Category: Doc For Distribution

Adolescents at risk have become a growing problem in Israel and across the world, and the problem frequently originates in the household. Generation gaps can cause conflict within the family unit, where new thoughts and technologies clash with old world traditions and expectations.

In certain pockets of the Jewish orthodox world, families reject ideological differences in order to preserve the ways of their culture and ensure a legitimate legacy. Many communities are facing an exodus of their young, who turn to more modern values over those of their communities. These children escape the restrictive lifestyle, but feelings of guilt and pain become too much to bear. They fall victim to substance abuse, encounters with the law, and other harmful behaviors.

Our project chronicles the lives of three, struggling adolescents and their companions at the “Garden of Eden,” a rehabilitative farm for young girls at risk. The farm, founded by the Efraty Hasidic family, provides a home for girls who have been disowned from and abused by their educational and social systems – girls who once called the streets their home.

Through the eyes of these outcasts, one experiences the sexist dogma of ultra-orthodox lifestyle and the suffering endured through drug and alcohol abuse. In their desperate search for independence, the three girls recognize their fragile situations and mature into strong, young women. The meaning behind their stories resonates on a global level, for the struggle to save oneself is universal.

We are pursuing this project because there has been a significant increase in the amount of at-risk teens worldwide. One can see it in their neighborhood, their streets, and the news. There are teens everywhere abandoned by their families who turn to all manners of illegal activity.

 Yehudit, the film’s director, has spent her life in a religious community where abandoned youths are a common sight. Her understanding of their backgrounds inspired her to share their untold stories. These youths are shown not as criminals, but as young adults who have been misjudged by society and denied their freedom of expression.

K., a wildly independent 17-year-old with piercings and dreadlocks, ran away from her family at age 15 to escape the burden of living with her unemployed parents. A., a charismatic 18-year-old, ran away from home at the age of 13 because of the pressures her family forced upon her. T. struggled with her strict Haredi family, dropped out of religious school and ran away from home.

The three girls spend years on the streets until the Israeli Government intervenes. With their lives in disarray and nowhere else to turn, these runaways have no choice but to comply with the welfare authorities’ decision to have them sent to the “Garden of Eden” farm.

Here, the three girls join others and are put to work on the farm. They cook, clean, paint, plant trees, and care for the livestock. In their spare time, the girls socialize with their peers and study to complete their high school education.

Amidst this, A. continues to struggle with her alcoholism. As her situation deteriorates, Nir gives her an ultimatum; she must either stop drinking or leave the farm. Meanwhile, K. struggles with the staff as she breaks the rules and encourages others to do the same. When suspected of possible drug possession, she faces the prospect of going to a juvenile detention center. Distraught by such a threat, she flees to the United States for a few months in an unsuccessful attempt to escape her problems. Difficult decisions must be made for each sensitive situation– but will these choices help the girls escape to liberated independence, or trap them further in a life of drugs and regrets?

This film explores the fragile healing process that at-risk adolescents undergo in a rehabilitative environment. Living in an isolated location provides K., A., and T. with the necessary space to reevaluate their lives. The desert beauty, independent lifestyle, and satisfying work help these youths to re-ignites a sense of purpose in their lives. The Garden of Eden farm motivates them to heal more effectively than any other rehabilitation center in Israel.