feature: at the movies
ore than 60 years ago, one of the most catastrophic
events in modern history changed the world forever
— the Holocaust, the genocide of Europe's Jews.
Though no one can ever truly understand the pain and suffer-
ing these people went through, certain filmmakers and actors
have made powerful films that give us a feel of their real-life
experiences.
The following must-see films are some of the best ever
made for their portrayal of those horrid years when more
than 6 million Jews were killed.
Schindler's List: Director Steven Spielberg created
must-see
movies
about
. . . the
holocaust
one of the most unforgettable, inspiring Holocaust films
of all time. Every scene, every word and every action was
meant to have impact. The story about how gentile busi-
nessman Oskar Schindler saved scores of Jews from
certain death won Best Picture, Best Director,
Best Screenplay and Best Film Score at the 1993
Academy Awards. Schindler's List is the one film about
the Holocaust you should see. But two words of caution:
Brace yourself. This might be the hardest movie you've
ever watched.
Life Is Beautiful: Mix the humor and horror of the
Holocaust in film? Crazy. But Italian actor-filmmaker Roberto
Benigni pulled off one of the greatest feats in cinematic history
by adding his clever, humorous touch to this human tragedy.
Benigni plays a Jewish father who, along with his young son, is
sent to a concentration camp. To keep the boy safe in this hor-
rific situation, he turns each day into a game. For his incredible
efforts, Benigni took Best Actor and Best Foreign Language
Film at the Oscars in 1999. Enjoy the incredible acting, and
leave with a warm feeling inside.
The Pianist: Here's an interesting fact: Director
Roman Polanski was slated to direct Schindler's List, but he
felt he wasn't prepared to create a Holocaust film. Then,
12 years later, he decided to go for it, and he should be
glad he did. The Pianist follows a brilliant Jewish musician
on the run from the Nazis. At the Oscars, the film landed
Best Director for Polanski and Best Actor for Adrian Brody, who
became the youngest star to win the prize. Be prepared: The
action is somewhat slow.
Sophie 's Choice: Meryl Streep plays the title character,
a Polish immigrant who survived a concentration camp. Very
slowly she reveals her "choice " — one of the most
heart-wrenching decisions a mother can make —
to a young Southern writer who lives in the same
boarding house. Once again, a definite must see,
but brace yourself for the shocking decision.
By Scott Scher, 17, North Farmington High School
T2T torah: parshat naso
May 26, 2007
the dangers of wealth
In this week's Torah portion, God tells Aaron and his sons to bless His people, the Children of Israel.
"God shall bless you and protect you" (Numbers 6:24). According to the Sifri, Aaron was praying that God
should bless His people with wealth and protect them from harm. However, this raises a question: If in
Deuteronomy the Torah warns against the powers of wealth "lest you forget God," then why now does it
encourage such fortune?
With the acquisition of wealth comes a fear of the danger of forgetting God, the reason behind all
of one's success. A person may begin to think the explanation behind his accomplishments is found in
his own efforts, not God's. Wealth seems to be a somewhat materialistic and precarious gift for such a
spiritual God to give, especially because we are constantly reminded of His omnipresence in all of our
blessings.
Furthermore, this newfound success may develop into some sort of addiction, making a person greedy
and never content with what he has. Benjamin Franklin once said, "He does not possess wealth that
allows it to possess him." So why then, with all of these symptoms of prosperity, did God tell Aaron to
pray for such a risk?
The answer is because he prayed to protect them from these risks as well. "May God bless you with wealth,
and may He protect you from being harmed by that wealth." As teenagers, we can learn a great deal through
this dilemma. Having reached the age of adolescence, slowly and slowly we are shaping our
adult selves. Every day, we become more aware of the dangers the future holds. We must
become aware of these risks and recognize them for what they are — for as we can see
through the controversy of Aaron's blessing, even blessings can be harmful.
By Cara Kleiman, 18, Yeshivat Akiva, Southfield
Teen2Teen staff members: Scott Scher, Rachel Margolin, Sarah Spitzer, Shaye Winer, David
Lehmann, Hannah Cohen, Morgan Pomish, Hadas Corey and Grace Klein. Not pictured: Cara
Kleiman, Raquel Cohen, Kale Davidoff, Mlle Gold, Adina Applebaum, Stephanie Steinberg.
welcome to teen2teen
Teen2Teen is a new monthly section for teens by teens (FTBT, as in our
masthead). Produced by the Jewish News with a grant from the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's Stephen H. Schulman Millennium
Fund, the section focuses on teen life and issues within a Jewish con-
text and allows local students hands-on experience in a professional
setting.
I've been impressed by the enthusiasm and dedication of the
15 teens who created this inaugural issue of Teen2Teen. Their
aim was to make this project theirs, and they have.
Already they are hard at work on the June 14 issue. But there's
always room for more. If you're a Jewish teen with excellent writing,
photography or illustration skills, get in touch.
In the meantime, enjoy the section, and let us know what you think.
B'shalom.
Keri Guten Cohen, executive editor
kcohen@thejewishnews.com • (248) 351-5144