In “Guns and Moses,” a Brave Hasidic Rabbi Saves the Day

Chabad rabbis are typically known for hosting Friday night dinner, doing Hanukkah menorah lightings, and asking Jewish men on the street, “Have you wrapped tefillin today?”

But in Salvador and Nina Litvak’s new film, “Guns & Moses,” the Chabad rabbi and star of the film, Rabbi Mo (played by Mark Feuerstein of “Royal Pains”), is a brave rabbi who steps up when a friend is murdered in a shooting. He fights white supremacists and nefarious criminals, seeking out the truth about what happened while singing Jewish songs with his devoted wife and children.

“It was very important to me to create a ridiculously lovable Jewish character,” said Nina, who co-wrote the film with her husband Sal. “There was always this whiny, nerdy, neurotic Jewish persona like Larry David and Woody Allen in Hollywood. We thought, enough of this already. It’s been done so many times.”

Rabbi Mo breaks the stereotypes of Jewish men usually portrayed on screen. He confronts his haters head on, takes gun lessons, and becomes an action hero like the world has never seen.

Turning Trauma into Empowerment

The Litvaks, who are based in Los Angeles, are just a few hours away from Poway, California, where a white nationalist walked into the Chabad of Poway, shot and killed congregation member Lori Gilbert-Kaye and wounded Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, another man, and his 8-year-old niece in 2019.

The day after the tragic shooting, Sal and Nina went to Poway to attend Lori’s funeral on behalf of Chai Lifeline and to show their support and solidarity.

“Just seeing a community traumatized by this kind of thing in a Chabad shul was one of the strong inspirational elements of the movie,” Sal said.

Sal is also a member of Magen Am USA, a non-profit organization made up of security professionals and volunteers who protect the Jewish community. It offers gun training and self-defense classes as well. The leader of Magen Am is Rabbi Yossi Eilfort, a Chabad rabbi who trained Sal on how to use his firearm. The movie shows the rabbi going through the exact same training that Sal did.

“I was never a gun guy before I joined Magen Am, but Jews are in danger,” Sal said. “Jews have been in danger and under attack. We need to fight back. It was always relevant, but especially after Poway.”

The Litvaks wrote the film before October 7.

“Sadly, the movie has become much more relevant now,” said Sal.

“Guns & Moses” is empowering; it shows Jews taking “Never Again” seriously and aren’t afraid to stand strong.

Hollywood Kosher Movie

The Litvaks became observant together as adults. They previously made “When Do We Eat?” a comedy film about a Passover Seder gone awry, and they run the organization Accidental Talmudist, where they put out Jewish content like Torah teachings for a community of over 1 million followers.

“I’m not aware of another director in Hollywood making features who observes Shabbat,” said Sal. “We shot Sunday to Thursday so that the production could rest on Shabbat. We had kosher meals for everyone who wanted them. Everyone who is Orthodox can look at our movie and say, ‘Oh, that depiction is real.’ You have a little bit of this coming out of Israel, like ‘Shtisel,’ but not Hollywood.”

Nina and Salvador Litvak

“Guns & Moses” isn’t just a movie with a powerful message – it’s also a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

“It’s a popcorn movie,” said Nina, who watched a thriller a day for three years with Sal to learn the formula. “It’s enjoyable. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cheer. It’s not a bogus comic superhero movie. We wanted it to be entertaining.”

Along with Mark Feuerstein, the film stars Christopher Lloyd as a member of the Chabad and a Holocaust survivor; Neal McDonough from “Band of Brothers” and “Sonic the Hedgehog,” and Israeli actress Alona Tal, who was in “Veronica Mars” and “Supernatural” and plays Rabbi Mo’s wife. Lloyd, of “Back to the Future,” who is not Jewish, hired a dialogue coach to perfect his Eastern European accent.

“Mark and Alona, who are Jewish, also took their roles very seriously,” Sal said. “They’re very convincing. Nobody could believe they weren’t religious in real life. They really pulled that off.”

Currently, “Guns & Moses,” with its tagline, “May God and Your Glock Protect You,” is on the film festival circuit; it premiered at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival in June of 2024. The Litvaks are running their own campaign to get distribution in theaters this coming summer and seeking investors who believe in the movie and their mission to portray Orthodox Jews in a more accurate way.

Sal said, “You can help support the most kosher movie to come out of Hollywood.”

If you are interested in following The Litvaks, hearing updates on their work, or investing in “Guns & Moses,” visit SalvadorLitvak.com to get in touch.

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