In Hebrew the word Hineini means 'Here I am”, it is how Moses responded to G-d when he called out from the burning bush and what Abraham replied when asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. For Shulamit Izen it signified her decision to come out as a Jewish lesbian, living and studying in a spiritual community. For her bat mitzvah Shulamit's parents took her to Israel. Coming in direct contact with the rich history and tradition of the Hebrew people changed her life. When she returned home to Boston she decided she wanted to attend a Jewish high school and live a religious life. The conflict between the Torah's teachings on homosexuality and Shulamit's strong faith were a burden she was prepared to bare yet the rejection of her society posed the true battle. “Struggling with the Torah and God is one thing. I know that struggle is essential to being a Jew, but I don't want to struggle with my own community” she said. Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School is about the courage of a high school teenager who challenged her school and her peers to embrace the gay student body and whose fortitude served as an inspiration for other students and even faculty members to come out. Irena Fayngold's touching documentary reminds Jews conflicted by their faith and sexuality that it is possible to sit for the Seder meal and recount the Hagaddah, and be proud of who you are all at the same time.

Director Irenea Fayngold will attend the screening to discuss the film with the audience.

Irena Fayngold is a producer and editor for WGBH, Boston's public television station. She previously worked as an editor on the children’s series, Zoom and directed a personal documentary short, Getting to Home Base: The All American Pastime. She is co-founder of the Media Mentors Program of Women in Film and Video New England.

Blank Chapel at Temple Emanu-EL
1:30 pm Screening
FREE EVENT