" I'm going to choose whatever side I want and if God happens to be on the other side then so be it." I believe these two quotes capture the essence of the film " A Price Above Rubies". The main character, Sonia Horowitz, a Hasidic Jew, embarked on a journey in which she sought to find herself through questioning her faith and the strict Jewish life.In doing so, she paid a heavy price. This, I believe, to be the message of the film.

The movie starts off with a close up of a ring being crafted, incomplete. Then we see sonia's brother, Yossi, telling her the story of the woman who broke free of the Jewish community. The woman's father wanted her to marry a great scholar and lead a good spiritual life. After leaving, she wanders back years later, with child. The community shuns the child, and when she dies, heaven rejects her, so she goes to hell, but the devil cannot bear to see her suffer anymore because he recognizes her as his niece, so she wanders the earth for eternity. The woman is the daughter of a demon. Sonia tells Yossi -

" I love you more than anything", when Yossi asks her if she loves him more than God. Yossi tells her she is a sinner and will end up just like the woman

For a while, this substitute works. The nervous hysteria is replaced with complete confidence as she buys and sells jewelry to Senders customers. At home Mendel asks her what she wants. She replies " I just want something beautiful."

Sonia Marches over to the Rebbe's house in the next scene, demanding to see his widow. Initially, she is refused because her blouse is unbuttoned and her hair everywhere. The Rebitsen allows her to see her. Sonia asks the Rebitsen why she whispered, "thankyou", when her husband had died. She says, " Your words rekindled a fire." Sonia's passion had inspired the very old Rebbe to give his wife one night where he wasn't thinking about God and only about her. His last words to her were " I love you." It is very ironic that he died giving his wife pleasure in which she was so grateful. Sonia doesn't want to wait to have this fire rekindled, she doesn't want to lose it in the first place and she says " I don't belong here. I paid a heavy price for it. I'm leaving my child here. "Sonia has realized that to find out that she doesn't belong in the Jewish community she paid a terrible price, she lost her son. Sonia then asks her is she could get something of 'hers' back. Sonia goes with four Jewish scholars down to Senders basement and confronts him. He is forced to give the ring that she had in the safe back. As he walks past she says to him, " Now I'm free." Sonia has paid the price, but now she is free. She got herself back from Sender when she got the ring back, the ring symbolizing her body, which Sender had previously had control over.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Sonia Rebitsen, Hasidic Jew, God Sonia, God Quietly, God Blessed, Mendel's Sender, Sonia I'm, Overwhelmed Sonia, Cain Yossi, Overhearing Rabbi, jewish community, sonia i'm, terrible sonia, fear god, spiritual life, replies i'm, lead spiritual life, sender freedom, sonia doesn't, god mendel, woman story, i'm question whatever, paid heavy price, jewish community sonia,
Approximate Word count = 2200
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)