Teaneck—On Saturday evening, Feb. 1, 2014, 8 pm, at Cong. Rinat Yisrael of Teaneck, Rabbi Yosef Adler, Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Academy of Bergen County (and rabbi of Rinat Yisrael) and Mrs. Yocheved Schacter, well-known psychologist, will moderate two short movies that address difficult issues facing the contemporary Orthodox Jewish community—young people “falling off the derekh” (leaving the Orthodox community) and Orthodox gays.

The discussions will revolve around the films, each one half hour in length. The first is “The Rabbi’s Daughter” (2012), directed by a rabbi’s daughter, which “movingly depicts the stories of three young women who have chosen a path at variance from their parents. Now, they face inner dilemmas, communal censure and painful sacrifices.” The post-film discussion will be led by Mrs. Schacter, who specializes in family and relationship issues as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression.

The second film is “Veahavta: And Thou Shalt Love” (2007) a drama about Ohad, a yeshiva student who experiences profound loneliness while concealing the fact that he is gay. After calling a religious hotline for advice, Ohad becomes convinced that he is “cured.” When Ohad’s study partner unexpectedly returns from the army, Ohad finds he can no longer evade the difficult questions, both within himself, and between himself and God. The discussion will be led by Rabbi Yosef Adler.

David Jacobowitz, one of the event organizers, told JLBC: “We want to engage people’s minds and elicit guidance from well-respected experts: What are the challenges in dealing with these issues? What is the best advice as to how we as individuals—and as a community—should react? How does Halakha guide us in these matters? How do we shape our public policy so that we can successfully deal with these issues?”

The film program will take place at Cong. Rinat Yisrael, 389 W. Englewood Ave., Teaneck, NJ. There is a $5 admission fee. For inquiries, call 201-837-2795.

By Jeanette Friedman