CITY OF JOEL follows an Hassidic community’s battle for turf. With unprecedented access, director Jesse Sweet looks at all sides: from religious zealots to dissidents, from rabbis to people who doubt their own faith as they struggle to find their place among and within the Hassidic community of Kiryas Joel in Monroe, New York.
CITY OF JOEL is a captivating documentary that pits freedom of religion against the norms of a community’s secular neighbors.
With special guests Profs. David Myers and Nomi Stolzenberg!
Joining us for a post film talk are Professor David Myers, Chair of Jewish Studies at UCLA and Professor Nomi Stolzenberg, Professor of Law at USC. Professor Myers was a consultant for the film and he and Professor Stolzenberg just completed a book on Kiryas Joel. They will be sharing with us their insights and answer questions.