December 21-29
HAPPENINGS
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of a Yidchslie Mama."
Minorities, including
Jews, were the focus of many
films of the 1960s, Friedman
said. "The 1960s, more than
any other decade, gave film
goers a diverse series of
Jewish portraits."
Among these were The
Pawnbroker, the first movie
to address the Holocaust;
Exodus, the first film to deal
with Israel; and Goodbye
Columbus. Barbra Streisand
"the first Jewish superstar
being Jewish," also became
popular in the 1960s, Fried-
man said.
The films of 1970s saw
Jews as everything from
gangsters in The Long
Goodbye to social workers in
Norma Rae, he said. It also
was the decade in which
Woody Allen, "the Jewish
film maker par excellance,"
emerged. A Jewish outlook
permeates Allen's .works,
Friedman said.
Popular films of the 1980s
were Hester Street, the story
of Jewish immigrants to the
United States, a remake of
The Jazz Singer and The
Chosen, which Friedman
called "one of the best
Jewish American films ever
made. This movie really at-
tempts to be Jewish."
The 1980s saw reoccurring
Jewish stereotypes like the
neurotic "Chunk" of The
Goonies, the "clever but
immature" character played
by Jeff Goldblum in The Big
Chill and the Jewish
gangster "Dutch" Shultz in
The Cotton Club.
While some have taken ex-
ception to Mel Brooks'
humor about Jewish
persecution by the Nazis and
during the Spanish Inquisi-
tion, Friedman said Brooks
is "very serious about the
Jewish content of his films."
The two met during' a con-
ference about humor and the
Nazis, when Brooks told
Friedman "the way to deal
with anti-Semitism is to
make fun of it."
Friedman also discussed
the Academy Award winn-
ing Chariots of Fire, the
story of a Jewish and a
Scottish runner.
The Scottish runner is
shown much more positive-
ly, he said. A natural
athlete, he is so devoted to
God he will not run on Sun-
day.
The Jewish runner,
however, is not concerned
about running on Shabbat,
presenting an image of Jews
"uncommitted to moral or
ethical values."
Friedman said the Jewish
runner, Abrahamson, in real
life was born Jewish and
converted to Christianity.
❑
Chanukah Dreidel House
Fun booth for children
Saturday, December 23, 1 p.m.
Saturday, December 16, 10-6
West Bloomfield High School
"Goal Getters" Rock-a-Thon
Fundraiser for trip to Chicago
Monday, December 18, 7 p.m.
Temple Emanu-El
Youth Choir
Euni Rose, Director
Children's Holiday Show
Mary Poppins sings the songs
of Walt Disney
Performance by Euni Tracey
o comEDD
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