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The Vow

Directed by Henryk Szaro

Poland | 97 minutes | 1938

Yiddish with English subtitles

Two friends make a sacred pact pledging their newborn children, Rachel and Mendel, in marriage. Years pass, Rachel's father dies, and the two children, knowing nothing of their fathers' pledge, meet for the first time and fall in love. But Mendel's father insists his son study at the Vilna Yeshiva, and Rachel's rich old landlord insists on marrying her. Based on the same legend as S. Ansky's classic play The Dybbuk this spirited film offers the divine intervention of Elijah and a happy ending. Made in 1937 on the eve of the Holocaust, The Vow captures authentic scenes of Jewish shtetl life, Yiddish love songs, and the clash between tradition and modernity.
Foreign Title Tkies Khaf
Director Henryk Szaro
Countries of Production Poland
Year of Presentation 1938
Language(s) Yiddish with English subtitles
Premiere Status
Runtime 97 minutes
Principal Cast Zygmunt Turkow, Kurt Katch, Estera Perlman
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