A Conversation For halachic reasons, Shuli insisted that his real-life wife, Michal Bat-Sheva, who with Shuli and had never acted before, star opposite him in Ushpizin. Shuli won the Israeli Film Academy’s 2004 Best Actor Award, the Israeli equivalent of the Oscar. Photos courtesy of New Line Home Michal Rand Entertainment BY DOV PARIS Shuli and Michal Bat-Sheva Rand don’t look like your typical movie stars. Sure, they recently starred in a groundbreaking Israeli film that has won acclaim far beyond the Jewish community. But this middle-aged couple is anything but your typical image of celebrity, and that’s because this former actor and his wife are Breslov Chassidim. Ushpizin, a box-office hit in Israel and one of the highest grossing foreign films in America last year, was a rare collaboration between secular and Orthodox Israelis. Screenwriter/actor Shuli Rand won the Israeli Film Academy’s 2004 Best Actor Award, the Israeli equivalent of the Oscar, for his role in Ushpizin. Dov Paris sat down with the Rands to discuss the movie, their return to Judaism and their plans for the future. In what follows, unless otherwise indicated, the answers are credited to the Rands, rather than to Shuli or Michal separately, since they were both present at the interview and answered the questions together. Ed. JA: Do you view your stage and movie reasons. [Shuli would not play opposite superficial understanding of the career primarily as an opportunity for a woman other than his wife.] Orthodox world. We did not aim [at personal development, or as a means to We did not want to appear as if reaching] only the non-observant, but impact our largely secular society and we are out to proselytize. Nor do we rather we hoped to foster unity, to bring people back to the fold? think that we are suited for that role, or enhance mutual understanding between that the movie would have had such a religious and non-religious. Shuli: Answering this question is not positive impact [had our agenda been to easy. Personal development came second “convert” the audience]. Because of my JA: Could you name a particular mis- at most; certainly for Michal, who had demanding work, I do not learn as conception you wished to dispel? never been involved in acting before much Torah as other members of our The Rands: Well, take, for example, the and joined the cast because of halachic Breslov community and do not consider supposed oppression of women in tradi- Rabbi Dr. Paris was born in Israel, educated in myself qualified to preach. We had a tional Jewish communities. Two earlier Israeli yeshivot and attended Brown University more modest aim: to expose people, via Israeli movies spread the false notion where he earned a PhD in economics. He has the medium of movies, to the treasures that Chareidi women are little more taught both Chassidic thought and economics in and beauty of Judaism, to Rabbi the United States and in Israel. He lives in than baby-making machines, and are Jerusalem with his wife and four children. The Nachman’s ideas and to the Breslov cast aside if they cannot have children. interview was conducted in Hebrew and trans- world. We hoped to dispel misconcep- In Ushpizin, Malli has difficulty becom- lated by Dr. Paris. tions that are rooted in the media’s ing pregnant. Yet Moshe, her husband, 44 JEWISH ACTION Fall 5767/2006 treats her with the utmost love and care, rience but also a way of life; Breslov intellectual pursuit, that it means com- insisting that he wants to have children Chassidut is highly creative in numerous mitment, actually observing the mitzvot. but only with her. Moshe buys the “dia- ways, and it offers a unique perspective As we became more observant we also mond,” the most expensive etrog in on life. It provides overall life direction saw that my acting career was not con- town, for the exorbitant price of 1,000 as well as guidance in daily matters. sistent with a genuine Torah life. I quit shekalim—about a quarter of his and Naturally, we want to convey to others the theater to study Torah full time. Malli’s miraculous windfall—because it what worked so well for us—the movie I only became Breslov after I might mystically trigger another miracle is one way of doing so. returned to observant life. Breslov is and help Malli become pregnant. Some quite fashionable in Israel even among critics noted that the movie portrays the JA: What attracted you to Orthodoxy, the non-observant—in fact, a recent modesty and love found in Chareidi and specifically to Breslov? Which one Khan Theater show based on Rabbi marriages, as Moshe and Malli show came first? Nachman’s “The Seven Beggars” was a such affection for each other without Shuli: It is hard to say what attracted us tremendous success—and like many ever touching on screen. Israelis, we had already been acquainted with Breslov before we began JA: Do you feel you keeping the mitzvot. Now, have been suc- like others in the process of cessful in dis- doing teshuvah, we experi- pelling these ence ups and downs in misconceptions? our search for answers. The Rands: We have found that Beyond our Rabbi Nachman’s writ- wildest dreams. ings are more attuned to We certainly did our needs than others, not expect the that he offers in-depth film to elicit such advice regarding the very a warm response problems that bother us; among viewers. A he infuses our certain Israeli-owned Jewishness with mean- web site announced it ing. would be showing Ushpizin for free for JA: How do you a short period of explain the interest in time. The site drew Breslov, and why some 20,000 visi- Shuli Rand (as Moshes Bellanga) Breslov attracts so stars in Ushpizin, a movie about a Breslov many people? Does this interest actual- tors, several times its ba’al teshuvah whose faith is challenged usual number. It also when people from his past arrive unan- ly lead significant numbers to embrace generated 1,353 responses to a ques- nounced at his sukkah. Orthodoxy? tionnaire about the movie. A compre- The Rands: The interest is indeed hensive analysis of the data is yet to amazing, for two reasons. Firstly, since come, but some of the results are to Orthodoxy because we returned Rabbi Nachman’s death [in 1810], astounding. For example, 670 respon- gradually. It did not happen overnight; Breslov has not had a living rebbe, yet it dents expressed an interest in learning we did not “see the light” and return in attracts more ba’alei teshuvah—from all more about Judaism, 540 were surprised a flash. Unlike Michal, I grew up in a walks of life—than the Lithuanian by how women are treated in the religious home and had a religious edu- yeshivot and most other Chassidic Breslov community, and 275 reported cation. At a certain point, I lost my groups put together. Breslov Chassidut is that the movie caused them to begin to faith, as happens with many youth, but so attractive, perhaps because it makes observe Shabbat. we made our way back to the fold room for everybody, even beginners. together. True, Breslov, like Chassidut generally, is JA: How important are Rabbi I was still working in the theater based on the paradoxical maxim that Nachman and Breslov Chassidut in full time when we began learning Jewish man can become something only by your Yiddishkeit? texts. At some point, we felt that some- considering himself nothing—relative to The Rands: Very important. Being a thing was lacking; we realized that God—thereby attaching himself to Breslover is not just an intellectual expe- Judaism is about life itself, not just an Him. At the same time, Breslovers treat Fall 5767/2006 JEWISH ACTION 45 everyone with respect: One may belittle nity follows Rabbi Nachman’s teachings. money are capable of genuinely over- himself, but not others. Breslov is very Rabbi Nachman was not merely a deep coming the desire for money. inclusive and believes that everybody— and abstract thinker as many believe; he Hence he encouraged his disci- scholar or not—can have a deep rela- was also a leader of a community, teach- ples—even his very son-in-law—to tionship with Hashem and can join in ing that the way of a Torah life is in the become financially independent by avodat Hashem. details. Thus, when dealing with print- engaging in business, exhorting them to Secondly, it is amazing that Rabbi ing the Likutei Maharan—which he do so honestly and only for a few hours Nachman himself was surrounded by regarded as heralding the Era of a day, as learning Torah should be their highly pious and learned disciples, sort Mashiach—he inquired about even the primary occupation. This is an example of an elite society, yet his writings are most mundane details, such as the of the Breslov holistic approach, relevant very well attuned to beginners and to minute expenses. to everybody, at all times. ba’alei teshuvah today. He actually Rabbi Nachman struggled exten- stressed that he was writing for future sively with the issue of materialism and JA: What has been the response of the generations, and he deals with the very developed a dualistic approach to it. He Chareidi community to the movie? issues that bother modern despised and sharply criticized material- The Rands: Officially, people. Rabbi Nachman’s the movie was shown writings, which are at the only to non-Chareidi same time both logical and audiences, since that poetical, reveal how multi- was the condition dimensional he was.