Unorthodox

Gr 10 Up—Modern Orthodox Judaism in America is a lifestyle that doesn't always mesh with contemporary society. Among those who struggle between two worlds are teens, raised and educated adhering to strict rules. Often, Orthodox youth make a year-long journey to Israel, where, it is hoped, they will bond with the ancestral home and even remain as citizens. Many are rebellious once freed from tight restrictions, experimenting with drugs and sex and flaunting traditions and religious observance. Director Anna Wexler follows four American friends, three boys and one girl who participate in the "Gap Year in Israel." They all find Israel's dominant Jewish culture reassuring, and each pursues a unique path toward self-discovery with provocative or dangerous consequences. Because the year is already funded, none has any financial responsibility. Excessive drinking and drug abuse are common, especially since these youth are out from under their parents' guidance for the first time. Religious study is expected, but not always followed. A prominent rabbi posits that 90 percent of participants remain religious, "If they have a searching heart, trying to make themselves better. The year in Israel is like medicine that resolves the malady of modernism." In the youthful vernacular, the observant "flip out," meaning they adhere more strongly to orthodoxy. Subsequently, three remain religious and marry, but one dies of a drug overdose.