Sabbath Queen Documentary Screening and Q&A

After its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, 65 film festivals, 50 cinemas, 8 awards, a New York Times Critic’s Pick and sell-out screenings in New York, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, and the Bay Area, SABBATH QUEEN, directed by Sandi Dubowski, has the following screenings and Q&A’s in Washington D.C.:

June 8, 6:00PM screening – Q&A with director Sandi DuBowski, Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and Ilyse Hogue, Fellow at New America overseeing the Gender, Extremism, & Engagement Project. Former President & CEO of NARAL Pro-Choice America (now Reproductive Freedom for All).

June 9, 7:30PM screening – Q&A with director Sandi DuBowski, Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and Ari Shapiro, host of NPR’s All Things Considered

June 10, 7:30PM screening – Q&A with director Sandi DuBowski, Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie and Rabbi Aaron Potek, Senior Rabbi and Executive Director of Jewish Life at Sixth & I.

Sabbath Queen, a feature documentary filmed over 21 years, 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. The film interrogates what Jewish survival means in a difficult rapidly changing 21st century.

The film’s powerful exploration of themes like reimagining spirituality, Jewish family, queer identity, and gender equality provides a unique opportunity to dive into these important topics, sparking meaningful conversations and fostering deeper dialogue. Let’s come together for events that spark reflection, ignite connection, and strengthen community. We hope to see you at the movies!