Divided passions

Local leaders wrestle with film on Jesus

BARRY COHEN
Editor

Local Jewish leaders are split about how to respond to "The Passion of the Christ," the controversial film produced and directed by Mel Gibson depicting the final hours leading up to Jesus' crucifixion.

For a devout Christian, "the movie is an intense, draining and overwhelming experience," said Bill Straus, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

"Christians see it and respond emotionally," said Rabbi Robert Kravitz, executive director of the Arizona Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. The film is a visual showing of the stories they have read throughout their lifetime. "It resonates."

Straus and Kravitz agree that dialoguing with Christians immediately after viewing the film may not be the best idea.

"To ask someone to engage in reason-based argument" about the merits of the film "when they are in that emotional state is unrealistic," said Straus.

They may need some time "for their emotions to calm down" before talking about it, added Kravitz.

Yet, Straus "applauds interfaith efforts" to screen the movie and engage afterwards in dialogue as a chance to exchange ideas constructively.

One such effort will be Sunday, March 7, at Harkins Shea 14, 7345 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, sponsored by Temple Beth Israel, Temple Solel, Scottsdale Presbyterian Church and Chaparral Christian Church.

"I expect it will be ... the most challenging program I have ever participated in, but the outcome will be the most fulfilling," said Rabbi Steven Kahn of Temple Beth Israel.

The four houses of worship sold out the 536-seat theater in six days, he noted.

The screening will be painful and difficult for both sides, but for different reasons, said Kahn, but he hopes the participants will feel a sense of pride by seeing the film together and opening up lines of communication.

Viewers must remember that the movie is a fictionalized version of Jesus' final days, based upon Mel Gibson's understanding of Christian tradition, said Kravitz.

Rabbi Chaim Silver of Young Israel of Phoenix said the film lacks any historical credibility.

"My reaction is that there is no proven historical record about Jesus' life," he said.

"The Passion," could have drawn from elements in four different Gospels, but Gibson chose (the book of Matthew), the harshest and most hurtful for the Jews," noted Kravitz.

"Like it or not, the Gospels and the Gospel commentaries for political reasons are anti-Jewish," said Rabbi B. Charles Herring of Temple Kol Ami. "Thus if this movie is authentic and accurate, it has to be anti-Jewish."

Silver said he has chosen not to devote much time to the film from the bema.

"I do not wish to dignify the movie ... with a lecture," he said, adding that he would rather see rabbis teach more about Torah than about another faith's scriptures.

"I am going from 'ignore the whole damn thing' to trying to figure out if congregants need help dealing with it," said Herring.

He is not worried about a backlash from the Christian community. Rather, he believes that in the aftermath of the movie's release, Christians will reach out and support the Jewish com-munity.

However, Herring said he is concerned that radical Islamic groups will take advantage of Gibson's film, using its anti-Jewish message as ammunition in the war they are waging against the world, par-ticularly against the United States for supporting Israel.

"Jews are repeatedly held up as demons in this war," he noted, "and this movie will demonize Jews."

To lessen anticipated negative repercussions of the film, both the AJC and the ADL are distributing lit-erature about the historical background of Passion plays and how they have des-tructively impacted Jewish communities.

AJC leaders have made "The Passion, a Resource Manual" available to the Arizona Ecumenical Council and the Arizona Interfaith Network, said Kravitz, and the ADL has primarily sought out the local Catholic community, added Straus.

Straus acknowledged nationwide efforts, spear-headed by ADL national director Abraham Foxman, to condemn "The Passion."

"We are well aware of the fact that without the ADL's hammering on this, the movie may have come and gone without much of a splash," said Straus.

ADL leaders spoke out "loudly and passionately" because they felt it was worth it, he said. Passion plays have had "disastrous fall out" in Jewish communities through-out history, he noted.

"Mel Gibson has power, and there is power in film," said Straus. ADL does not want him to undo the inroads Jewish and Catholic com-munities have made since Vatican II.

Because only selected groups nationwide have been allowed to pre-screen "The Passion," Straus, Kravitz, Kahn, Silver and Herring have not viewed the film.

Contact the writer at barry_cohen@jewishaz.com.

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