THEY AIN’T READY FOR ME
Shared Stories Encore Screening
Directed by Brad Rothschild
In THEY AIN’T READY FOR ME, Tamar Manasseh, founder of MASK (Mothers Against Senseless Killings) believes she can do anything! A mother and rabbinical student who dreams of becoming a rabbi someday, she is not only emerging as an important voice within Chicago’s black community but on her way to becoming a national symbol of what can be achieved as a grassroots activist.
The work Tamar has been doing for over three years to reduce gun violence in one South Side Chicago neighborhood has taught her that if you have the will, you can make a difference. Every day from the start of summer through Labor Day, she and her fellow MASK volunteers occupy the corner of 75th and Stuart to assure that kids in the neighborhood have a safe place to play, people have a safe place to meet, and dinner is provided to anyone and everyone in need. With her magnetic, self-assured energy, Tamar credits Judaism for instilling in her this sense of civic duty. In Judaism, Tikkun Olam is carried out through acts of kindness, activism, and charity. In one of many moving moments in the film, Tamar explains that Jews see problems in the world as “cracks” and her work with MASK is born out of her desire to repair “the crack that is called gun violence.”
Timely and inspirational, THEY AIN’T READY FOR ME also demonstrates the challenges Tamar faces in both her black and Jewish worlds. While she is grateful for the support she receives from the Jewish community, she still cannot help but cringe when she is asked to validate her claim to Judaism just because of the color of her skin.
Includes pre-recorded virtual interview with director Brad Rothschild and subject Tamar Manasseh!
Official Selection:
- New York Jewish Film Festival
- San Francisco Jewish Film Festival