A Tale of a Woman and a Robe

The Mikveh ritual is the final step in the process of joining the Jewish people. The converts, both men and women, are required to immerse themselves in the Mikveh in the presence of three rabbinical judges, while the women wear nothing but a robe. This ceremony served as the basis for the "'A Tale of a Woman and a Robe' Ritual Immersion of Female Converts", video art performance and exhibit at Tel Aviv Artist's House in 2013. The film follows the creation process of the performance and exhibit, and presents female voices surrounding this issue. As an artist and a woman who, according to religious law cannot offer testimony, and certainly cannot serve as a rabbinical judge, I wish to offer an artistic cinematic testament that exposes and examines the role of the woman, who is both present and absent in the ritual.