City Of Joel

The Hasidic community centered around the teachings of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum outgrew South Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Subsequently parts of the community moved to the small town Monroe, NY and founded the district Kiryas Joel, which has grown from a few hundred members to a polulation of over 30,000. To provide their community with much needed space to live and follow their religious teachings without outside influences, the village of Kiryas Joel seeks to purchase more land. "The Emmy-winning filmmaker Jesse Sweet was given unprecedented access to talk with Hasidic leaders and to follow the ensuing clash of cultures. Beautifully shot, City of Joel raises important questions." (Jfi)