Bar Yohai

Shimon Bar Yohai was a second century visionary who according to popular belief wrote the Zohar the main Kabbalah text of the Jewish mystical tradition The films images tree mirror candelabra and the ten dots with which each is constructed are Kaballah figures for how the world got started and keeps going Once every year there is a celebration honoring Bar Yohai at his tomb in Meron Israel The last scene is composed from photographs taken on the roof of the tomb during the celebration The soundtrack a song praising Bar Yohai was also recorded during the celebration in a town Safed a few miles from the tomb Support for the films production came from a fellowship Award in Film New York Foundation for the Arts funds for participation in the celebration were from a Humanities Faculty Grant Cornell University