Gerdas Schweigen

William Wolff is nearly 90 and perhaps the most unconventional rabbi in the world. As the State Rabbi of North-East Germany, he looks after the Jewish Communities in Schwerin and Rostock, but still lives in a bungalow near Henley-on-Thames. Midweek he usually flies from Heathrow to Germany. After the services on Saturdays, he either makes his way home or on a leisure city trip. His annual highlight is betting at the Horse Race of Royal Ascot and joining a fasting-retreat in Bad Pyrmont. Willy Wolff leads a Jet-Set-Life, which he actually cannot afford, but dealing with money isn't one of his strengths. Naturally, that occasionally leads to quite temporal conflicts. Rabbi Wolff is the portrait of a fascinating character, a deeply religious man who, blessed with a tremendous joie de vivre, defies all conventions. More than that, it gives insight into the world of Judaism and introduces us to a uniquely German biography.

In the middle of Berlin, in the old Scheunenviertel district, lies Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz - a rough place dominated by the monumental Volksbühne building. Eastern Jewish immigrants lived here before the war. It was a dreary area, but one with character. For it was here that the ideas of the 20th century were wrestled and fought over. It was about politics and world views, but also about art, cinema and theater.