Reacting to 'The Passion'

RABBI AARON D. RUBINGER

The film, "The Passion of Christ," is a cinematic tour-de-force. It is extremely powerful, touching and at times almost too gruesome to watch. The film clearly and without ambiguity puts the onus of the murder of Jesus upon both the Jewish religious leadership of that era and upon the Jewish people as a whole. In stark contrast, the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate is portrayed as a compassionate individual. He is shown as a hesitant accomplice to the murder - an act forced upon by him by the Jews.

Obviously, we in the Jewish community do not agree with that depiction of historical events. Our people knew Pilate as a ruthless oppressor who handpicked the Jewish religious establishment of that time, those who were collaborators with the Roman regime.

In fairness to Gibson, however, his film is not expressing original beliefs. They are reflective of the spirit of much of the writings within the New Testament. We Jews and many Christian scholars - and the official Vatican II policy known as Nostra Aetate - have long sought to rectify that biased historical description.

However, Gibson, a member of the Trindentine Latin Mass, an ultra-traditionalist brand of Catholicism, rejects the ecumenical teachings of Vatican II and resurrects the original Gospel's portrayal of the Jewish people's primary responsibility in Jesus' murder.

Is this an anti-Semitic movie? The question is too black and white. I don't believe that Gibson intended to make a movie to make Jews look horrible. I suspect he wanted to make a film that demonstrated the great suffering that Jesus experienced to express Gibson's sincere religious conviction of Jesus' great sacrifice to bring salvation to humankind.

Many people, no doubt, will view the film and come away with a message of God's great love of humanity. Yet others, both in the United States and especially in Europe - where anti-Semitism is sadly making a comeback - will take away a very different message: that the Jewish people as a whole are "Christ-killers.''

As a rabbi, I see no practical sense or value for the Jewish community to attack or boycott this film. Rather, I would suggest that Jews view it.

For some, it will be an eye opener as to the reality of some anti-Jewish attitudes that exist within the Christian Bible. In addition, it will enable us to see the life and death of Jesus through the eyes of our Christian neighbors.

Ideally, however, it should increase dialogue between Jews and Christians regarding our various differences in theology and historical perspectives so that we may build a stronger and more secure bridge to mutual respect, tolerance and love between all of God's children.

Last week, Rabbi Aaron D. Rubinger attended an Orlando preview of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." Gibson was there and discussed the film but did not address the issue of anti-Semitism.

Rubinger is the spiritual leader of Congregation Ohev Shalom in Orlando, Fla.

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