Gesher Tzar Meod – When Being Orthodox is Difficult – A True Story – The Klatzko Family

Orthodox. Frum. Torah-dik. Yearning for closeness to Hashem. These are ideals to aspire to, correct? Unfortunately, not according to too many who have left Torah Judaism, turning their backs on our communities, using their pens and creativity to paint an ugly, clownish picture of Klal Yisroel. 

But it was not always so. Many years ago, keeping shabbos was nearly impossible. Employment meant a 6 day work week and those that chose to keep shabbos found themselves looking for a new job every Monday. Many people couldn’t withstand this difficult challenge and desecrated Shabbos to feed their families. But there were many that did. Those special people not only sacrificed to keep Torah and Judaism alive within their family, but lived long enough to see their children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren remain devoted and inspired to live true Torah lives.

How is it that being a Shomer Shabbos Jew, a title preserved with such sacrifice and dedication, has so callously been tossed aside for a secular existence devoid of kedusha and the closeness to Hashem and family that it engendered?

Enter the Klatzko family. Rabbi Klatzko, his wife Shani, and their eleven children have been involved in Jewish outreach and chesed for the past 30 years. Shabbos in particular has been their specialty, from hosting 60-70 people each week, to creating a global network for people to find hosting for Shabbos (and shidduchim) called Shabbat.com. Each week, this musical family live-streams their Havdalah to thousands of people around the world, from hospitals to prisons, reminding everyone about the beauty of Shabbos.

The Klatzko family now presents their latest offering, a re-enactment of a true story that took place circa 1910, when keeping Shabbos meant being dismissed from one’s job on a weekly basis.

Rabbi Klatzko, who composed and performed the background track with his son, Luzy, chose to use the words of Rabbi Nachman MiBreslev “Kol Holam Kulo Geshser Tzar Meod, Ve’Haikar Lo Lefached Klal” to bring home this point. The whole world is a narrow bridge. It can be frightening and depressing and often disappointing. There is temptation mixed with danger, an accurate metaphor for life in the twenty-first century. But that same bridge gets us from one side to the other. It is the chain that links one generation to the next. It is Torah and Shabbos. This is what we mean when we say “Orthodox.”

The main thing is not to fear at all. Stay strong in your emuna. Keep the Torah, raise the banner as a proud Frum Yid, and you will reap the reward of a beautiful Jewish family in this world and eternal life in the next!

Composed and Performed by Rabbi Benzion Klatzko
Child soloist – Luzy Klatzko Arranged by Yisroel Ament
A Fondu Production
    – Written, Directed and Produced by Itai Joseph
    – Director of Photography – Nicholas Pietroniro
    – Production Designer – Cyrus Howlett
    – Gaffers – Anthony Berenato Jr. and Nicholas Kral
    – Editor – Kenneth Dwyer
A Shabbat.com Film (www.Shabbat.com)
Cast
    – Rabbi Benzion Klatzko
    – Rebbetzin Shani Klatzko
    – Luzy Klatzko
    – Meyer Klatzko
    – Gavriel Klatzko
    – Zahava Klatzko
    – Yonason Ephraim Freedman
    – Yossi Silberstein
    – David Poloner
    – Itai Joseph
    – Gary Ostrovsky
    – Richard Goldstein
    – Yoni Goldstein
    – Jess Weiner
    – Rabbi Yehoshua Lewis
    – Rabbi Shlomo Cohen
    – Yaakov Ganon
    – Itai Joseph