Film Description

Treyf "unkosher" in Yiddish is an unorthodox documentary by and about two Jewish lesbians who met and fell in love at a Passover "seder". With personal narration, real and imagined educational films, and haunting imagery, filmmakers Alisa Lebow and Cynthia Madansky examine the Jewish identity of their upbringings and its impact on their lives. Incisive cultural critics, astute, poignant, and poeticnever cynicalthey weave their way from New York to Jerusalem in pursuit of a progressive, secular Jewish identity that draws from their childhood reminiscences as much as from their contemporary queer lives. A personal journey from kibbutz summers to coming out, from keeping kosher to "Bat Mitzvahs", Treyf is iconoclastic and intelligent, humorous and poignant. A reflection on culture, community, and individual desire, this witty film follows the filmmakers as they discover what they thought was most profoundly "treyf" about their worldviews still has roots in Jewish history.