JUDAISM (JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS)

AMEN (2002) 

Political thriller that dramatizes the true story of how many religious leaders in the Vatican and in Germany ignored the persecution of European Jews during the Holocaust. Academy Award winning director, Costa-Gavras focuses his story on two men who try to reveal the truth to the church and the world about how Jews were being massacred. Kurt Gerstein, an SS Lieutenant and scientist, is appalled when he witnesses how the disinfectant he helped develop is being used to gas Jews. He enlists the aid of Father Riccardo, a young priest with ties to the Vatican. Costa-Gavras unveils how the church tolerated the Nazi atrocities and turned its face – out of self-protection, out of anti-Semitism and out of a greater desire to see Russian Communism crushed by the Nazis. He also makes it quite clear that the church could have had an impact. Early on, the film depicts how the church protested the euthanasia of the mentally deficient and how the Nazis yielded to the church’s pressure. Why then, this film asks, did the church not do the same for the Jews and thus avert attempted genocide? A powerful film that should invoke much discussion. Note: Includes some graphic and violent scenes.

2 hrs. 10 min.  AGE:  17 to Adult

Holocaust documentary which examines the role of the Church and Christian leaders during the Holocaust. Directed by John Michalczyk, a former Jesuit priest, the film look at some of the anti-Semitic doctrine found within Christianity and explores the influence these may have on Nazi policy. The film questions why there wasn’t more of an outcry from Christian leaders and neighbors while the Nazis persecuted the Jews. Through documentary film footage, photos and numerous interviews, the film also briefly retells Holocaust history. Interviews include Protestant, Catholic and Jewish scholars and clergy, as well as Holocaust survivors. Examples of Christians who protested Nazi policy and aided Jews, including Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Schindler, Wallenberg and Pastor Trochme and the Village of LeChambon, are highlighted. America’s stance and the position of the Vatican during the Holocaust are also discussed. Last, there’s brief mention of how the Vatican aided Nazi war criminals after the war. The film ends by describing ways the church has formally re-evaluated their traditional positions of anti-Semitism and developed more of a Christian-Jewish dialogue. Includes graphic footage. Note: This film offers a mixed view of Pius XII’s action – or inaction – during the war. It neither totally defends or condemns him. Rather than condemning the Pope for not taking a strong stand, the film shifts the blame to the collective guilt of Christian bystanders.

52 min.  AGE:  16 to Adult

946

THE DISPUTATION: A THEOLOGICAL DEBATE BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND JEWS

Dis

(1992)

A re-creation of the Barcelona Disputation of 1263 between Rabbi Moses ben Nachman and Brother Pablo Christiani—a theological confrontation between Christianity and Judaism.

1 hr. 5 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

291.1

IN TWO OCTAVES: A DEBATE OF EIGHT PARTS BETWEEN JUDAISM &

In

CHRISTIANITY  (1995)

An eight-part debate which took place in Jerusalem in 1992 between Professor Yeshaiyahu Leibowitz and Father Professor Marcel Dubois. Each presents his viewpoint—Leibowitz from the Jewish perspective and Dubois from the Christian—on a variety of selected topics. Yeshaiyahu Leibowitz, an observant Jew, was a professor of Biochemistry and Neurophysiology, a medical doctor, and chief editor of and a contributor to the Hebrew Encyclopedia. Later in life he became a guest professor in the Philosophy Department at Hebrew University, lecturing alongside Father Professor Dubois. Marcel Dubois is head of the Dominican Order in Israel. He chaired the Philosophy Department at Hebrew University, is an Honorary Citizen of Jerusalem, and was awarded the Legion d’Honneur. Dubois also advises the Pope on Judeo-Christian relations and heads an Institute of Jewish Studies for Christians. This debate was presented by The Open University of Jerusalem, and each separate video covers a distinct topic.

In Hebrew with subtitles. 8 cassettes. Approx. 5 hrs. total.  AGE: Adult

Part 1: Relationship Between the Religions.

The men debate the relationship between the two religions. Leibowitz contends that Christianity, by its very nature, negates the right of Judaism to exist. Dubois disagrees, stressing the importance of the Jewish heritage to Christianity. (42 min.)

Part 2: Faith.

The two men debate on the nature of faith and the Messiah. Leibowitz believes in a Messiah that will arrive “in the end of days,” and Dubois believes that Jesus is the Messiah.  (33 min.)

Part 3: Redemption, Mysticism, A DEMANDING Religion & A GRANTING Religion.

Leibowitz and Dubois discuss the attitudes of their religions towards redemption, mysticism and the Christian concept of “a Savior.” In this discussion, Judaism is considered the religion “that demands” while Christianity is the “benevolent” religion.  (35 min.)

Part 4: Conversion.

Attitudes towards conversion are discussed by the two men. Leibowitz gives his response to groups such as “Jews for Jesus.” Dubois is asked to explain how the Dominican Order could have led the Spanish Inquisition—how they were able to rationalize persecuting and torturing Jews in the name of holiness.  (29 min.)

Part 5: The Holocaust.

Dubois says of the Holocaust, “I believe in redemption according to the teachings of Christ and this tragedy adheres to that redemption.” He also says, “this vast suffering (the Holocaust) is germane to the victory of the cross” and to “salvation through Jesus the Messiah.” Leibowitz, on the other hand, sees no meaning in the Holocaust and views it as “the greatest horror in human history; a horror devoid of any meaning or significance.” He is adamant that the idea of learning a lesson from the Holocaust does not exist. Note: This video should be shown to adult groups and college classes which study the Holocaust in depth—as it illuminates a Christian interpretation of the Holocaust which would probably be surprising to most Jews.  (33 min.)

Part 6: Woman.

Both men discuss the role of women in their religion—although the conversation is dominated by Leibowitz. Dubois mainly refers to women prominent in Christian history, such as Mary Magdalene or Joan of Arc—whereas Leibowitz talks about the history and current status of women in the “real world”—the reality of a woman’s place in our intellectual, political and sociological world. Dubois feels that womanhood is a destiny, not an assumed role. Leibowitz refers to the more recent changes of the woman’s place in society as “the greatest revolution in the history of the human  race.”  (52 min.)

Part 7: Abortions and Euthanasia.

Dubois presents his personal views as well as those of the Vatican, both which believe in the sanctity of life. Leibowitz, also a medical doctor, says of abortion and euthanasia, “the prohibition on taking someone’s life requires no reasoning and cannot be reasoned. I either accept it or I do not.”  (56 min.)

Part 8: Death.

Leibowitz defines death as a “lack of life” and believes that beyond death there is “no human existence.” Dubois believes that “to die is to return to one’s home; to our Father in Heaven.”  (31 min.)

946.9

THE JEW  (1996)

Jew

A chilling tale of the Spanish Inquisition, this drama tells the true story of Antonio da Silva—a Portuguese Jew who converted to Catholicism and was accused of being a Marrano, a hidden Jew. Da Silva, a popular writer in 18th century Portugal, had been tortured by the Inquisition before converting. After becoming a devout Catholic, he is shocked when seized and imprisoned a second time. He must then decide whether to admit to being a Jew (as the authorities wish—even though he no longer practices Judaism) or submit to further torture under a decadent and corrupt monarchy—knowing each path leads to death. Note: Although a bit choppy and uneven, this film provides an authentic picture of the time period. Viewers experience the relentlessness of the Church in its mission to convert or destroy all Jews, and the terrifying atmosphere in which Jews had to live—many courageously practicing Jewish customs in secret, knowing how great the risk. Includes scenes of torture and brief nudity.

In Portuguese with subtitles. 1 hr. 25 min.  AGE: Adult

JHVC

910.039

The Last Marranos  (1990)

Las

In the late fifteenth century, the glory of Sephardic Jewry on the Iberian Peninsula came to an end. In 1492, the Jews of Spain were expelled; in 1497, the Jews of Portugal forcibly converted. Now they were subject to the Inquisition's harsh punishment for heresy. Despite the danger, however, many of the converted—called marranos (or pigs) by Christians—continued to secretly practice Judaism. Five centuries later, The Last Marranos takes a fascinating look at the village of Belmonte, Portugal. Its rites and prayers are an amalgam of Christianity and bits of Judaism tenaciously preserved through the ages, a tradition that bears the scars of history—distorted by clandestine practice and couched in symbols of fear. Now, brought into the open and reacquainting itself with mainstream Judaism, the community faces a new challenge.

1 hr. 5 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

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