Hundreds of Macalester students filled the John B. Davis Lecture Hall on Oct. 8 for a screening of Trembling Before G-d and a question-and-answer session with director Sandi Simcha Dubowski following the film.

Trembling Before G-d is a documentary detailing the struggles of gays and lesbians in the Hassidic and Orthodox Jewish faiths. Rather than focusing on members of these communities who have left the faith or who have denied their sexuality, Dubowski instead followed the stories of individuals who are trying to find the balance between staying in their faith and being true to their sexuality.

The film presents options for these people torn between their faith and their sexuality. Though no definitive answer is given, Dubowski explores the attempts of many of his subjects to resolve this issue.

The film also examines the ability of humans to “change God’s mind,” an issue brought up by an Orthodox rabbi in an interview with Dubowski. The rabbi used the examples of Moses and Abraham, both of whom influenced God’s decisions.

“Such a key point had never occurred to me and the idea that God does not have only one-way conversations with His sentient creations gave me hope,” Katie Gumpertz ’05 said. “It’s a heartening state of mind for approaching a conflict.”

Since being selected for the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, Dubowski has taken the show across the country. Dubowski had held screenings at many college and university campuses, as well as community locations, even traveling to Mexico City. Despite the controversial nature of the film, 15 Orthodox synagogues have asked for a screening.

Not all reviews of the film have been favorable. In an article entitled “Dissembling Before G-d,” Rabbi Avi Shafran critisized the film for not treating homosexuality as a mental disorder. Shafran also condemns Dubowski for not presenting “success stories” of Orthodox or Hassidic Jews who overcame their homosexuality to marry and happily live with somebody of the opposite sex.

Controversy seems to follow Trembling wherever Dubowski takes it. The film has prompted protests in many communities, including conservative Christian groups, Orthodox and Hassidic Jewish organizations. Dubowski jokes that they “do a lot of interfaith work” with the film.

Following the show, the director answered questions from the audience. Dubowski fielded questions about the making of the film as well as the impact the show has had on audiences and the Jewish community as a whole.

“I’m in love with this people, this history,” Dubowski said. “It’s a gift to be a Jew. We’re going to integrate our sexuality and our spirituality.”

Dubowski also talked about the impact Trembling had on the people who told their stories in the film. Malka and Leah, a lesbian couple seen only in silhouette throughout the show, each had touching moments with their families because of the movie. Malka’s brother saw the film twice and loved it. He called her and spent the holidays with her this year. Likewise, Leah found the courage from her work to come out in full face to her family.

Mark, a Hassidic gay man, was not able to find the same balance that Malka and Leah had found. Since the filming of the movie, he has returned to school in a yeshiva in the United Kingdom. He has cut off contact with the director and those associated with Trembling.

The director’s efforts to provide a glimpse into these people’s struggles touched a chord with many audience members.

“The commitment these people had to their faith and to themselves was very moving,” Abi Robbins ’07 said. “The courage they had to stand up in a religion that so strictly bans homosexuality in the Torah is amazing.”

After six years of putting the film together, Dubowski said he has also changed. He found himself becoming more religious, with a renewed fervor for the Jewish faith. He said that his commitment to finding his own balance between his “sexuality and spirituality” has been renewed.

Dubowski made a point to emphasize the timeliness of the film’s release. It falls at a time when many Jewish holidays are celebrated. He also explained that the Jewish culture was at a “tipping point” where these questions were coming to the surface and people were able to listen.

“This is part of a larger civil rights movement,” Dubowski said. “In the ’70s, you might say, ‘Okay, I’m gay,’ and take off and move to another community. We’re at a different point in history where we are not abandoning these communities we love. We’re not abandoning our families. We are saying ‘We’re here, and we are not going to leave.’”

Primarily sponsored by Queer Union and the Mac Jewish Organization, the groups also enlisted the help of the Program Board, Mac Cinema and various academic departments to bring the film to campus.