Directed by Amy Geller and Gerald Peary

Notable Festivals: Premiere, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, 2019; Vancouver International Film Festival, 2019; DOC NYC, 2019.

Director Amy Geller (Bates Class of 1996)

The Rabbi Goes West unfolds like an onion, revealing a world that may appear simple only to evolve into a massively complex sociopolitical world. Chaim Bruk is a charismatic young Rabbi who entered the community of Bozeman, Montana from a conservatory in Brooklyn, New York.  At first glance, he is not just a good man, but a great man, making the Jewish people of Montana proud to be members of the faith and growing and uniting a community with deep roots that was lost to time.  That’s how Chaim would have you see it, but others see Chaim and his work as one part of a massive story defined by outdated gender norms and ulterior motives. Co-directed and produced by Bates graduate Amy Geller (‘96), The Rabbi Goes West features a unique style of storytelling that shines a light on a marginalized community whose presence in Montana may be a surprise to many viewers.  (Written by Robby Haynos ’22)

Website: https://www.therabbigoeswest.com/

Screens: Fri Apr 1 / 1:00pm / Nordica Theater 2