Armed Rabbi Embraces Second Amendment in ‘Guns & Moses’
Subversive indie Western speaks to shocking rise in antisemitism
The biggest Jewish Western since “The Frisco Kid” arrives at a harrowing time in the culture.
“Guns & Moses” follows a fed-up Rabbi who arms himself after a White Supremacist attacks his congregation. Nothing is quite as it appears as the Rabbi attempts to solve the mystery while getting a crash course in the Second Amendment.
The film, starring Mark Feuerstein as Rabbi Mo along with Neal McDonough (“The Last Rodeo“), Christopher Lloyd and Dermot Mulroney, hits theaters nationwide July 18.
The film’s concept sprang from the 2019 Poway synagogue shooting that killed one worshipper and injured three others. “Guns & Moses” wrapped production in late 2022, roughly a year before the Oct. 7 attacks that killed more than 1,200 people and sparked a wave of antisemitism across America and parts of the globe.
The film’s release date is notable given recent headlines.
- Jewish Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home was set ablaze by a pro-Palestinian activist
- Two Jewish citizens were killed in cold blood by a pro-Palestinian activist in Washington, D.C.
- Peaceful protestors were set on fire by a pro-Palestinian activist in Boulder, Colo.
“In crafting ‘Guns & Moses,” we aimed to make Rabbi Mo an iconic character, dedicated to the proposition that even the least likely among us will step up when we need him or her the most,” director Salvador Litvak said in a press release announcing the film’s theatrical release.
“I did not grow up around guns. Like many American Jews, I didn’t consider the Second Amendment to be very important. As an adult, however, I became an Orthodox Jew – which is to say a visible Jew – and I grew increasingly aware of the danger to our community. So, like Rabbi Mo I stepped up and became a guardian. I hope that our movie will inspire others to do the same and, having hardened our perimeter, I pray we’ll never be put to the test.”
Litvak is part of a group called Magen Am, which trains Jewish people to protect their congregations and communities. The film’s tag line is potent: “May God and Your Glock Protect You.”
“Guns & Moses” has played at select film festivals earlier this year. Litvak expanded on the film’s themes in a March interview with The Times of Israel.
“This idea that Jews are in danger, Jews are under attack and need to fight back is something that we knew would always be relevant…[We] could not have imagined the world that the movie would be coming out in … Sadly, it just makes the movie so much more relevant…”
“If we mean it when we say ‘never again,’ we can’t just rely on other people to protect us.”
I saw a sneak preview of this fantastic and unique film. It is not what the other commenters seem to think. The concept is that a shooting occurs at a Jewish event and a white nationalist is arrested, but the Orthodox Rabbi of the congregation is the only one who believes the troubled kid is innocent. His investigation uncovers a shocking conspiracy reminiscent of Chinatown. This movie was made independently and smashes the woke Hollywood narrative. It is pro-traditional values and pro-2nd amendment.
When you need a stand-in for a real murderous troglodyte, try finding a “white nationalist”, or at least someone who can pretend to be one. (I wonder if that white guy in Boulder was a nationalist.)
Wait…. WHITE NATIONALISTS? WHITE SUPRAMCISTS???? But… uhh… that’s not who is murdering and attacking Jews…. right?
Islamists? Pro-Palistinians… the LEFT… Democrats are.
Yet the film avoids that? There is no courage in using a bereft villain.
This film will only embolden the enemy MORE. Wow.
Ron, I couldn’t agree more with you. Until Liberal American Jews get a dose of reality and learn who their real enemies (and friends) are, the problem will – unfortunately – only get worse.
As described, this movie is a total Shanda!!!!