"The Girl Came to Me with Low Self-Esteem, a Bent Back, and Barely Spoke. What She Experienced with Us Changed Her Life"

Some people think that Charedi cinema cannot be of high quality. But when they watch the films produced by Henia Teichtal, they are likely to change their minds. What is most astounding is that the participants in these films are elementary school girls, graduates of the drama studies at Henia Productions. These productions were initiated by Henia when she was just 12 years old, along with her then-partners Hadai Ashlag and Tamar Eliyahu, creating productions and plays for girls.

"We lived in a developing neighborhood in Jerusalem," Henia tells us. "There were no classes to fill the afternoon hours for my friends and me. Since I always loved producing and initiating performances, we naturally found ourselves as young girls gathering the neighborhood girls for *Shabbat* receptions and training them to perform for the mothers. Although we were still children ourselves, we made sure to treat each of the other girls with respect and love and made them feel that each of them was special."

On the Set of a Jewish Plot

The special attention that Henia and her friends gave to the girls, as well as the personal empowerment they provided, led the mothers to send their daughters to the organized classes they opened and to trust them as professionals, even though they were only 12 years old. At 15, they had already rented a 500-seat auditorium, and a year later they opened more branches in Jerusalem, which later expanded beyond the city's borders.

A few years passed, Henia grew, her friends, who had been partners with her in managing the classes, got married and left the field, and Henia felt it was time to move up a level, to try something new and challenging and to provide the girls studying with her a completely real experience on a professional set.

"I decided to start producing films with the participation of the girls studying with me and to let them experience the special and exciting feeling of a real movie. There too, I made sure to develop their self-confidence, allowing their souls to express themselves and be creative."

A Ten and a Half Year Old Production Assistant

How can you manage multiple drama study branches and still not forget your role as a mother and wife?

"My husband is in charge of planning, strategy, and managing all the technical aspects of the film productions. During the year, our routine is relatively calm, except for a few weeks when the filming and productions take place. When the children were small, it wasn’t always easy. I would bring them with me to filming days and ensure a close babysitter was there to watch them during the shoots. Today, they are partners and enjoy the process, and even our ten and a half year old daughter serves as a production assistant on filming days," Henia smiles. "She understands terms related to filming and takes her role seriously and responsibly."

In drama classes, there's the familiar phenomenon of girls being chosen for leading roles while the quieter ones are sidelined and receive minor roles. How can you boost such a girl’s self-confidence and prevent her from facing the same disappointment again?

"Throughout the year, I put a lot of focus on the girls' path, on strengthening their confidence, and on empowering each and every girl personally," explains Henia. For her, the performance isn’t the central part. She explains to the girls that each one shines in a certain area; one may be strong in acting and another in singing. Each according to the gifts they received from Hashem, and like in every field in life, not everyone can be chosen for the lead role. "Girls their age stomp their feet when they don't get what they asked for, but I work with them on acceptance, inclusion, and faith so that they manage to reach support from a very mature place, and I am proud of them." On the pivotal day of role distribution, Henia records the girls. Their reactions are filled with unconditional love, and it is definitely moving.

"There Are Girls Who Approach Auditions with Shaking Legs"

Despite the professional casting and clear role distribution, Henia never gives up on the personal experience of each and every girl. "Everyone records in the studio, everyone appears on stage, they all receive equipment and costumes, and each girl feels the experience as if she got the lead role. In drama studies, I meet many quiet and insecure girls who truly experience stage fright. They come to me shy and unwilling to audition for roles in front of the other girls, and this is the opportunity to change their self-perception and show them they are capable of more than they think."

The process that Henia successfully leads is nothing short of amazing. Initially, they approach auditions with shaking legs and speak in a weak, uncertain voice, but when they see the support and hear the applause from their friends, they come to the next class with a higher starting point and slowly build and develop throughout the year.

"Every year, I get messages from mothers who couldn't believe that their quiet daughter would perform on stage in front of an audience. One of the most touching conversations was when a mother shared with me that her daughter always walked with a bent back; she tried sending her to gymnastics and swimming classes, but nothing helped. Since enrolling her daughter in drama studies, she noticed her daughter slowly straightening up. And the same daughter who entered with low confidence and barely spoke started connecting with the girls and even got a solo role in front of the audience at the end of the year."

Henia adds an important point that surely every educator knows: in every class, there are the charismatic and active girls compared to the much quieter ones who need special attention, "but what about the middle? What about those ordinary and average girls who become invisible because they are not unusually quiet but also not prominent enough? In our studies, I make sure to make each one feel special in her own way."

From Daily Dilemmas of Girls: When the Girls Are Involved in Script Preparation

Competing against films in the non-religious sector is almost impossible. The production level is high, and a lot of money is invested to captivate viewers with negative experiences. How do you manage to create interest among your viewers?

"This is my mission, to give mothers the confidence and peace of mind that they are showing their daughters clean, ethical, quality, and especially Jewish content. And precisely because a connection is made to their soul, they watch with great interest.

Henia brings dilemmas to the screen that girls face in their daily lives. Before writing the script, she consults with the girls, asking them what concerns them and receives answers about jealousy, competition, modest dress, social pressure, and more. From their answers, she writes the script. In other words, the film allows the girls to encounter themselves, their challenges, and their conflicts, which makes it even more unique and interesting."

What is told in your two films currently in the Hidabroot children's world?

"The film 'A Faithful Child' presents an emotional drama about the heroism of a Jewish girl in the days following the Holocaust. This film has received wide recognition, and many girls come to me after watching it. Another film also found in the children's world is 'This Is the World,' which tells of two heroic girls living in a dark basement during World War II. The basement is their world, and in the film, viewers discover how the girls got there, how life in a basement is, what happens outside, and what happens to those who don't know what the world is. It's worth watching."

What are your dreams for the future?

"To continue and immerse myself increasingly in the mission of empowering girls through Jewish drama studies, giving them a warm corner of joyful and empowering experiences, making them feel they belong to something greater, and showing them that everyone can do it. Additionally, I hope to continue with Jewish cinema.
"Our generation is tasked with the digital decree: computer screens and mobiles lurk everywhere. The digital shows there are many worlds outside, but as a Chabad Hasid, I am committed to the words of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, quoting the sages: 'There was no need for the world to use gold, and why was it created? For the Mishkan and the Temple.'
"We are soldiers in Hashem's army, and we pour pure Jewish content into these tools to connect the children of Israel to themselves, the Creator, and happy Jewish lives. As it is said, 'Everything Hashem created was for His glory,' and the principle is that everything that exists in the world is practically meant to serve Hashem and reveal Him in the world, and when these tools are used for good, they are brought to the purpose for which they were created."

Come and watch Henia Teichtal's inspiring films in the children's world: "This Is the World" and "A Faithful Child" >>