Welcome to the Waks family [Widescreen]

Filmed over a period of five years, this fascinating documentary provides a rare insight into a Melbourne orthodox Jewish family, but not just any family, as the Waks family is probably the largest in Australia with 17 individual children to the same two parents. Zephaniah and his wife Chaya had their first eight children in Israel until they migrated to Melbourne in 1984 settling in East St Kilda, an area renowned for its Jewish community, schools and Synagogues. They follow the Lubavitch branch of Judaism which has many restrictions and strict daily laws and rituals including prayer three to four times a day, no visits to the cinema or theatre, no reading of novels, no listening or playing of popular mainstream music, no television except for educational or religious purposes and no mixing of boys and girls except within the family. Both parents expect their children to follow and practise these beliefs including finding a marriage partner through the “Matchmaker”. However, through the daily rituals, school, the on-going social and religious celebrations, no child is neglected or lacking in attention. There appears to be respect, love and a unity amongst the family members even in the most challenging of circumstances as shown by Zephaniah and Chaya in their patience and caring, and tolerance (even when hurt and disappointed) when one of their teenage sons turns away from his religion and joins the Israeli Army. Family is everything and compassion and compromise sometimes necessary to maintain the family unity. The Waks are not rich financially but they are rich where it matters in other aspects of life, particularly family and religion. An intriguing biographical documentary featuring archival footage, stills, location shots in New York, interviews with various members of the family and commentary by the filmmaker who is also a long time friend of Zephaniah’s.