Genre
Synopsis
There are sexist laws that forbid women from scribing Torah. Because this ancient calligraphy is learned through apprenticeship it wasn’t until recently that women managed to persuade men to teach them. Men have been scribing Torah since 3 BCE but it wasn’t until 2007 that a Torah was scribed by a woman. In this documentary short, THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE A TORAH meet two of the first known female scribes in history including one who makes her own parchment in her backyard, learn about the obstacles they overcame to achieve this dream, and - as a Jewish woman - how their work affects the filmmaker personally.
Bio
Lauren Greenhall is a documentary Webby-nominated filmmaker whose work explores how joy is a catalyst for lasting social change and self-realization.
Greenhall was a 2021 resident at the Jewish Film Institute for “ZELDA”–a documentary about an ultra-orthodox Jewish woman and her relationship with her wig–and was awarded the FY2024 Grant from the New York State Council on the Arts towards the completion of this film. She also received the 2024 DCJCC Matthew Harris Ornstein JxJ Short Film Fund for her documentary short about female Torah scribes and was selected as a 2025 participant in the New York Jewish Artists retreat, presented by Asylum Arts and the Neighborhood.
Other short documentaries include “The Frock” (NYPost), “Abby Stein” (Inside Edition) and the “Muslims in America” series. (HuffPost) The virality of this series landed her the opportunity to speak at NYU about the relationship between religion and the media. She also directed Milk Riders, a docushort that received international attention and was featured on the New York Times, Slate, Refinery 29, HuffPost, and Bust among others.
Additionally, Greenhall has directed fiction feature films for hire, music videos, and branded documentary series as well as TV and video for Nat Geo, The New Yorker, Matador Records, CBS Interactive, ViceTV, Amazon Originals, and Marvel among others.
Screening History
Newport Beach Film Festival 2025
Miami Jewish Film Festival 2026
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival 2026
Washington DC JxJ Music and Film Festival
Credits
Cinematographer - Hannah Engelson
Editor - Marissa Gouverne
