Cheap Trembling Before G-d (DVD) (Sandi Simcha Dubowski) Price

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Customer Reviews of Trembling Before G-d

The film is mainly in English, although some is in Hebrew or Yiddish (with English subtitles). In addition to hearing from the gay men and lesbians profiled, we also hear from a number of rabbis (including one openly gay, pro-gay Orthodox rabbi). The film also offwers a rich taste of Jewish ritual, music, food, and dress.

This is a powerful film. The pain of many of these people is palpable, yet the film also contains much humor and tenderness. "Trembling" is a vivid portrait of the power of religion to damage people emotionally, and to also uplift their spirits.

Finding Room
Sandi Simcha Dubowski has made a splendid, thoughtful documentary that captures perfectly the varying responses of individuals caught between the orientation they feel naturally aligned with and the belief system that omits or even condemns them: what is it like to be gay or lesbian who is an Orthodox or Hasidic Jew? Is there room for them in their own religion?

No single point of view is proffered as the correct one; instead each person's particular difficulties are laid out for our consideration. Some remain sympathetic to their faith; some have all but abandoned it.

As a former fundamentalist Christian, I identified with the inner struggle these people endured - the sometimes awful tension between what one has been raised to believe and what one's heart has come to intrinsically feel. And having known a few gays within fundamentalism, too, I have to wonder, how do they stay? What must their struggle be like?

Congratulations Mr. Dubowski on a fine and worthy effort.

An electric documentary from Sandi Simcha Dubowski
In 'Trembling Before God,' director Sandi Simcha Dubowski has compiled an emotional series of interviews and vignettes featuring Orthodox Jews - unwilling to renounce their religion (indeed, in some cases reaffirming their faith) in the face of harsh and unrelenting negative treatment of their sexuality. First and foremost, you have to credit the bravery of the people willing to appear in the film. Although some of them have come out, it's obvious in a couple of cases that their families will find out only with the release of the film.

The first of two standouts is David - a professional 30-to-40 something from California. He's back to re-connect with his rabbi, who years back had prescribed an odd treatment of snapping a rubber band snapping on his wrist (and other trite measures) to ward away his deviant thoughts. Well, David says, they didn't work. Now what? Hoping to hear his rabbi offer some degreee of acceptance (and on the whole the rabbi is presented by Dubowski as a reasonable man), instead he gets more of the same: there's no room for this behavior in our religion basically. The real tears the follow from David provide the movie's most seminal moment.

The second standout is 58-year-old Israel, living monogamously with his long-time partner. Israel has been estranged from his 98 (!) year-old father for decades. In the movie, we see Israel calling his Dad on the phone, having a conversation in Yiddish, trying to reach out to him. Still, 98 and holding firm. Israel and his partner shake their heads with disappointment.

Thanks Sandi Simcha Dubowski, for your great perseverance in getting these electric moments on film.