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Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
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Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
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January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
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Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
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Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
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January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
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January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
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Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
April 15, 2008
/ 10 Nissan 5768
Let Charlton Heston Go!
By
Rabbi Dovid Zauderer
The famed, respected actor has fulfilled his mission on Earth. Now it's time for those who consider the Bible to be more than a story book to reclaim it
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
There is so much misinformation, distortion and just plain ignorance out there today when it comes to Jews and their knowledge of Judaism and the Torah.
Of course, one of the main reasons for this sad state of affairs is that most young Jews today are simply not getting a solid Jewish education. And this is true even in Israel, where you would think that they would at least know the basics — living as they do in the Holy Land.
A former Israeli Minister of Education once went in to a public school in Tel Aviv to test the students' knowledge of the Bible. He asked one girl, "Do you know the Aseret Hadibrot [the Ten Commandments]?" To which the girl responded, "Sorry, but I never saw that seret (she thought he was asking about a seret, the Hebrew word for movie)". Pretty sad, eh?
But I think that another major factor is contributing to the abysmal ignorance of an entire generation of young Jews. Many of them (and many of us) are getting a Jewish education — only that they are getting it in distorted form from Hollywood and the media.
I speak from first-hand experience.
Last year I was teaching a class on campus and made reference to the Mormons. Three students called in out in unison, "Oh yeah, I know the Mormons ... I saw that South Park episode ... " Is watching South Park how the next generation is getting informed about world religions?
And how many Jews now consider themselves experts in the very complex field of Jewish medical ethics because they saw a ridiculous Grey's Anatomy episode about the religious girl who refused a pig valve transplant because it's not kosher???
Now, this is not to say that there aren't serious students of religion. Of course there are. But there's no doubt that the masses are being impacted negatively — if unknowingly — by these distorted depictions.
Probably the greatest culprit of all — which has caused a distortion of Judaism of Biblical proportions — is the 1956 film The Ten Commandments directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Charlton Heston (may he rest in peace) as Moses and Yul Brynner as Pharaoh. I would think it's safe to say that most Jews' primary knowledge of the Exodus from Egypt and the Receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai comes from that movie.
Which is kind of tragic — especially since Cecil B. DeMille apparently never consulted the Bible before making the movie!
Ask most Jews today, "Who did G-d give the Torah to at Mount Sinai?" They will likely reply, "G-d gave the Torah to Moses." "And what were the Jewish people doing while Moses was receiving the Torah?" ... ... "Worshipping the Golden Calf." That may be how it happened in the movie — but the version found in the Torah is quite different.
The Torah's claim is that the entire people heard G-d speak at Mount Sinai, experiencing national revelation. G-d did not just appear to Moses in a private rendezvous; He appeared to everyone, some 3 million people.
And this seemingly small piece of "misinformation" about what the Bible really says has some really huge ramifications.
Another major mistake most Jews make about the Exodus — and for which we have to thank Director DeMille — is that we think Moses said to Pharaoh in the name of G-d "Let My people go!" After all, that is what Charlton Heston said to Yul Brynner in the movie. But it is not what the original Moses said to the original Pharaoh way back in ancient Egypt! Rather, he said "Let My people go ... so that they may serve Me" (see Exodus 7:16)
"So that they may serve Me" ??? Did I catch that correctly, Rabbi? Do you mean to tell me that according to the Book version the freedom that the Jews enjoyed during the Exodus — and about which we celebrate till this very day on the holiday of Passover — wasn't merely freedom from slavery and building pyramids but was actually the freedom to go and serve G-d and spiritually grow through the 613 commandments that He gave us 49 days later at the foot of Mount Sinai??? No one ever taught me that in Hebrew School!!!
You see my point with all this, I hope. Clearly, if we are to educate ourselves and our kids about Torah and Judaism, the movies are simply not the best way to do it. We need to go to the source to find out what freedom really is — and isn't.
Passover is a few days away. It celebrates liberation and freedom. So it's a good time for all of us to let Charlton Heston go ... to liberate ourselves from the media-driven distortions and self-imposed ignorance that shackle us down and limit us as Jews — and to start learning about our beautiful history and religion in a more sophisticated and informed manner.
This way, we will raise a generation of proud, educated Jews — something we need now more than ever.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Rabbi Dovid Zauderer is a Toronto-based college outreach rabbi. Comment by clicking here.
© 2008, Rabbi Dovid Zauderer
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