Set in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Williamsburg, SHEIGETZ tells the story of Yoni, a rebellious, punk-obsessed 12 year old. Yoni is rude, obnoxious, sarcastic - the type of preteen we've all come to know and love.

What he treasures the most is his older brother Arieh's collection of punk music, who passed away when Yoni was young.

On the 5th year anniversary of Arieh's passing (Yarzheit), Yoni sneaks out to see his brother’s favorite band, a punk group called TZEITEL'S REVENGE playing at a DIY venue in Bushwick called THE WET SPOT.

But what begins as the best night of his life quickly becomes the worst as Yoni learns a painful truth: the band’s charismatic frontman, Lou Rollins, is none other than Arieh - his “death” was a lie, a cover-up to conceal the shame of his departure from the community, one which his own father and community were complicit in creating.

This shocking revelation completely upends everything Yoni thought to be true - about his father - about his community - about this religion, about the impossible choices one makes living in these incredibly insular communities.

While this reveal is devastating, the film ends in an emotionally honest, hopeful place, with Yoni realizing he doesn't belong in either the punk or orthodox world, desperately needing his father to meet him half way.

The script for SHEIGETZ is a Shore Scripts Top Five Finalist, an Outstanding Scripts Semi-Finalist, Bluecat Script Competition Semi-Finalist, and a Hollyshorts Screenwriting Competition Quarter-Finalist.

And in some exciting news, we've cast Gera Sandler (Netflix's UNORTHODOX) as "Yitzhak," the father in SHEIGETZ!

Growing up Jewish in Brooklyn, I felt an intense curiosity whenever I saw the Hasidic families in Williamsburg or Crown Heights. In many ways, these communities felt so different from my own secular Jewish upbringing—modern, assimilated—but at the same time, I couldn’t shake the thought: that could’ve been me. My grandparents made a choice to embrace a more secular life when they came to America, but in another reality, I might’ve been one of those kids walking down Division Avenue in Williamsburg, steeped in that world.

Fast forward to my journey as a filmmaker, and I knew I wanted to explore the ultra-Orthodox world onscreen. Stories about those who’ve left—the so-called “OTD” (off the derech) narratives—are now commonplace, often highlighting the struggles of ex-members: ostracism, culture shock, addiction, and sometimes, death.

But I didn’t want to tell another story about leaving. That’s been done. I wanted to explore the people who stay—those who remain not out of zealotry, but because as one ex-Hasidic person told me “change is scary.” 

The seed of SHEIGETZ came to me during the pandemic. I was walking in Prospect Park when I saw a Hasidic father holding hands with his young son.

The image reminded me of the final scene of Bicycle Thieves, that poignant moment of a boy looking up to his father as a role model. And I thought: What if that boy had an older brother? What if that older brother had gone OTD and was considered “dead” by the family?

That’s when the music element came in, specifically the punk scene. I began to think about my own childhood and the way I idolized my camp counselor, who introduced me to what I thought was the coolest music on earth, bands like Radiohead and Weezer.

That became the heart of the story: a rebellious 12-year-old kid, caught between being a child and becoming an adult, who idolizes an older brother he’s been told is dead. This kid would be brash, smart, and deeply curious.

The visual style of SHEIGETZ reflects Yoni’s journey over the course of the film, oscillating between energy and restraint.

Handheld cameras, whip pans, and zooms will capture the chaos of Yoni’s discovery of the Brooklyn punk scene.

The use of widescreen will also lend the story a “larger than life” aesthetic, especially the moment Yoni enters the Wet Spot.

This heightened visual language will underscore the contrast between Yoni’s adventurous journey with the suffocating stillness of his religious home. 

SHEIGETZ is fully in pre-production, aiming to shoot in December 2025. We are in the midst of casting, filling out the rest of the crew, and working with a cultural advisor to ensure authenticity in the Orthodox world.

A big emphasis in funding for this film will go towards production design, costumes, and set decoration. With the location for Yoni's home secured, finding the perfect venue for "Wet Spot" is top priority. Similarly, funds will go towards paying crew and cast a fair rate.

Our budget is the absolute minimum to cover production costs - any additional funds will towards:

• -Post production editing
• -Post production sound.
• -Festival submissions

At its core, SHEIGETZ is a coming-of-age story. I want it to capture the exhilaration of classic films like Almost Famous, with its wish-fulfillment of discovering a world larger than yourself, while also staying true to the complexities of ultra-Orthodox life. The story isn’t about vilifying religion or glorifying the secular world. It’s about the complicated reality of trying to find belonging when you don’t fit in either space.

You can learn more about the project on its Instagram page, instagram.com/sheigetzfilm