Opening Night Gala! World Premiere of THE HOLLYWOOD RABBI

LAJFF is proud to premiere THE HOLLYWOOD RABBI, a vibrant new documentary chronicling the extraordinary life of Rabbi Marvin Hier.

The film, from director Jon Kean (Swimming in Auschwitz), features many of the influential cultural and political leaders shaped by or connected to Hier’s decades of work, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, President Bill Clinton, Billy Crystal, Governor Gavin Newsom, Ted Sarandos, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Montana Tucker and more.

How does the child of immigrants, raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, become Frank Sinatra’s personal rabbi, win two Academy Awards ("Genocide" and "The Long Way Home"), mingle with four Kings, three Popes, eight Presidents and a Who’s Who of Hollywood royalty while dedicating his life to healing the world through tolerance?

THE HOLLYWOOD RABBI traces Hier’s improbable path from an orthodox Jewish enclave to international prominence as the founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance. This film will tell the oversized story of an oversized personality, a mix of PT Barnum and Louis B. Mayer, with just a touch of Jackie Mason to keep the audience on its toes.

Written & Directed by Jon Kean, Produced by Brad Krevoy and Susie Krevoy

WORLD PREMIERE/ Documentary/USA/2025/88 minutes

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Host or Publisher Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival