Gibson’s film troubles area Jews, but could inspire interfaith dialogue
About three months ago, in a Glendale synagogue, an adult asked a group of visiting non-Jewish children, “Why did Hitler and the Nazis hate the Jews?” And one of the children replied, “Because the Jews killed Jesus.”
This exchange took place at Congregation Beth Israel, which was hosting a program about the Holocaust sponsored by the Coalition for Jewish Learning, the education program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation.
CBI’s Rabbi Jacob Herber and CJL executive director Dr. Steven Baruch were present and looked at each other in shock when they heard that response, Herber told The Chronicle in a telephone interview.
“Obviously the misconception is one that is still somewhat prevalent,” despite some 40 years of rethinking and modifying that has been done by many Christian denominations, Herber said.
This is disturbing enough. But this hoary libel that inspired centuries of Christian hatred of Jews may receive a new lease on life, thanks to a new movie made by a major star.
Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ,” a dramatization of the last 12 hours of Jesus’ life, is scheduled to open on Feb. 25 in theaters nationally, including in Milwaukee and Madison.
It has sparked controversy nation-wide. Representatives of some Jewish organizations and some Christians who have viewed preview screenings or read a supposed copy of the screenplay have expressed concern that the film resurrects some of the old libels in its portrayal of the Jews of Jesus’ time.
These concerns were intensified by news reports that Gibson and his family belong to a subgroup within Catholicism that rejects Vatican II. This was the 1962-65 church council meeting that made many changes in Catholic doctrine and practice, including repudiating the old teachings of collective Jewish responsibility for Jesus’ death and paving the way for new relations between Judaism and Christianity.
Moreover, such Jewish conservatives as film critic Michael Medved are saying (in an opinion article in the Feb. 2 Christian Science Monitor) that the national Jewish criticism of the film may “provoke far more anti-Semitism than the movie itself.”
The national concerns are being talked about here. Kathy Heilbronner, assistant director of the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations and the person at that agency dealing with this issue, and Harriet McKinney, executive director the American Jewish Committee-Milwaukee Chapter, both reported receiving calls from Jews and non-Jews expressing concern about the film.
Steven H. Morrison, executive director of the Madison Jewish Community Council, said his office has received few calls on the subject. “I wouldn’t say this is a major issue in Madison at this time,” he said in a telephone interview.
Nevertheless, last week he issued a statement expressing concern that the film “as described in news stories for several months” may be “contrary to biblical scholarship and the teachings of Vatican II.”
And Herber, who carries memories of being taunted and attacked as a “Christ-killer” in the upstate-New York town in which he grew up, said, “I believe and fear that the film will fan the flames of anti-Semitism and undo all the progress between Christians and Jews” since Vatican II.
Opportunity for dialogue
Yet the controversy may also provide opportunity to promote interfaith understanding.
“It is actually useful for human beings to talk together about this,” said McKinney. “It may not be the easiest way to build mutual understanding, but it is the way we build mutual understanding.”
Moreover, “We want to defuse some of the sensationalism, hype and hysteria,” said Heilbronner. “People who are involved in [interfaith] work, and the Catholic-Jewish Conference in particular, are seeing it as a wonderful opportunity to help others understand the vital work we do in interfaith relations and why it’s so important to continue these conversations and expand our dialogue.”
In fact, such efforts may even “turn the tables [on Gibson],” said Rabbi David Brusin of Congregation Shir Hadash. “He didn’t plan on that” happening.
Rabbi David Cohen of Congregation Sinai and president of the Wisconsin Council of Rabbis said that the council “hasn’t taken a position” on the film, but “I know that on an individual basis rabbis are working with their congregations and with broader community groups to provide opportunities for people to learn and discuss the film.”
He added that the MJCCR, the rabbis council and area cantors will meet with Rabbi Eugene Korn, a renowned activist in interfaith relations and one of the critics of the film, in early March during Korn’s speaking engagement at the synagogue.
A number of people — including Heilbronner, Morrison, McKinney and Rabbi Gideon Goldenholz of Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue — said they were planning (or trying to plan) on seeing the film with interfaith groups.
Goldenholz said he will go either with “several Christian clergy” or individually and then discuss the film with fellow members of the Mequon-Thiensville Clergy Association.
“First we’re going to [discuss] it privately; we feel very comfortable with each other,” he said. “If it turns out that it can be something of benefit to the community, we’d probably consider” either “making a joint statement” or having a public discussion of the film.
Moreover, Milwaukee’s Catholic-Jewish Conference is assembling educational resource materials, which include “the guidelines that the Catholic Church sends annually to all its parishes and congregations” about “the teachings of the church with respect to Jews and Judaism,” said Heilbronner.
The conference also is planning a community-wide interfaith program for discussion the film on Sunday, March 21, 2:30 p.m. at Congregation Shalom, Heilbronner said.
The American Jewish Committee has published a 40-page booklet called “‘The Passion’: A Resource Manual” that McKinney said the local AJC chapter is distributing. It is also available on the national AJCommittee’s Web site ( www.ajc.org ).
Rabbi Shlomo Levin of Lake Park Synagogue said the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations is also preparing educational materials about the film; and “I would be willing to use” those material “if it becomes of concern to people” in his synagogue.
In addition, the Milwaukee Kollel Center for Jewish Studies and Ohr HaTorah-Jewish Heritage Center will bring in radio broadcaster and educator Rabbi Tovia Singer, who is also founder and director of Outreach Judaism, to speak on the film on Tuesday, March 9, 7:45 p.m., at the Manchester East Hotel and Suites, 7065 N. Port Washington Rd.
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