A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of Sefer Torah

When Joseph and Leelah Gitler’s son, Elitzur, turned 12 (in 2016), his parents searched for a meaningful way to connect him to becoming a bar mitzvah. They wanted a project where Elitzur would learn in depth but also experience and internalize what he was learning. What better way to do that than with a Torah Live original video?

Elitzur studied the sources that Rabbi Dan Roth prepared for him, practiced the script and even got to dabble a bit in the production process and star in his own film. His parents and younger sister guest starred in the Sefer Torah video as well, making it a family affair.

Elitzur loved spending time with Rabbi Dan Roth on set, and together they visited a sofer, saw the inner workings of factories creating the etz chaim (handles) of the Torah, investigated different mantles and even attended a Hachnasas Sefer Torah.

For this film, we created our own Torah Live car in which Rabbi Roth and Elitzur would travel. But first we had to empty it. So, we filmed a scene where our entire production crew climbed out of the back of the car one by one with equipment, props and even a giant teddy bear. How many clowns can fit in a telephone booth? I don’t know, but I can say that seven crew members climbed out of that car.

In this video, Elitzur, his parents Leelah and Joseph and the Torah Live crew talk about what it was like to make this film:

Not only did Elitzur and the Gitler family thoroughly enjoy this experience, children around the world loved watching the final product. We asked kids for their favorite Torah Live video and weren’t surprised when so many of them voted for Sefer Torah. Watch this video to see why: