Documentary ‘Black Fire White Fire’ follows Torah to Big Island

A documentary about a Holocaust Torah scroll, “Black Fire White Fire,” is available free on Kahilu.TV through April 30.

This remarkable film by Sara Nealy tells the tale of a Torah that crosses thousands of miles before it settles in Hawai‘i.

The journey of the Torah begins with travels with the Jewish people as the central object of their faith, from the Land of Israel into Northern Italy and later into Bohemia. 

The migration follows European history — through Hapsburg rule and shtetl (village) life, to the intellectual and artistic richness of Prague before World War II, to the subsequent near-extinction of the Jewish people.

The tale continues with the valiant rescue of 1,564 Torah scrolls, orphan scrolls whose congregations were lost during the Holocaust. 

The long process of restoring the Torah shows how a Torah is made and repaired and how one particular Torah, the Polna (Czech) Torah, came to its new home in Kona on the Big Island.

The 39-minute film is being shown for educational purposes only and may not be downloaded. 

For questions, call 808-885-6868 or visit kahilutheatre.org.