Paul Thomas Anderson is one of our greatest living filmmakers, and Magnolia (New Line Cinema, 1999) is among his finest contributions. Set in California's San Fernando Valley, his tragic, funny, ultimately inspiring epic explores a group of sad-sacks whose lives cross and connect in surprising ways. Tom Cruise plays an ego-maniacal motivational instructor who teaches other men to treat women like shit by manipulating them and using them only for sex. Jason Robards portrays his father, who is dying of cancer. Julianne Moore's character is a drug-addict who married the father for his money and is cheating on him with scores of men. Phillip Seymore Hoffman is the nurse who is going the extra mile to make sure the father's last days are meaningful.
A year before Magnolia graced cinema screens, DreamWorks SKG (then a scrappy upstart) competed against Walt Disney's cartoon empire with what was then the most ambitious non-Disney animated film ever made: The Prince of Egypt (DreamWorks 1998.) A beautiful, moving re-telling of the Passover story, this film caused an enthusiastic Michael Lerner to announce in his Tikkun that year that if DreamWorks never made another film, Prince of Egypt would be enough to justify the mini-studio's existence.
It's daringly dark and harsh, sacrificing the possibility of Happy Meal tie-ins for preserving the story's power. But while it keeps intact much of the Torah account's violence, it makes the liberation of the chosen people universal. In the story-telling hands of executive producers Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, and Steven Spielberg, God frees the Hebrews not simply because He does not want the Hebrews to be enslaved, but because He does not want ANY people to be enslaved. It's truly a modern Midrash.
Many conservative Evangelicals were perplexed that DreamWorks ended the film's story with the Israelites reaching the promised land, instead of continuing the climax with God's dictation of the Ten Commandments, which would have made the film a remake of the Charlton Heston classic. But they don't realize that Jews celebrate receiving the law at Simchat Torah. Passover is not about law or commandments. It is about deliverance from slavery. Freedom.
In mere days, we will sit at our families' seders and ask why tonight is different from all other nights. It's different because it's the one night we make sure we remember our humble roots. We may be comfortable now, but our ancestors were shit on. Even secular Jews who consider the Passover story to be complete fiction can agree our ancestors were treated worse than animals.
Jews were treated so badly because people are flawed, bigoted, and easily swayed into evil acts. And Jews are among those bad people; no group in the human race is immune. We all fuck up. In the Passover story, people were fucking up. They were enslaving other humans. God got the oppressors' attention with plagues: among those plagues, it rained frogs.
In Magnolia, people are fucking up. They're mistreating each other. Some higher force gets these oppressors' attention by raining frogs down upon them. Just like in the Torah, frogs fall from the heavens onto the earth, causing destruction among the oppressors and sinners. Because of this supernatural event--with its implication that some moral force is working in the universe--, almost everyone in the film changes his or her life. A deeply insecure man who was trying to steal to impress a hot gay bartender turns himself in. The Christian police officer forgives him. The emotionally wounded, sexually abused woman the police officer is falling for finds the courage to confront her monstrous father.
If Judaism is--as I believe it to be--an evolving theology and culture, then both Magnolia and The Prince of Egypt serve as modern Midrash. While the latter retells Exodus with renewed emphasis on the story's humanity, the former takes a Passover motif and uses it as a grand, spiritually transcendent epiphany for the troubled souls we spent nearly three hours with. It's cleansing and healing, morally sound and liberating.
And unlike the Charlton Heston version, the characters in Prince of Egypt actually look Jewish (before intermarriage) and Egyptian, with dark skin color and Middle Eastern features. And the scene in which God rolls back the Red Sea to drown the army is depicted as a somber event, bringing to mind the midrash about God asking the Hebrews why they are celebrating when He has just had to kill His precious children. Not to mention the film ends with scriptures from the Torah, New Testament, and Qu'ran.
Enjoy the films, and Happy Pesach!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBgV0DK_FP4&feature=player_embedded
Friday, March 26, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Passover: None of Us is Free Until All of Us Are Free
My rabbi wrote this on our synagogue's Facebook page next to a picture of Manisheweitz matzoh meal: "This is not an endorsement of any particular brand of matzoh; it's simply a gentle reminder that the season of liberation is upon us. The most important issue is drilling down to the bedrock message of the Passover story: tyrany and oppression are offensive to God and must be forcefully opposed and overturned. None of us is free until all of us are free."
Pesach is my favorite Jewish holiday because it is both somber and joyous, and those two feelings come full circle at the seder. We remember with sadness the ancient Hebrews who toiled as slaves at the hands of a cruel government.
We celebrate their liberation. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel says that after G-d's deliverance of the Israelites, "an allusion to the need for every man's own quest for God was seen homiletically in the Song of the Red Sea:
"This is my G-d, and I will glorify Him;
The G-d of my father, and I will exalt Him."
For thousands of years since the Hebrew exodus, Jews have suffered the oppression of cruel leaders time and again, through ethnic/religious discrimination, forced emigration, and genocide. Today our position in the world is better than ever. We are seen as an influential, powerful ethnic group with a vibrant culture and have contributed mightily as architects of the world.
The most recent Out Magazine says, "Without the Jews, much of 20th century culture would look very different, and we'll never know what future geniuses were lost to us in the ovens of Auschwitz."
There is still a great deal of anti-Semitism in the world. But like I always say, we should balance that awful knowledge with the equally valid point that Jews are popular. For every racist loser tweeting about "the Jewish lobby" from his parent's basement, there are countless others who support us. Most of my friends are enthusiastically interested in my religion and heritage, especially Muslims and Christians.
Aside from the ever-present hatred of Jews in some quarters, we lead much more comfortable lives than our parents did. Today, gay is the new Jewish. Mexican is the new Jewish. "None of us is free until all of us are free." That means we will not truly be free until gays are granted equal rights, until state governments stop separating immigrants from their families, until becoming an American citizen is as easy as owning a lethal firearm, until countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Uganda stop murdering/imprisoning their own gay citizens, until Israel stops war-mongering in the name of self-defense, until Palestinians have their own state.
Somber, joyous; symbolic, practical. And that's just the seder. The first night of Passover really is different from all other nights.
Pesach is my favorite Jewish holiday because it is both somber and joyous, and those two feelings come full circle at the seder. We remember with sadness the ancient Hebrews who toiled as slaves at the hands of a cruel government.
We celebrate their liberation. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel says that after G-d's deliverance of the Israelites, "an allusion to the need for every man's own quest for God was seen homiletically in the Song of the Red Sea:
"This is my G-d, and I will glorify Him;
The G-d of my father, and I will exalt Him."
For thousands of years since the Hebrew exodus, Jews have suffered the oppression of cruel leaders time and again, through ethnic/religious discrimination, forced emigration, and genocide. Today our position in the world is better than ever. We are seen as an influential, powerful ethnic group with a vibrant culture and have contributed mightily as architects of the world.
The most recent Out Magazine says, "Without the Jews, much of 20th century culture would look very different, and we'll never know what future geniuses were lost to us in the ovens of Auschwitz."
There is still a great deal of anti-Semitism in the world. But like I always say, we should balance that awful knowledge with the equally valid point that Jews are popular. For every racist loser tweeting about "the Jewish lobby" from his parent's basement, there are countless others who support us. Most of my friends are enthusiastically interested in my religion and heritage, especially Muslims and Christians.
Aside from the ever-present hatred of Jews in some quarters, we lead much more comfortable lives than our parents did. Today, gay is the new Jewish. Mexican is the new Jewish. "None of us is free until all of us are free." That means we will not truly be free until gays are granted equal rights, until state governments stop separating immigrants from their families, until becoming an American citizen is as easy as owning a lethal firearm, until countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Uganda stop murdering/imprisoning their own gay citizens, until Israel stops war-mongering in the name of self-defense, until Palestinians have their own state.
Somber, joyous; symbolic, practical. And that's just the seder. The first night of Passover really is different from all other nights.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Response to "Why Are Jews Liberals?"
The old saying is that Jews earn like Episcopalians but vote like Puerto Ricans.
Or. . .
"Whatever the promptings of their economic interests," Jews have consistently supported "increased government spending, expanded benefits to the poor and lower classes, greater regulations on business, and the power of organized labor." So says economist Nathan Glazer when touching on a certain political phenomenon that apparently has no shelf life: Jewish liberalism.
Almost half a century after Martin Luther King, Jr. thanked Jewish Americans for their disproportionate numbers in the fight for black civil rights, U.S. Jews are still a noticeable presence in progressive political life, from the ranks of regular liberal Democrats to the likes of Chomsky and the late Howard Zinn. Even many of the harshest critics of Israel's occupation are Jewish. And it's not just irreligious, secular Jews. Reform and Conservative Judaism were among the first major religious sects to ordain female and gay clergy, and the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Theological Seminary support gay/straight equality, immigrants' rights, and labor unions.
Conservative Norman Podrohtz (along with the Jewish founders of neo-conservatism) hoped Jewish support for Democrats would end with the nomination of Barack Obama. A shady campaign was launched to convince Jews that Obama was a secret Muslim who wants to wipe out Israel. They desperately tried to scare Jews by constantly pointing out Obama's middle name. Conservatives were convinced Jews would vote Republican for the first time.
This wishful thinking caused MSNBC's Rachel Maddow to point out how ridiculous the idea of Jews voting for McCain in large numbers was, and that it obviously was not going to happen. Indeed, to Podrohtz's chagrin, 75% of Jewish voters supported Obama, more than any other religious group and more than any ethnic group other than black voters.
This frustrated Podrohtz and the few other Jewish conservatives (as well as others who are also perplexed by Jewish liberalism.) So he wrote "Why Are Jews Liberals?," an article for the Wall Street Journal, which became a book around the same time (Why Are Jews Liberals?, Doubleday, 2009.) The main thesis is this: Jews are liberals, Jews should not be liberals, and it is a mystery why Jews are liberals.
In the book and article, Podrohtz details the long, sordid history of Jewish liberalism, culminating in the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama, who--Podrohtz never bothers to point out--is actually out of step with most rabbis on health care reform and gay rights. And that's really the cruz of the problem with Podrohtz's thesis. Jewish liberalism cannot be described as mysterious or as blindly toeing the party line if most Jews prefer universal health care coverage to Obama's plan, or straight/gay equality to second-class citizenship. Maybe Jews are liberals because liberalism better suits their beliefs than conservatism.
Podrohtz distorts history by painting a rosy view of how Americans treated Jews who came to this country looking to make a better life. He claims that because of America's Christian heritage, the land of the free was a safe haven for Jews who share many of the same sacred scriptures and therefore the same values. Actually, Jews were treated with persecution in the U.S., and the discrimination they faced probably helped lead Jews to vote Democrat along with other minorities.
There were signs on restaurants saying "No Coloreds or Jews." Jewish people had a hard time finding work because so many help wanted ads read "Gentiles Only" or "Only Christians Need Apply." Universities kept Jewish students out with quotas. Normal ways of living were so difficult for Jewish Americans that many of them helped build the film industry (no surprise to racists) and became athletes (big surprise to racists.) Far from providing a safe haven, the U.S. ensured a Jewish future of nose-jobs and name changes.
Podrohtz echoes the sentiments of many white supremacists by saying liberal Jews are attempting to thwart old-fashioned values in the name of progress. But what old-fashioned values are Jews trying to thwart? Disowning daughters who get abortions? Sending gay kids to creepy Evangelical camps to make them "straight?"
Podrohtz says, "Most American Jews sincerely believe that their liberalism, together with their commitment to the Democratic Party as its main political vehicle, stems from the teachings of Judaism and reflects the heritage of "Jewish values." But if this theory were valid, the Orthodox would be the most liberal sector of the Jewish community. After all, it is they who are most familiar with the Jewish religious tradition and who shape their lives around its commandments." He then goes on to say Orthodox Jews mostly vote for Republican candidates.
Just because Orthodox Jews follow halakha to the letter does not mean they are more "familiar with the Jewish religious tradition." I am very well versed in halakha; I simply agree with Abraham Joshua Heschel that Judaism does not equal law. The Tanakh is important to my faith because of the beauty of the Psalms and the wisdom of many of the laws--not to mention an astonishing concern for the poor and oppressed that religious conservatives must be overlooking. But I am a smart, educated Jewish guy living in 2010, and if I choose to drive my car on Friday nights or to have sex with a boyfriend, it's not because I'm ignorant of the prohibitions to not do these things.
That's what Podrohtz does not understand. Religious Jews who didn't give a fuck that Obama's middle name is Hussein can point to Hashem's commandment to look out for the oppressed because we Jews were oppressed in Egypt. And secular Jews like Chomsky can point out the torrent of abuse Jews faced in the U.S. not very long ago.
Podrohtz can keep going to brunch with the famous conservative in this conversation.
PHIL DONAHUE: Let me just tell you. He accuses you, among other things, of being an anti-Semite.
ANN COULTER: Maybe that will help me with the Muslims.
DONAHUE: He says that you left New York because you wanted to get away from all these Jews. Did you say that?
COULTER: I find this very interesting, that I write a book saying liberals won't argue about things, instead what they do is call conservatives names. And I come on your show and all you're doing is calling me names.
Why are Jews liberals? It's a mystery.
Or. . .
"Whatever the promptings of their economic interests," Jews have consistently supported "increased government spending, expanded benefits to the poor and lower classes, greater regulations on business, and the power of organized labor." So says economist Nathan Glazer when touching on a certain political phenomenon that apparently has no shelf life: Jewish liberalism.
Almost half a century after Martin Luther King, Jr. thanked Jewish Americans for their disproportionate numbers in the fight for black civil rights, U.S. Jews are still a noticeable presence in progressive political life, from the ranks of regular liberal Democrats to the likes of Chomsky and the late Howard Zinn. Even many of the harshest critics of Israel's occupation are Jewish. And it's not just irreligious, secular Jews. Reform and Conservative Judaism were among the first major religious sects to ordain female and gay clergy, and the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Theological Seminary support gay/straight equality, immigrants' rights, and labor unions.
Conservative Norman Podrohtz (along with the Jewish founders of neo-conservatism) hoped Jewish support for Democrats would end with the nomination of Barack Obama. A shady campaign was launched to convince Jews that Obama was a secret Muslim who wants to wipe out Israel. They desperately tried to scare Jews by constantly pointing out Obama's middle name. Conservatives were convinced Jews would vote Republican for the first time.
This wishful thinking caused MSNBC's Rachel Maddow to point out how ridiculous the idea of Jews voting for McCain in large numbers was, and that it obviously was not going to happen. Indeed, to Podrohtz's chagrin, 75% of Jewish voters supported Obama, more than any other religious group and more than any ethnic group other than black voters.
This frustrated Podrohtz and the few other Jewish conservatives (as well as others who are also perplexed by Jewish liberalism.) So he wrote "Why Are Jews Liberals?," an article for the Wall Street Journal, which became a book around the same time (Why Are Jews Liberals?, Doubleday, 2009.) The main thesis is this: Jews are liberals, Jews should not be liberals, and it is a mystery why Jews are liberals.
In the book and article, Podrohtz details the long, sordid history of Jewish liberalism, culminating in the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama, who--Podrohtz never bothers to point out--is actually out of step with most rabbis on health care reform and gay rights. And that's really the cruz of the problem with Podrohtz's thesis. Jewish liberalism cannot be described as mysterious or as blindly toeing the party line if most Jews prefer universal health care coverage to Obama's plan, or straight/gay equality to second-class citizenship. Maybe Jews are liberals because liberalism better suits their beliefs than conservatism.
Podrohtz distorts history by painting a rosy view of how Americans treated Jews who came to this country looking to make a better life. He claims that because of America's Christian heritage, the land of the free was a safe haven for Jews who share many of the same sacred scriptures and therefore the same values. Actually, Jews were treated with persecution in the U.S., and the discrimination they faced probably helped lead Jews to vote Democrat along with other minorities.
There were signs on restaurants saying "No Coloreds or Jews." Jewish people had a hard time finding work because so many help wanted ads read "Gentiles Only" or "Only Christians Need Apply." Universities kept Jewish students out with quotas. Normal ways of living were so difficult for Jewish Americans that many of them helped build the film industry (no surprise to racists) and became athletes (big surprise to racists.) Far from providing a safe haven, the U.S. ensured a Jewish future of nose-jobs and name changes.
Podrohtz echoes the sentiments of many white supremacists by saying liberal Jews are attempting to thwart old-fashioned values in the name of progress. But what old-fashioned values are Jews trying to thwart? Disowning daughters who get abortions? Sending gay kids to creepy Evangelical camps to make them "straight?"
Podrohtz says, "Most American Jews sincerely believe that their liberalism, together with their commitment to the Democratic Party as its main political vehicle, stems from the teachings of Judaism and reflects the heritage of "Jewish values." But if this theory were valid, the Orthodox would be the most liberal sector of the Jewish community. After all, it is they who are most familiar with the Jewish religious tradition and who shape their lives around its commandments." He then goes on to say Orthodox Jews mostly vote for Republican candidates.
Just because Orthodox Jews follow halakha to the letter does not mean they are more "familiar with the Jewish religious tradition." I am very well versed in halakha; I simply agree with Abraham Joshua Heschel that Judaism does not equal law. The Tanakh is important to my faith because of the beauty of the Psalms and the wisdom of many of the laws--not to mention an astonishing concern for the poor and oppressed that religious conservatives must be overlooking. But I am a smart, educated Jewish guy living in 2010, and if I choose to drive my car on Friday nights or to have sex with a boyfriend, it's not because I'm ignorant of the prohibitions to not do these things.
That's what Podrohtz does not understand. Religious Jews who didn't give a fuck that Obama's middle name is Hussein can point to Hashem's commandment to look out for the oppressed because we Jews were oppressed in Egypt. And secular Jews like Chomsky can point out the torrent of abuse Jews faced in the U.S. not very long ago.
Podrohtz can keep going to brunch with the famous conservative in this conversation.
PHIL DONAHUE: Let me just tell you. He accuses you, among other things, of being an anti-Semite.
ANN COULTER: Maybe that will help me with the Muslims.
DONAHUE: He says that you left New York because you wanted to get away from all these Jews. Did you say that?
COULTER: I find this very interesting, that I write a book saying liberals won't argue about things, instead what they do is call conservatives names. And I come on your show and all you're doing is calling me names.
Why are Jews liberals? It's a mystery.
Gay Jewish Spiritual Retreat
announcement from Justin Spiro's Facebook Gay Jews shabbat message. None of the following words are my own, but I hope everyone who wants to go gets a chance. Non-Jewish partners are welcome.
The First Annual Nehirim Men’s Retreat
March 5-7, 2010
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Falls Village, CT
Registration for Nehirim’s Men’s Retreat 2010 is now open. www.nehirim.org
The First Annual Nehirim Men’s Retreat is a weekend of community and spirituality for queer Jewish men. We are the nice Jewish boys your mother warned you about. We are sexual and spiritual, proud to be queer and proud to be Jewish. Our retreat is open to all self-identified men, and features workshops, pluralistic services, outdoor activities, and indoor activities. Our presenters include playwright Dan Fishback, performance artist Amichai Lau-Lavie, Israeli writer Gideon Litchfield, adult film star Mike Dreyden, Rabbi Jacob Staub, Jay Michaelson, and more.
The Second Annual Nehirim Women’s Retreat
March 12-14, 2010
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Falls Village, CT
Registration for Nehirim’s Women’s Retreat 2010 is now open!
Visit www.nehirim.org
Join us for a weekend of rejuvenation, community, and fun…
Explore and refresh your relationship to Judaism and Jewish community in a warm, pluralistic and respectful setting.
Connect with 100 lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer Jewish women: families and singles, students and seniors, frum and secular — there are people like you at Nehirim! (Children and non-Jewish partners welcome.)
Daven and learn with scholars like Rabbi Jill Hammer & Professor Joy Ladin.
Nourish your body with delicious organic, kosher food.
Move with Jewish yoga innovator Myriam Klotz, and open your heart with Nehirim teachers Chani Getter, Becky Emet & Shoshana Jedwab, or just …
The First Annual Nehirim Men’s Retreat
March 5-7, 2010
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Falls Village, CT
Registration for Nehirim’s Men’s Retreat 2010 is now open. www.nehirim.org
The First Annual Nehirim Men’s Retreat is a weekend of community and spirituality for queer Jewish men. We are the nice Jewish boys your mother warned you about. We are sexual and spiritual, proud to be queer and proud to be Jewish. Our retreat is open to all self-identified men, and features workshops, pluralistic services, outdoor activities, and indoor activities. Our presenters include playwright Dan Fishback, performance artist Amichai Lau-Lavie, Israeli writer Gideon Litchfield, adult film star Mike Dreyden, Rabbi Jacob Staub, Jay Michaelson, and more.
The Second Annual Nehirim Women’s Retreat
March 12-14, 2010
Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center
Falls Village, CT
Registration for Nehirim’s Women’s Retreat 2010 is now open!
Visit www.nehirim.org
Join us for a weekend of rejuvenation, community, and fun…
Explore and refresh your relationship to Judaism and Jewish community in a warm, pluralistic and respectful setting.
Connect with 100 lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer Jewish women: families and singles, students and seniors, frum and secular — there are people like you at Nehirim! (Children and non-Jewish partners welcome.)
Daven and learn with scholars like Rabbi Jill Hammer & Professor Joy Ladin.
Nourish your body with delicious organic, kosher food.
Move with Jewish yoga innovator Myriam Klotz, and open your heart with Nehirim teachers Chani Getter, Becky Emet & Shoshana Jedwab, or just …
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)