By Rebecca Shalomoff
In an interview, David tells of how he tried to change his homosexuality for more than a decade. To escape the urge to be with another man, rabbis advised him to eat figs, flick a rubber band around his wrist and bite his tongue.
Like so many of the tormented individuals profiled in Trembling Before G-d, David struggles to reconcile his love of Judaism with the Biblical prohibitions that forbid homosexuality.
Since the film's completion in 2000, director/producer DuBowski has been traveling the globe, winning prizes at film festivals and engaging viewers in discussions about faith, sexuality and religious beliefs.
I feel like the film starts when the credits roll and the lights go on, he says.
Local synagogues have joined DuBowski's mission to raise awareness about the hidden lives of Orthodox and Hasidic gay men and women. Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence, Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach and Young Israel in Woodmere, recently hosted a screening/discussion of the film at the Malverne Cinema.
I think it's an important issue to discuss, namely how we deal with people who are struggling with this very difficult dilemma, says Rabbi Kenneth Hain, spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Sholom, who contacted DuBowski about co-sponsoring a discussion of the film. I thought it could be helpful in helping us help them.
The feature documentary has sparked live debates in many religious circles. Its impact has been far-reaching
