On Making 93Queen

Five years ago, I uncovered a shocking act of defiance in an unexpected setting, which I now see as a group of Hasidic women's unique contribution to the global war against the patriarchy. As I was perusing a Yiddish website, I came across a photo featuring Hasidic women in lab coats. In the accompanying description, I read about Ruchie Freier, a Hasidic woman from Brooklyn who was leading an effort to create New York City's first all-female volunteer EMT corps, called Ezras Nashim, or "women's help."

While an all-female EMT corps is remarkable in itself, I was even more intrigued by the context surrounding Ruchie's efforts and its implications in Hasidic Brooklyn. As an Orthodox Jewish woman myself, I immediately understood that the formation of Ezras Nashim would be a significant cultural disruption to the gender-segregated Hasidic community. For decades, Hatzolah, the volunteer emergency care corps in most Jewish communities, has actively prevented women from participating, and they made it known they were not going to make space for the women's solution, Ezras Nashim. But these women were refusing to take no for an answer.

Until that moment, I had never heard of proud Hasidic women challenging their community's status quo; their courage and persistence in demanding systemic progress—especially in the face of fierce opposition from the all-powerful patriarchy—is why I made 93Queen.

In many ways, the making of 93Queen mirrors the radical formation of Ezras Nashim. As a filmmaker and insider who understands Hasidic modesty tenants and agreed to follow them in the making of the film, I was granted unprecedented and exclusive access to bring these women to the forefront through the David-and-Goliath story of Ezras Nashim. Over four years of filming, I operated as a one-woman crew to capture subtly the highs and the lows of creating Ezras Nashim, from its inception through its launch, and, ultimately, Ruchie's surprise run for Brooklyn Civil Court judge. The result is a rare documentary portrayal of observant Hasidic women—from their point of view.

Since the release of 93Queen, it's been incredibly gratifying to see audiences across the world—many of whom have never interacted with a Hasidic Jew before—engaging with Ruchie and the members of Ezras Nashim through the film. The conversations around the film have gone beyond destigmatizing Hasidic women and have centered on the different interpretations of feminism, along with the notion of progress from within. Seeing 93Queen tap into the larger global discourse has been especially rewarding.

Whether they recognize it or not, Ruchie and the women of Ezras Nashim have laid the groundwork for lasting and sustainable changes in the Hasidic community. And like women all over the globe, they have proven to be the most potent force their community has to combat injustice and fulfill societal needs.

ABOUT 93QUEEN

93Queen world premiered at the 2018 Hot Docs International Canadian Film Festival, followed by an Academy Award-qualifying national theatrical release by Abramorama in over twenty-five US cities, including a six-week holdover at New York City's IFC Center. 93Queen broadcast nationally and internationally on PBS's POV, ARTE in France and Germany, UR in Sweden, yes DocU in Israel, and Canada's CBC.

To date, 93Queen has played at over seventy film festivals, nearly one-hundred community screenings worldwide, and was selected to be included in the US State Department's American Film Showcase. 93Queen also won the prestigious Hot Docs first look Pitch Prize. [End Page 278] [End Page 279]