feature: movies p Jewish stereotypes abound in films by Scott Scher eople around the world already know most Jewish stereotypes — hooked noses, greedy, big beards, black hats, the screen. Cohen was praised for his gutsy performance as a Kazakhstan reporter. But the film straddled the line of just poking fun and being downright offensive. Such moments include the "Running of the Jew," the belief that Jewish American Princesses and rich, to name a few. You especially see these stereotypes in the entertainment industry. Whether it's just to poke fun or completely offend Jews were behind the 9-11 attacks, and the Jewish religion, these references are Borat's uncontrollable fear as he stays everywhere. at a bed and breakfast run by a Jewish When it comes from another Jew, In a particularly insensitive scene, Sascha Baron Cohen as Borat couple. The irony of this whole movie: reports on his country's annual "Running of the Jews." however, somehow it makes the stereo- Cohen is an observant Jew type funnier and less offensive. Jewish director, producer, In Keeping Up With The Steins, director Scott Marshall does not writer and actor Mel Brooks is the master of using Jewish use stereotypes to poke fun, but uses them to show these stereotypes stereotypes — you'll find them in all his films. Brooks' career in real life. The film is about a Jewish father who wants to give his began when he became corporal of a special section of the son the biggest bar mitzvah party in history to out-do his rivals, U.S. Army geared toward entertaining soldiers. He the Steins. While the dad believes the bigger party will bring him was hooked after that. joy, his son is a strong believer in family and the bonds that keep Brooks Neon the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for The Producers, a film in which two Broadway producers try to put on a huge flop, which they determined could make more money than a hit. Here Brooks began to poke fun at his own religion. The play the producers were putting on was a musical called "Springtime for Hitler," complete with a pranc- ing Hitler. In the film History of the World: Part I, Brooks creates his own version of the Spanish Inquisition (a time when Jews were forced to either convert to Christianity or forced into exile). In Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Brooks plays a traveling rabbi. So which stereotypes make movies fun to watch, and which ones make films unbearable? Last year, the world was treated to one of the funniest and most controversial characters in recent cinematic history. British come- dian Sasha Baron Cohen brought one of his alter egos, Borat, to it together. In this same vein, other Jewish stereotypes play big roles in Private Benjamin, with Goldie Hawn as a Jewish American Princess in the military, and many Woody Allen movies, such as Annie Hall and Hannah and Her Sisters, where he plays the angst-ridden Jewish love interest dating a non-Jewish woman. To play up the differences between the religions, Allen often invokes the stereotype of Old World Orthodox Jews to represent his family in daydream sequences. Scott Scher, 17, attends North Farmington High School. Your Turn As a Jewish teen, how do you feel when you see a movie that portrays Jews in a stereotypical way? Send your response to Hadas Corey, T2T summer intern, at hcorey@thejewishnews.com and you could see it in next month's edition. slice of life T2T torah: devarim a T2T column — by Rachel Brown July 21, 2007 — by Bridget Labe exploring a love of Israel moses and you I have been going to Camp Stone in Sugar Grove, Pa., for four consecutive years; last year Most of our teenage years revolve around large, occasionally nerve-wracking events that was my last summer there. During the year, I considered applying for a job at the local Jewish happen in a few places. The most important building, where we spend four years of our Community Center or even just staying home, relaxing and catching up with my friends. Although these summer plans seemed satisfactory, there was something that pulled me towards Mach Hach Ba'Aretz, an Israel leadership summer program run through B'nei Akiva, a religious Zionist youth movement in the U.S. and Canada. I have always loved B'nei Akiva events and the Shabbatons that my friends and I would attend. They brought so many teenagers together who wanted not only to have fun, but also to share their love for Israel. Several of my friends were planning to go on Macach; I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to tour Israel and visit my relatives in Holon as well. I filled out an application and got an acceptance letter a few weeks later. From June 27-Aug. lives, contains social and educational events that shape our futures. This place is known as high school. We enter high school for the very first time as mere children and walk out the doors as adults. In this week's Torah portion, Devarim, Moses and the Israelites review the events that occurred and the laws that were made over the course of their 40-year journey from Egypt to Sinai to the Promised Land. As Moses is addressing the Israelites, he reminds them that when they were at Mount Sinai, God told them that they had stayed long enough at the mountain and it was time to move on to Canaan. In a way, high school is the same. As June comes around, 6, I will be free of curfews, house rules and, most significantly, my parents. But those feelings and we hand in our final exams and head out those high school doors till September, the soon churned and turned in my stomach until I felt unsure. closure is reminiscent of what Moses and the Israelites were going through. They had Was I physically and mentally ready for such a great jump? I could only make the best of it if I looked at the opportunity as optimistically as possible. Walking onto the airplane with made it through a certain phase and were advancing on to the next challenge. In a similar fashion, we age and advance throughout high school. Moses recalled an enthusiastic and happy disposition would only obliterate these worries and how the Israelites sent out spies. This is similar to how we pester our enable me to have the most memorable summer of my life. friends who took the biology final an hour before us to find out what lay I know my parents will worry about me while I'm gone for these six weeks; ahead. As Moses and the clan reflect on their previous adventures, high but nonetheless, they were just as glad to send me to Israel where they know school students do the same. Almost like never-ending books, the next I will have an amazing journey. t chapters of our life stories, as well as the Torah's, unfold before us.-' 1 1 By Rachel Brown, 16, attends Frankel Jewish Academy, West Bloomfield. Bridget Labe, 14, attends West Bloomfield High School.