Moharan as the Torah of Atiq.” His areas of focus include medieval mysticism and philosophy, early Hassidism, and the application of contemporary literary theory and genre theory to Jewish texts. He is the rabbi at Flatbush Jewish Center.
foto by steve beltzer
editors note: there is a five min pre-conversation that i found interesting enough to include as it resonated with the energy of the night and the pre-conversation reflects the energy of my experience in the observing the observant
click on the arrows
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/observing-david-siff-chulent-talk-6-6-2013-130606_01.mp3
Observing the Observant Pearl Peri Reich – Choice or No Choice talk another food for thought at Chulent 9-6-2012
click on the arrows
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/chulent-Perl_Reich-9-6-2012.mp3
caught in a Kafkaesque moment at Chulent
click on the arrows
August 10 2012 – conversation in Chelsea Sq Diner on Observing with Robert Eisenberg on the money/honey pot and where did it go? and who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar too (part 1 excerpted from larger piece stay tooned)
Excerpt of bob talking about statistic of whose who and whose got what maybe too?
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/bob-eisenberg-dinerchats-observing.mp3
complete DinerChat Observing Observant talk
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/observing-bob-eisenberg-dinerchats-complete.mp3
post DinerChat walk to subway talk
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/observing-bob-eisenberg-dinerchats-post-diner-walk.mp3
Dec 15, 2011 – Robert Eisenberg holds court at Chulent NYC on who’s got the BEEF & where’s the BEEF? – on the state of stats on the distribution of wealth and, forget the 1%, who’s the 001% & 99% and what and why and where’s it
Observing David – excerpt Madness And God Two phone conversation first one about knowledge, faith, madness, god, spiritual pride, chosen people, visions, voices, golden calf, schizophrenia, jesus, moses, bible, mental illness, and beyond and second one Schizo-Effective Schizophrenia, Scriptures and god excerpted from our about page at MadnessAndGod.com/about
click on the arrows
http://www.observingtheobservant.com/audio/david-phone-knowledge-spiritual–pride-8-25-2012.mp3
Schizo-Effective Schizophrenia and Scriptures excerpt
http://madnessandgod.com/audio/madnessandgod-schizophrenia-and-scriptures-excerpt-080406_03a.mp3
Observing Eliyahu Mclean – in search of wisdom, harmony and beyond 1/14/2012 at chulent
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/eliyahu-mclean-chulent2.mp3
Jacob Gluck talk Reform Conservative Orthodox History
introduced by his eminence Isaac Schonfeld at Chulent – 8/2/2012
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/jacob-gluck-denomination-history.mp3
Observing Naomi Seidman
Naomi-Seidman-Secularization-Sexuality-Rise-of-Modern-Jewish-Literature-7-5-2012
Observing Speed Seder by Miraim Leah at chulent intro by Danny Lifer 2/9/2012
Observing Kobi Arad and Orin Etkin intro by Robert Eisenberg 6-12-2012 – images coming soon
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/Observing-Observant-Kobi-Arad-and-Orin-Etkin-6-12-2012.mp3
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Observing Naomi Seidman
“Secularization, Sexuality and the Rise of Modern Jewish Literature” byNaomi Seidman at Chulent, Ocean Parkway Jewish Center 7-5-2012 – recorded by geo gelller – editors note: please note this is un-edited, untouched, unimaginable and to some it might be unthinkable too
http://www.observingtheobservant.com/naomi-seidman/chulent-Naomi-Seidman-Secularization-Sexuality-Rise-of-Modern-Jewish-Literature-7-5-2012.mp3
Observing Tali Aronsky 2/08/2012
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/chulent-tali-observing-observant-120209_03-working.mp3
Observing Tziporah Miriam Halperin
in conversation
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/chulent-tziporah-observing-observant-120209_03-working.mp3
Observing the Observant at play
general playfulness, god, porn, strawberries, food, random conversations and singing at chulent 2/10/12
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/chulent-conversation-playing-with-madness-120210_05-working-mix-1.mp3
Observing Daniel Winter
– talk 7-28-2011
http://www.observingtheobservant.com/audio/chulent-talk-daniel-winter-7-28-2011.mp3
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more stills photos from 7-28-2011 chulent and audio
http://observingtheobservant.com/chulent/danielwinter-7-28-2011/audio/index.html
Observing David Solomon
David Solomon – Observing the Observant – talks at Chulent Feb 2, 2012
http://www.observingtheobservant.com/audio/David-Solomon_talk-at-chulent-120202_07.mp3
Observing Yoseph Ibn Mardachya (aka Yoseph Needelman) 10/11/2011
Observing Robert Eisenberg 12/15/2011
Robert Eisenberg holds court at Chulent NYC on who’s got the BEEF & where’s the BEEF? – on the state of stats on the distribution of wealth and, forget the 1%, who’s the 001% & 99% and what and why and where’s it all at and been? and theories behind capitalism, socialism, communism and all the other cynic-isms too… and all this and more in a well researched eclectic talk that will make you think and wonder among other things how you can talk about Beef without ever mentioning beef or his beef too strongly, while revealing where and who’s got the BEEF too! – Dec 15, 2011 PS thanks to Isaac Schonefeld for asking most provacative question
http://observingtheobservant.com/audio/observing-Robert-Eisenberg.mp3
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Observing Michael Somoroff
holds court at Chulent on – re-imagining the unimaginable – Dec 9 2011
audio only
http://www.observingtheobservant.com/audio/chulent-michael-somoroff-12-9-2011.mp3
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some random photos
Chaim Chernikov – talks at chulent aug 2011
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