Transmitzvah

I found the movie to be very impactful. Mumy (originally Reuben) was heartbreaking to watch as his father originally did not accept him. He wanted to express himself differently, but his father couldn’t accept that. It was sad to see how much Mumy just wanted love and support from his family. Despite the rejection, Mumy stayed true to himself, which made his story very inspirational. It showed how hard it can be to go against tradition and your family and how important it is to be yourself. She proved herself by becoming a celebrity and an icon for the LGBTQ community. Mumy’s story is very similar to my childhood friend’s story. My friend grew up in a religious Catholic household with very traditional values. He always believed he was meant to be a girl, but his family shut him down. He was forced to keep his thoughts to himself until he got older, and now he is transgender. I enjoyed Transmitzvah because it reminded me of his story. 

One thing I wish they had done differently with the movie is when Mumy argued with the synagogue’s rabbi when he refused to give her a Bat Mitzvah. I understand Mumy is going through a tough time and wants to fulfill the mitzvah for her father, but according to Jewish law, Mumy would have to have a bar mitzvah. Yes, this may sound like a very outdated and closed mindset, but Mumy must respect the rabbi’s wishes, as the rabbi is only trying to obey Gd. I feel the movie depicts the rabbi as almost a villain, but this is far from the truth. Jewish laws given to us from Gd cannot be changed. Rules are rules. 

Another improvement I would make is to go more in-depth into Mumy and her father’s relationship. I think adding more scenes together would give the viewer a better understanding and make the movie more impactful. Mumy and her father mention that they regret not speaking to each other. The movie jumps from the Bat Mitzvah to Mumy, who visits her father in the hospital as an adult. What happened during that time between? Did Mumy get kicked out of the house? Did Mumy run away? What changed her father’s mind?