A Conversation with Director Brett Rapkin

A Conversation with Director Brett Rapkin

12pm PST

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Brett Rapkin is on a mission to de-stigmatize mental health. As the director and executive producer of The Weight of Gold, he shined a light on athletic icons who struggle with mental issues. With HBO on board, his message that everyone struggles--even the people we most admire--is streaming to audiences worldwide.

Join him in conversation with Rabbi Sherre Hirsch, as they discuss how tikkun olam, repairing the world is the backbone of all of his projects.

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Brett Rapkin is an Innovative Emmy award-winning Writer/Producer/Director with a deep track record of success in developing, producing, distributing, and promoting premium content across platforms and budgets.

In 2016, Brett won his first Emmy Award and also released his first narrative feature film as writer/director. Spaceman, a feature film starring Josh Duhamel as gonzo MLB pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee was released theatrically and across VOD platforms by Orion/MGM on August 19th, 2016. Welcome to Dodgertown, narrated by Vin Scully and Larry King, won a 2016 Emmy for Best Sports Special and was produced by his production company, Podium Pictures.

Rapkin grew up playing year-round baseball in Los Angeles and attended The University of Arizona. Shortly after graduating, he ventured to Cuba with a small crew to direct the documentary film that would eventually become Spaceman: A Baseball Odyssey. In 2003 he moved to New York after an offer to be mentored by the principals at Black Canyon Productions, the multiple Peabody and Emmy Award winning sports film production company. During that time he wrote, produced, and directed projects with and about Rod Stewart, Bode Miller, and many others. His award-winning second independent documentary film Holy Land Hardball, premiered in 2009 and was also well received.

Since then, he has worked with clients including NFL Media, ESPN, HBO, Showtime Red Bull, GMC, Michael Phelps, Apolo Anton Ohno, Shaun White, and many more. His most recent project created with Michael Phelps, The Weight of Gold, premiered on HBO Max in July 2020 and is now available for streaming.

Rabbi Sherre Hirsch is the Chief Innovation Officer for American Jewish University. Rabbi Hirsch made headlines as the first female rabbi at Sinai Temple, the largest Conservative congregation on the west coast. She served as Senior Rabbinic Scholar at Hillel International, where she created and developed Hillelwell, an initiative for Hillels worldwide to become the recognized address for preventative mental health. A thought leader on spirituality and religion, Rabbi Hirsch has appeared on the Today Show, ABC News, Extra, and PBS, among other outlets, and has been a contributor to Time.com, Oprah Magazine, the Jewish Journal, the Hollywood Journal, and more. She is the author of “Thresholds, How to Live Fearlessly and Regret Free” (featured in “Hot Type” in Vanity Fair), and “We Plan, God Laughs, What to do When Life Hits You Over the Head” (recognized on Amazon’s Top 100 List). Rabbi Hirsch was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.