Full Description
Ilil Alexander’s brave new documentary gives us rare access to the clandestine lives of three women in Jerusalem. All of them are deeply committed Orthodox Jews who lovingly adhere to their community of faith; and all of them are lesbians, forced to make difficult, sometimes impossible decisions as their sexuality clashes with their love of God, scripture and family. The choices and sacrifices they make are hardly uniform, but they gain solidarity from their participation in a secret support group called the "Ortho-dykes." Yudith, daughter of a rabbi, is vocal about her identity, believing "lies are the worst sin on Earth," while Miriam-Ester is hidden inside a marriage with children; Ruth attempts to forge an extraordinary bargain with her husband and her lover. When Trembling Before G-d (SFJFF 2001) exposed the secret struggles of Orthodox and Hasidic gays and lesbians, it raised hopes of being the first step on an inevitable journey reconciling the freedom to love honestly with devout Jewish observance. Now Alexander’s compelling documentary shows how long, perilous and painful that road still is. Made with utmost respect, humility and candor, Keep Not Silent poses the urgent question: must faith come at the expense of self-acceptance? Just what sacrifice does God require?
