Jewish a/o Israeli Films

[Mediocrates]

I've opened this up to discuss Jewish and/or Israeli films. Feel free to add the films you think are relevant. For example in the US - at least in the mass market rentals there are few (maybe 3 I've seen recently) Israeli films. Quite a few on Jewish topics, for example "The Believer" just came out on VHS/DVD.

As I said, feel free.

[Israelite-Tribe]

Kippur... obviously on the Yom Kippur war... I saw it twice on bell express view it's not really what I would call a war movie packed with action like we were soldiers but I enjoyed it anyways because it was in hebrew and it was weird to watch a movie in hebrew because I rarely see some eventhough I understand hebrew... and that's one I know for now

[Evgeny]

sorry wrong thread

[Mediocrates]

TV series on quiet heroes captures Israel's mood
By Nicole Gaouette

Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

JERUSALEM - Later, she would compare the sound to the viper-like hiss of a whip, just before it cracks. There wasn't even time to wonder what it was. One second Malka Abramson was in her living room, trying to air out choking fumes from a faulty gas heater. Then the hiss and eruption: angry balls of flame jumping like lightning, dancing up her housecoat, licking the ceiling, clawing their way to the rooms where her children and grandmother slept.

Mrs. Abramson braved the inferno twice to carry her kids out to neighbors in the street. When a soldier in the crowd refused to rescue her Nana, she plunged in a third time.

Abramson survived - barely - and now her story is part of a hit Israeli TV series. "Heroes, But Not by Choice," features ordinary people who have done extraordinary things in face of the unexpected.

The program's success provides a barometer of the national mood, highlighting the kind of behavior Israelis expect of themselves at a time of great uncertainty. Israelis have always celebrated a certain kind of steely grit, a response to life in a country forged in violence that, a half-century later, still continues.

In its emphasis on civilian heroism - over the military equivalent - the show also reflects the profound economic and social changes Israel has undergone in the last few decades.

"This program shows that there's been a shift in the notion of valor," says Robert Wistrich, professor of Modern European and Jewish History at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

"The definition is much less collective, less about ideology or self-sacrifice for the state and more individual. It's part of a larger shift in a society that resembles the West more than it used to."

Unhappy the land that needs heroes, wrote the playwright Bertolt Brecht. He could have been thinking about Israel. While heroic myths are essential threads in every country's national fabric, Israel's stories aren't dusted off and brought out for special occasions. They are regularly burnished, told, and retold.

Core legends preceded Israel's existence and gave hope to Zionists aspiring to a state. The story of Masada in AD 70 and Bar Kokhba in AD 135 both outline Jewish battles against the Romans. Joseph Trumpeldor's 1920 defense of a small northern settlement against Bedouins had an enormous influence on the Zionist movement.

"You can't build a nation without heroism, especially a besieged state like Israel," says Joseph Heller, also a Hebrew University historian.

"Heroism is part and parcel of the country's basic national education system." He notes that some Israeli Army brigades take the oath to serve their country at Masada, the mountaintop fortress where militant Jews committed suicide rather than surrender to Roman forces.

"Self-sacrifice is always central in these stories," says Professor Heller. "Militarism without myth is meaningless."

Newer legends joined the pantheon, including the daring 1976 raid by Israeli commandos to free hostages at Uganda's Entebbe Airport. Then in 1989, journalist Yarin Kimor contributed to the genre with the original TV series "Heroes, But Not By Choice," which was about the military.

"The concept was that the story starts when it's seemingly over," says Mr. Kimor, a large, engaging man. "It's about how people find the inner strength to fight a seemingly hopeless battle."

The series garnered 95 percent ratings - some 3 million viewers - and won a prize for best program of the year. Israel was a simpler place then. Television was relatively new and there was only one state-owned channel. The country was a poor place that for decades had been absorbing huge numbers of immigrants with nothing to their name.

"It was an austere, even Spartan society," says Professor Wistrich. For many decades, its socialistic roots made it one of the world's most egalitarian countries.

By 2003, when Kimor's new version of "Heroes" hit the airwaves, Israel had changed.

Exposure to TV and the advent of cable helped create a more Westernized, materialistic culture. According to a December 2002 parliamentary report, an economic boom and bust helped open an income gap between rich and poor that, among developed countries, is second only to the US gap.

Now, economic reforms threaten to put a nail in the coffin of Israel's traditional welfare state, fundamentally changing the country's character. The war in Iraq only compounded anxieties caused by Israel's ongoing conflict with the Palestinians.

"Maybe Israelis are seeking heroes," says Kimor, whose series is garnering 17 percent ratings - a good showing, when the competition includes shows like "Friends."

After his first series, Kimor kept collecting stories of bravery and found he was drawn less to tales of military derring-do than those of "quiet heroism, heroism without sparkles. There is so much greater strength in people than they know.

"The stars of our reality are always the same, the head of the army, politicians," he continues. "But maybe the greater stars are the unknown ones. A lot of what has happened in Israel since its founding is based on the strength of unwilling heroes."

He may be striking a chord because there's a greater skepticism about what heroism is. Indeed, conscientious objectors who refuse to follow military orders have become an issue in the conflict with the Palestinians.

"The older, more naive idea of patriotic self-sacrifice for the country - it's never going to be that again," says Wistrich, noting that the concept of heroism changed as warfare became more technological. "The camaraderie and ethos hasn't changed, but there's less scope for what was traditionally considered heroism."

Kimor's new subjects include a respected professor who, as a young man, was left for dead after a massive brain injury; a Jewish Ethiopian girl who walked to Israel alone; and Abramson.

Her story is less about her rescue of her family than of her fight to live afterward. No one anywhere is known to have survived severe burns on 85 percent of their body. Abramson, a thoughtful woman with hazel-green eyes, says she held on because no one told her she was expected to die.

"I used to think people on their death beds should be told," she says. "This changed my thinking."

Kimor lets his subjects tell their own stories with input from family and friends. Doctors help recount Abramson's 1981 ordeal. Kimor uses old photos to show her charred skin while his camera lingers on her damaged hands.

Occasionally, his voice is heard off-screen. Kimor's presence is unintrusive, but his questions are probing. Abramson's children admit they were ashamed of her appearance in the mask that kept her skin in place after she left the hospital.

Her husband tells Kimor she looked no different to him, saying, "her insides were still the same."

Throughout the series, Kimor deftly shows viewers the strength in his subjects, strength they might not even see in themselves.

Abramson's story was filmed during Hannukah, a holiday when candles are lit. In one scene, several candles flicker behind her on a table. There is a pause as the camera lingers on Abramson's face, its slightly rumpled skin, then Kimor asks if she can still see beauty in a flame.

She smiles and says yes.

[Reffo]

Recently, I saw an interesting film, "the other son". Here is a link to it:

The Other Son (http://thehoopla.com.au/win-1-100-double-passes-movie-the-son/)


The Other Son is an extraordinary story centred around an impossible question: what would you do if you discovered your child was not your own? If, after 17 years, you found out your baby was swapped at birth?

And… what if one child was Israeli, and the other Palestinian?One of the things that fascinated me was the different reaction that it evoked in me compared to an interviewer who interviwed one of the producers of this French film.

Her perception was the diameteic opposite to mine, about how the Rabbi in the film reacted to the question posed by the boy who was raised by Israeli parents (but who was Arab by birth). He asked the Rabbi, "am I Jewish?".

The interviewers perception of the Rabbi's reaction to the question was that the Rabbi was unsympathetic to the youth. My perception was that the Rabbi was in fact VERY sympathetic.

The real interesting thing is that I asked my wife of her opinion, and she agreed with the interviewer, not with me.

Anyone saw this film? If so, what is your opinion of the film and this particular issue?

[bar-arallu]

Recently, I saw an interesting film, "the other son". Here is a link to it:

The Other Son (http://thehoopla.com.au/win-1-100-double-passes-movie-the-son/)

One of the things that fascinated me was the different reaction that it evoked in me compared to an interviewer who interviwed one of the producers of this French film.

Her perception was the diameteic opposite to mine, about how the Rabbi in the film reacted to the question posed by the boy who was raised by Israeli parents (but who was Arab by birth). He asked the Rabbi, "am I Jewish?".
...

Reffo,

Did the Rabbi issue a Halachic opinion? AFAIC, if the child was not converted, there is only one answer possible in traditional Judaism.

There are also those of us who do not recognize conversion as a means of creating Jews at all (like me), given that it bipasses and obviates our ancient genealogical tradition and historical foundation as a people, rather than making people "Judaic" (gerim), for lack of a better word in English. Furthermore, for every successful Onkolos, there are dozens of Torquemadas... converts are zealous and often completely misguided. Conversion destroys families, no matter where you come from and go to in terms of religion. Judaism tends to be more on guard then many in converting people. But I feel that the marriage industry among the liberal Judaic movements are destroying the foundations of our heritage. In this one thing I completely tend to agree with the most hardest Herredi positions.

[Reffo]

Reffo,

Did the Rabbi issue a Halachic opinion? AFAIC, if the child was not converted, there is only one answer possible in traditional Judaism.

There are also those of us who do not recognize conversion as a means of creating Jews at all (like me), given that it bipasses and obviates our ancient genealogical tradition and historical foundation as a people, rather than making people "Judaic" (gerim), for lack of a better word in English. Furthermore, for every successful Onkolos, there are dozens of Torquemadas... converts are zealous and often completely misguided. Conversion destroys families, no matter where you come from and go to in terms of religion. Judaism tends to be more on guard then many in converting people. But I feel that the marriage industry among the liberal Judaic movements are destroying the foundations of our heritage. In this one thing I completely tend to agree with the most hardest Herredi positions.The Rabbi's answer was, and he WAS orthodox, is that three things can make any man Jewish:


Brit Milah (circumcision)
Derech Torah (living by the rules of Torah)
Ritual immersion in the Mikvah (sacred pool, I hope that's the right translation).


He said to the boy, you already have the first two. The third one you can easily do.

The boy was at first offended by the fact that although the other boy did not even live as a Jew, he would automatically be considered to be Jewish because he was born to a Jewish mother. The Rabbi's response was that being Jewish is not based purely on belief, it is being in a state of Jewishness. One either is or one isn't irrespective of belief.

I don't consider the above response unsympathetic at all. The Rabbi was obliged to interpret Jewish law as he knows it. Moreover, in the film, the Rabbi's body language was very sympathetic to the boy. This observation was borrne out in a later scene when the boy and his family were going to synagogue and the boy started backing and running away from the synagogue as they were approaching it. The Rabbi called after him with great concern on his face. So did his mother and father of course. But I will leave it at that because I don't want to spoil the film for people who haven't seen it and may want to ...

[bar-arallu]

Depending on who you ask, it is more or less. :) But sounds like a decent answer (though I, again, disagree with the premiss on general principles with significant, though minority, support in Judaica). A mikvah in and of itself can make one a Jew.... magically. Just like a Babtism would make one a Christian. Same exact process in fact. Does any Rabbi enforce a regime on a ger to follow whether they are within Derech Torah?

I've seen divorced gers (i.e., Russian, at some point married to a Jew and Orthodox converted) claim they are Jewish and not practice any aspect of Judaism that is not enforced for them (Kosher shops nearby, national holidays etc). I dont believe they are Jewish... some Rabbis do. I wonder what everyone here feels?

On the complicated side, generic or plain circumcision is not enough, because there needs to be the accompanying ceremony. Blood has to be drawn specifically for this. I assume the boy had a proper brit milah as a baby. Some Orthodox will say that this is enough I believe, w/o Mikvah, though I dont know for sure.

There are also odd half states at the boundaries, the way Orthodox Judaism treats conversion by the Liberal movements, reform and conservative, even masorti. There is precedence in the Rabanut forcing Mikvah on Ethiopian Jews and some Hodu Jews I've heard as well... on the premiss that their tradition is circumspect.... the same sort of thing that would force SHomer Koshrut from not eating in a place that could or could not be Kosher, they do it "just in case"... The few karaim that married rabbiniate Jews are done accordingly as well, just the Mikvah with no other obligations nearly. It can become very complicated :P

Still... if you go through every scenario of converted vs non converted, we Jews are hypocrites at large. Minimally we enforce a hierarchy that cannot ever be reached by gerrim- no ger can make an Aliah as a Kohen, no ger can serve as a levi. For a short list of examples where the antecedents to rabbinic Judaism are alive and well, and minimally complicate the hell out of normative Judaism. Maximally, they obviate them. The right answer, IMHO, tough not the nicest or perhaps the smartest is for the Rabbi to encourage the child at some point to return to his tradition of birth. Islam or Christianity inherited from his true parents. Oddly enough. And also find the Jewish child and attempt to bring them back into our tent, so to speak.

[Reffo]

barra

I disagree. I was born to a Jewish mother and to a Jewish father yet in some ways, that boy was more Jewish than I am. He certainly practiced Derech Torah more than I do and he was an Israeli through and through.

As for the Mikvah and circumcision, those are just symbolisms (maybe circumcision has some practical benefits too). We humans, place a strong value on symbols and symbolisms. For instance, we have citizenship ceremonies to make immigrants citizens. The act of immersion in Mikvah is akin to that. It serves the same purpose.

But most of all, we disagree on the idea that in the scenario of the film, the best thing to do would be to encourage the Arab born boy to "return" to Islam and the Jewish born boy to Judaism. That's certainly not what happened in the film. Nor do I believe it would be a likely outcome in real life. The kids were understandably taken aback and confused when they became aware of what happened. They had to vent and work through their feelings and each had to have sympathy and sensitivity to work through it. But again, I won't elaborate. I recommend seeing the film :)