Sabbath Queen, produced and directed by Sandi DuBowski, a feature documentary filmed over 21 years that follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie's epic journey as the dynastic heir of 38 generations of Orthodox rabbis including the Chief Rabbis of Israel. He is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny and becomes a drag-queen rebel, a queer bio-dad and the founder of Lab/Shul—an everybody-friendly, God-optional, artist-driven, pop-up experimental congregation.

Sabbath Queen joins Amichai on a lifelong quest to creatively and radically reinvent religion and ritual, challenge patriarchy and supremacy, champion interfaith love, and stand up for peace, ceasefire, and an end to the Occupation in Israel/Palestine. The film interrogates what Jewish survival means in a difficult rapidly changing 21st century.

Sabbath Queen has been honored with numerous awards, including Best Documentary Feature & Grand Prix, Warsaw Jewish Film Festival, the Sherzum Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival, World of HA Change Maker Award at the Woodstock Film Festival, Best Documentary at the Florida Film Critics Circle Awards, Jury Special Mention at the Zurich Film Festival, and was a New York Times Critic's Pick.

Following the screening, you are invited to remain for a Forum Discussion moderated by UVM Professor of German and Film & Television Bridget Levine-West. Our panel will consist of local rabbis, UVM faculty, and a UVM student. 

This event is co-sponsored by Congregation Ohavi Zedek, UVM Hillel, Temple Sinai, UVM Jewish Studies, UVM Program in Film & Television, UVM Program in German, Russian, and Hebrew, UVM Program in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, and the UVM Interfaith Center.