Older and Weiser

At the urging of a dear friend, Joel Sneider, Julie and I went to see the latest offering from the Coen Brothers, A Serious Man.

I had heard a lot about the film as a parable of the biblical Book of Job and its depiction of 1960s Jewish life in America. At the very least, the film should be seen by anyone who attended Hebrew school during those years or was forced to look into the then-terrifying abyss of a Bar Mitzvah. The film’s caricature of the rabbis of that era was alone worth the $12 ticket.

Someone who agrees with that last assessment is Rabbi Terry Bookman of Temple Beth-Am in Miami.  In addition to his pastoral excellence (Terry was recognized by Newsweek as one of the 25 most influential pulpit rabbis in the US), he is the author of two books, the co-composer of three music CDs, and an unerringly astute watcher of cinema. So, when his comments about A Serious Man showed up in my inbox, they had my attention.

With Terry’s permission, I share them with you:

Over the past couple of weeks, the question I have been asked most often is, “Have you seen the Coen brothers’ new movie yet?” And then the next question, which invariably follows is, “Rabbi, what do you think non-Jews are going to think about it?” I always know I am in trouble when people begin their questions with the word, “Rabbi.”

So, yes, I saw it. I found it both funny and thought provoking. Definitely worth seeing. And, quite frankly, “Who cares what non-Jews are going to think about us based on a comedy that is a parable for the Book of Job?!” I mean, really. Do other ethnic groups get all worked up about their portrayal in a fictional movie? I don’t think so.

As a matter of fact, that such a movie could be made, by Jews, which shows us in a less than flattering light, is actually a statement about just how far we have come in this country. It is only a confident, secure person that can share their imperfections. We no longer have to make Tevye (our version of Step n’ Fetch It) the archetype Jew; we now have Larry Gopnik (the Physics professor who teaches the Uncertainty Principle but is looking for answers)—a nice guy but a real sh’lameel!

The more important Jewish question that the film raises is, “What does it say about the Jewish experience most of us had growing up in the 60’s?” Pretty bleak. Hebrew school was worthless. The rabbis were either irrelevant or of no help. They spoke in platitudes and truisms that really did not address the individual plight of their congregants. The community, comprised of lots of ugly people with awful habits, was devoid of any real caring or ethical base. It bore witness to the banality of evil as people acted out of self-interest without concern as to the effect it was having on others. Bar Mitzvah was a terrifying ordeal. The places we lived were empty and without any aesthetic grace.  And the gentiles were all anti-Semitic. No wonder synagogue affiliation is so low today. Who would want to be associated with a community like that?

But the film raises some very important universal questions, the same ones raised by the biblical Job.  Why do good people suffer? And, where is God when we do? The writer, Virginia Woolf was reported to have said, “I read the Book of Job last night. I don’t think God comes out well in it.” Well, He does not fare any better in “A Serious Man.” In fact, the best advice (other than, “Be a good boy!”) might be the one that the Jefferson Airplane offer, “When the truth is found, to be lies; and know the joy within you dies—Won’t you find somebody to love?” Rabbi Gracie Slick, anyone?

Rabbi Terry A. Bookman

P.S. As to the serious questions the film raises, look for my January Commentator article.  I will respond.  In the meantime, your homework is: read the Book of Job and go see the movie.

Our blog editor, Robert Peach, also calls our attention to a thoughtful video piece by Father Robert Barron. About it, Robert writes:

In the interest of pursuing a multiplicity of voices here at Older and Weiser, I thought it might be interesting to post another take on the controversial Coen Brothers film. I have seen the film twice and think it is both a beautifully told story as well as an impressive technical achievement. Father Robert Barron, a catholic priest and web 2.0 evangelist recently spoke about the movie in a web video. He is particularly interested in  the three rabbis that the main character of the film visits to seek guidance. If you haven’t yet seen the film, you might want to skip watching, Father Barron discusses major plot points as well as the ending in his review. Check out the video here

Filed under: Discussion by Michael Weiser