"Theodore Bikel narrates this lyrical, sweeping history of Jewish life in Poland, depicting the richness of Jewish culture, both religious and secular; the contributions of Jews to Polish life; and the extreme economic and political vicissitudes to which Polish Jewry was subject over a thousand-year period. The 'last chapter' in the story is the Nazi onslaught, here depicted with sensitivity and high drama. The film includes some rare footage of Jewish life in early twentieth-century Poland." National Center for Jewish Film