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About The Film

An international team of architects, Jewish historians, artists, and museum scholars chases an improbable dream: to reconstruct one of Poland’s many magnificent, architecturally astounding, lost wooden synagogues in this visually resplendent documentary.

These architectural marvels featured complex ceilings adorned with vibrant Biblical and symbolic paintings of animals and elaborate Hebrew inscriptions. Eventually more than 200 of these unique wooden structures dotted the landscape, until they were burned to the ground by the Nazis. Boston-based artists Rick and Laura Brown—who are neither Polish nor Jewish—were captivated by the beauty of these structures and embarked on a ten-year passion project to reconstruct the18th century Gwoździec synagogue. A team of more than 300 students and craftspeople from 16 countries joined the cause employing the artisanal techniques and tools of the time to recreate this stunning house of worship. Despite seemingly impossible deadlines, torrential downpours, and exhaustion, a grand artifact eventually emerges from the ashes as it is installed as part of the permanent exhibit at the new Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw.

Set against a background of stunning visuals and klezmer melodies, RAISE THE ROOF is an inspirational story of how dedication, love, and the right tools breathed life into a relic lost to history. Film provided by the National Center for Jewish Film.

Plays with: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF REGINA JONES (short)


Director Bio

Yari Wolinsky took home the Audience Choice Award for Best Dramatic Short, UNMOORED at the 2009 Woods Hole Film Festival. He has worked as director and editor for for National Geographic and PBS narrative and documentary films, and began documenting efforts to rebuild the Polish wooden synagogue featured in RAISE THE ROOF in 2007.


Guest Speaker

Reimer headshotGail Reimer began her professional career as a faculty member of Wellesley College. Reimer served as Associate Director of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, Reimer conceived and co-edited two anthologies of Jewish women’s writings – Reading Ruth: Women Reclaim a Sacred Story and Beginning Anew: A Woman’s Companion to the High Holy Days. This work led to the founding of the Jewish Women’s Archive in 1995. 

Raise-the-Roof-poster

Film Details:

Director: Yari Wolinsky
Country: USA, Poland
Language: English, Polish w/subtitles
Running Time: 84m
Year: 2014
Genre: Documentary
Rating: G
Official Website

Subjects:

  • Art
  • Architecture
  • Jewish history
  • Holocaust
  • Poland
  • Museums

Community Partners: