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C-3P0 and R2-D2 often wander in the desert. Remind you of the Chosen People?
Lucasfilm
Last month, one of Hollywood's most technically — and culturally — groundbreak-
ing movies, Star Wars, celebrated its 30th anniversary. Honoring its birthday, the
History Channel produced a two-hour special on the mythical, historical and biblical
undertones in Star Wars films. I decided to take that a step further and see what
aspects of Star Wars can be related to Judaism:
10
Let's start with the obvious: R2-D2 proudly sports the colors of Israel (blue and white)
in all six films.
9,
8,
R2-D2 and C-3P0 spend an interesting amount of time wandering through the desert.
In Return of the Jedi, the Ewoks praise the golden calf that is C-3P0.
/
In the prequels, the Jedi reside in a Jedi temple.
The Jedi's temple is destroyed.
6,
5,
Paige, Claire and Alex at Club Claire
4.
C-3P0 mutters, "We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life." A notion that
could be shared by the two droids and the Chosen People.
Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi writer Lawrence Kasdan is Jewish and a
University of Michigan graduate.
3
2.
.
The name Yoda sounds like the Hebrew word yodaya, which means "to know."
Empire director Irvin Kershner is Jewish. Kershner directed a made-for-TV movie in
1977 (the same year Star Wars premiered) called Raid on Entebbe, a dramatized
story telling of the Israeli raid on a Ugandan airport to save hostages a year earlier.
Last, and most interesting, in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Darth
Vader appears to have Hebrew writing on his chest plate. Is it a
coincidence that the writing was added in the second Star Wars
movie at the same time a new, Jewish director took the helm? The
writing has long been debated as to what it exactly says because
some of it is illegible.
By Kale Davidoff, 16, West Bloomfield High School
teen2teen staff • hotline: (248) 351-5144 • kcohen@the jewishnews.com
Reporters: Hadas Corey, Grace Klein, Spencer Wayne (Birmingham Seaholm); Jamie Gorosh,
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Singer (Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood); Hannah Cohen (Farmington Harrison); Adina
Jeff at The World According To Jeff
Applebaum, Raquel Cohen, Danielle DePriest, Rachel Margolin (Frankel Jewish Academy); Avi
Elana, Jon, Amanda, J1Man at Andrew's
Buckman (Hillel Day School); Scott Sher, Stephanie Steinberg (North Farmington); Kale Davidoff,
Ocean Drive
Shaye Winer (West Bloomfield); Gabriella Ring (Berkley Norup International School); David
Lehmann, Sarah Spitzer (Yeshivat Akiva).
Photographers: Morgan Pomish (North Farmington), Allie Gold (West Bloomfield)
supervising staff
Ethan, Spencer,
Zach at Club
Claire
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