In this episode of Jew View, Liel Shalom sits down with Rabbi Yoel Gold to discuss the power of film to inspire and educate.
Rabbi Gold, founder of Hashkifa, shares how his hashgacha pratis videos began, how he chooses his stories, and what goes into making his documentaries. The conversation covers Reb Dovid Trenk’s influence, storytelling and emunah, and the journeys behind Hidden Light and Holy Smokes—including their time filming in Rome and the search for the Menorah.
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CHAPTERS
00:00 Episode highlights
1:20 Introduction
1:58 From the classroom to filmmaking
6:15 Why stories capture students’ attention
9:18 Praying for Barak: how it began
15:01 When miracle stories don’t reach everyone
16:51 “You’re the greatest manipulator”
20:22 Stories without a happy ending
21:30 What makes a miracle worth sharing?
25:55 Responding to criticism
28:43 “You have an hour to take it down”
32:20 Reb Dovid Trenk and “Just Love Him”
43:08 Teaching through documentaries
47:38 One story, different takeaways
50:09 The Jewish communities of Colombia
55:00 Experiencing the story yourself
57:01 Hidden Light: searching for the Menorah
1:01:27 Tisha B’Av, history and longing
1:03:39 Behind the scenes in Rome
1:10:04 Inside the Vatican Library
1:11:47 Coming face to face with Titus
1:14:16 What if the Menorah were found?
1:17:16 The cockroach story and missing the message
1:21:22 The people behind the films
1:23:24 Holy Smokes and the search for the Ketores
1:28:45 What happened after Holy Smokes
1:34:28 The impact beyond the view count
1:38:35 What motivates Rabbi Yoel Gold?
1:41:17 Closing thoughts
RABBI YOEL GOLD & HASHKIFA
Films: https://hashkifa.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hashkifa
Holy Smokes: https://hashkifa.com/holy-smokes
Short videos: https://hashkifa.com/short-videos
Contact: https://hashkifa.com/contact
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