I Will Build This World From Love

I Will Build This World From Love

Exceptional Merit Award Winner - Spring 2025 Religious Faith International Film Festival

"My guest this week was John Block, an independent producer and filmmaker from Chicago, who made a fascinating film I was privileged enough to see last week called, I Will Build This World From Love.  This project of yours was so moving, fascinating, enlightening and hopeful to see what the world could be if we all just listen to, and try to understand and tolerate each other. Have you entered this film in any competitions of any kind? Because I think, when I saw it, I had to say this could win an Oscar for documentaries, it could win a Peabody, it could win all these awards, I was inspired by this film.” - Fran Spielman, Chicago Sun Times

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I Will Build This World From Love

A Radical Act of Faith: The Peace Project

“The world is reaching turmoil, there is so much destruction, there is so much conflict and within all of this, of all places, in Tbilisi, Georgia, we’re showing what the world could be like.” - Rabbi Gloan Ben-Chorin, I Will Build This World From Love

"To be a part of the service, we are, for the first time in 26 centuries, Jewish women will be confirmed as Bat Mitzvah, as being integral and equal part of the community is very special... (by wearing a kippah) I am saying I am in solidarity with my brothers and sisters in Judaism. I am a humble servant to them, in this particular setting, and I am also telling Christaisn not to be scared of different religions.... at the end of the day, we are human beings and this is what matters." - Bishop Malkhaz Songulashvili, I Will Build This World From Love

"I need to be able to participate in something that is willing to take a chance for peace. I'm so out of ideas other than there has to be some path to peace. It makes the work of the Peace Project feel like it may be the only answer. It's as if only in this tiny little place in the world, in Tbilisi, where there's an active hope that the Abrahamic faith traditions can meet and be with one another, even if it takes hundreds more years to find repair." - Cantor Meredith Greenberg, I Will Build This World From Love

“As I was one of the children who miraculously survived the Holocaust, I am committed to building Tikkun Olam. It is such a joy to learn that in a distant country of Georgia Interfaith is blossoming. It is a sign of what is to come.” - Greta Elbogen, Psychotherapist, activist, and poet 

John Block, a native of Chicago, is a 1972 graduate of Northwestern University. In 1977 he obtained a Master of Fine Arts in filmmaking from the New York University. From 1980 until 1983 he worked for WCBS and then came to NBC in 1983. Initially, he was a "Special Segment" producer for the NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. In 1990 he became a producer/writer for Real Life with Jane Pauley and in 1991 a producer/writer for the Brokaw Reports. From 1992 until 2009 Block was a producer/writer for Dateline NBC.

Since 2010, Block has been an independent producer and filmmaker. Block's subjects cover a wide spectrum of social issues and problems including poverty, homelessness, medical issues, broken families, drugs, crime, and education. He has also made videos for educational and medical support programs.

Oliver Miede is a veteran journalist and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker who has spent more than four decades telling stories for television. Over the course of his career, Oliver has written, directed and produced a diverse selection of non-fiction programming including biographies, docudramas, newsmagazine segments and investigative reports. His work has appeared on CBS, NBC, ABC, CNBC, Bravo, Lifetime, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Health, The Learning Channel, The History Channel, USA Network and The Disney Channel. His production experience led to executive positions at Lifetime and Reuters, where he was
responsible for developing new broadcast and syndication programming.

Director's Statement: 

I Will Build This World From Love is an “in-the-moment” documentary set in the conservative country of Georgia, a former Soviet Bloc republic until the USSR’s collapse in 1991. The film captures a historic and deeply moving event: Jewish women publicly reading from the Torah for the first time in 2,600 years as they become Bat Mitzvah.

This groundbreaking moment was made possible by the Peace Cathedral, a newly consecrated interfaith center in Tbilisi. Under one roof, the Peace Cathedral houses a church, a mosque, and a synagogue, providing a safe and inclusive space for these women and their community to reconnect with their Judaism in a profoundly personal way.

The Peace Cathedral is the vision of Malkhaz Songulashvili, Georgia’s former Baptist archbishop, who faced demotion for his bold stance against Islamophobia and homophobia. His leadership exemplifies the courage and vision necessary to create spaces of inclusion and mutual respect.

The Bat and Bar Mitzvah celebrations, spanning both Georgia and the United States, resonate as a metaphor for something greater: the universal yearning for acceptance and the power of tolerance among people of all faiths and backgrounds.

I Will Build This World From Love offers a much-needed message of hope, illustrating the beauty of interfaith collaboration and human connection as a remedy for our fractured world.

Georgia is being rocked by growing protests. Here’s what you need to know. CNN December 3rd, 2024

Dear Cantor Meredith and Rabbi Golan,
​​​Your moral support is invaluable to us during this difficult period, and it gives us strength to continue. While we remain hopeful, we are aware that the situation may worsen before we see positive change.
In light of the recent events, I am actively working to raise support for those who have been injured and are in urgent need of assistance. Many of them require medical care, basic necessities, and emotional support.
Additionally, we are opening the doors of the Peace Cathedral to provide a safe and supportive space for young people who are emotionally exhausted. These youths have been at the forefront of the protests and are in need of a place where they can rest, reflect, and heal. Bishop Rusudan will be offering art therapy sessions throughout the day, creating an opportunity for students to express their emotions and regain their strength before they return to the protests.
To make this initiative possible, we need resources to welcome participants, cover operational costs, and sustain these efforts. This includes providing art supplies, food, warm clothing, and maintaining the space.
Your continued support,  both moral and material, will be essential in helping us create a haven for these brave young individuals.
With best regards,
Bishop Malkhaz