A New Role

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back to play the villainous Mr. Freeze in Batman and Robin.
But behind the scenes, he's a real-life action hero.

MICHAEL ELKIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

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hen it comes to
combatting bias
and anti-Semi-
tism, hasta la vista
doesn't cut it in the
world of Arnold
Schwarzenegger. He's taking on
the future's problems today.
The man whose Terminator
movie persona returned to the
past to correct the future, lives
very much in the present. And
the best gift he can give of him-
self is morphing from movie star
to real-life action hero.
Schwarzenegger has done this
a number of times on behalf of
varied charities, such as the Spe-
cial Olympics. But he always
comes back to aid one of his fa-
vorites, using movie-star muscle
to help raise funds for the Simon
Wiesenthal Center and its Mu-
seum of Tolerance.
The center, named after the
Nazi hunter and human-rights
activist, recently honored the
Austrian-born actor with its Na-
tional Leadership Award. "I al-
ways knew that I was a Jew," the
Christian star kibitzed.
And as he's always known,
predators are not just motion pic-
ture fantasies but real-life con-
cerns. Fighting anti-Semitism is
part and parcel, he says, of play-
ing the most important role one
can in life — that of a socially
conscious human being.
'When I was in Austria, a lit-
tle boy, obviously I had a lot of
dreams," he said of the fantasies-
come-true of becoming a body
builder, taking his Mr. Universe
titles to America and launching
a film career in the hills of Hol-
lywood. "But not in my wildest
imagination did I ever dream
that I would become a part of
such an important cause as this
one," he told a crowd of more
than 1,000 fans and followers.
The star who got his start as
Conan the Barbarian is appalled
at the barbarism of history.
"Coming from Austria," he said
of that country's heinous World
War II legacy, "I thought it was

Michael Elkin is entertainment
editor of the Jewish Exponent
in Philadelphia.

extremely important to get in- she wrote in a 1988 magazine
piece, winning a libel suit against
volved in this great cause."
Visiting the center's museum the journalist for insinuating
in Los Angeles more than 10 that he was anti-Semitic.
"I was as far away from being
years ago, he "saw in that place
what hatred and bigotry has a [Nazi] sympathizer as anyone
done in Europe, in Germany and could be," Schwarzenegger re-
in the very place where I was cently told a columnist for USA
born," as well as "pogroms that Today, while admitting that
went back 2,000 years and "when I came to America, I
wasn't the most tolerant person
more."
He will never forget the im- in town. But I learned a lot."
What experience here has
portance of the meaning of "nev-
er again," Schwarzenegger said. taught him is that "all kinds of
In touring the world, giving hatred is really self-hate, that all
speeches, raising funds, the ac- wars are civil wars, wars within
tor has come to realize that some ourselves."
The battle for the soul of sur-
of life's scripts are crueler and
more hate-filled than any R-rat- vival continues, with ammuni-
ed film Hollywood can conjure tion provided by schools and
centers such as the Wiesenthal
up.
"We still have a tremendous organization, he says.
Truth be told, says the True
amount of anti-Semitism," said
Lies star, one is just lying to one-
the star.
"We still see the swastikas . self if one believes that hate can Maria Shriver joins her husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as he receives the
National Leadership Award at this spring's Simon Wiesenthal Center's annual
painted on the synagogue walls. never be overcome.
The proof is in a proverb, said tribute dinner.
We still see prejudice all over the
world, all over this country, all Schwarzenegger: `let me just re-
"He said, 'If the drops of soft much power God's words have in
mind you of a very important
over our communities."
It doesn't take total recall to quote from Rabbi Akiva from 100 water penetrate the hard stone the human heart, how they can
by just falling, imagine how penetrate the human heart if it
realize that past hates don't dis- years ago.
continues listening.' "
sipate without action.
Arnold Schwarzeneg-
Said Schwarzenegger,
ger listens to the needs
'We see prejudice against
of people: He has raised
anyone with foreign de-
millions for the Wiesen-
scent, and it's all because
thal Center and has
of a lack of education and
made significant person-
ignorance."
al contributions — "in
When it comes to fight-
the high six figures," ac-
ing prejudice, Arnold
cording to Rabbi Hier.
Schwarzenegger isn't
He waged a war in his
lacking in personal expe-
native land some years
rience. As a native of a
back against a computer
land known for its anti-
company that produced
Semitic history, he has
a graphic game in which
had to fight misconcep-
Jews were herded off
tions that all Austrians
and killed in concentra-
harbor hate in their souls.
tion camps.
Indeed, the actor asked
For those who think
the center to research his
that he'll ever take a
father's history during the
break from his humani-
war. Rabbi Marvin Hier,
tarian efforts, that he'll
dean and founder of the
ever stop his efforts to
center, and Wiesenthal
terminate the horror of
discovered that Gustav
hate; for those who think
Schwarzenegger, who
the battle ends once the
died 15 years ago, had
honors are handed out,
been a Nazi party mem-
Arnold Schwarzenegger
ber but was not responsi-
growls this promise: "I'll
ble for any crimes.
be back!"
The actor did hold a In Batman and Robin, opening today, Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Poison Ivy (Uma
writer responsible for what Thurman) join forces in a cold-hearted plan to freeze Gotham City and destroy its human residents.

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