Tehilim

Tehilim refers to the psalms, songs, or meditations attributed to King David, who plays an important role in the Jewish faith. The film, set in present day Jerusalem, tells the story of three generations of the Frankel family who, with varying degrees in their beliefs, values, and practices, are brought together by a common tragedy. Sixteen-year-old Menachem is a typical modern teenager, more interested in hanging out with his friends and girlfriend than studying and practicing his faith. Likewise, his parents and younger brother lead ordinary lives. But when their father mysteriously disappears after a car accident, the family tries their best to deal with his absence, each in their own way. While his mother, who is a great deal less religious-minded, avoids the family prayer gatherings to be alone and manage the practical side of everyday life without her husband, Menachem and his brother begin finding solace in their faith and the teachings of their grandfather, the staunchest of the believers. Soon Menachem is convinced that their grandfather is right in seeing their only hope in prayer. But when Menachem and his brother take their grandfather's teachings of charity and the power of praying into literal meaning, they are surprised and speechless when their actions are met with incomprehension and reprimand. TEHILIM is an interpretation of the different kinds of Judaism, from the militant, to the tolerant, to the secular– sometimes all within one family. –KL