The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle from Milwaukee, Wisconsin • Page 10

The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle Page 10 August 19, 1988 Reviews Temptation' part of literary genre, Silberg says i A tation of Christ" some 30 years ago, Kanzatzakis "was grappling with the humanity of Jesus," Silberg said. "We know that Jesus was as were other great religious leaders as Moses and Abraham." What sets Jesus apart from other religious leaders whose lives were "buffeted by temptation," said Silberg, is the sense of his supernatural nature, which Kanzatzakis found puzzling. "Kanzatzakis portrayal of Jesus is a gracious if provocative one, in some ways ennobling the story of Jesus' life by exalting his human nature as a prerequisite to the realization of his divine nature," said Silberg. As a result, "it is not an un-virtuous Jesus portrayed in the controversial dream sequence" in which a dying Jesus fantasizes about marrying and making love to Mary Magdalene, said Silberg, "but rather an awakening and recognition of the divine task." (From page 1) He objected in particular to a scene in which a temple priest (Nehemiah Persoff) confronts Jesus as he casts out the moneychangers. The religion of Israel is portrayed as a primitive pagan cult -bloody, brutal and benighted," said Medved.

Furthermore, Medved was disturbed by the "Arabic" flavor with which ancient Judea is depicted. The movie was filmed in Morocco, and Peter Gabriel's score relies heavily on Arabic musical instrumentation and texturea "I wonder if that sort of portrayal was dictated by the exigencies of the politics of the moment," said Medved, referring to conflicting Jewish and Palestinian land claims. While not a professional film critic, Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum brought to the movie his experience as chairman of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations. Tanenbaum said he also appreciated traditional Christians' reservations about the movie. In portraying the human side of Jesus, said Tanenbaum, Scorsese takes "a radical departure from a reverent Christian understanding of (Jesus') asceticism." Tanenbaum, the international affairs director of the American Jewish Committee, also found what he called "koine strong traces of the classic anti-Jewish elements found in traditional passion plays." Compared to other films about Jesus, including Franco Zeffirelli's "Jesus of Nazareth," for which he Berved as a rabbinic consultant, Tanenbaum said "Temptation! is the least Jewish of any life of Jesus I've ever seen." Organizational heads who viewed the film preferred reserving artistic judgment of the film for professional critica Instead, many leaders said they could see why some Christians might be sensitive to cinematic portrayals of Jesus, and offended by the movie.

FLAT ROOF High school principal heads II Rabbi Francis Barry Silberg contends that "Temptation" encourages faith. Based on "the literary critical tools" developed by German dramatist and critic Got-thold Lessing in the essay "Laocoon," Silberg said, these thinkers "have attempted to write the story of the god-man Jesua" 'Humanity of Jesus' In writing The Last Temp iiizpii man nresirtent Sinnev Scheinberg and Universal chair- man Tom Pollack, all Jews, "were so insensitive to Christian sen-sibilitiea" He called their decision to back the film "a tremendous mistake for which the entire Jewish community is paying the price." According to Medved, the film "shows the depth of Hollywood's in-sensitivity to religion in general. These people genuinely do not understand the deep commitment that so many Americans feel to religious faith. They just don't get it." In response, one national Jewish leader called Friday for a conference that would include representatives of the film industry and the Christian and Jewish faitha RICE INN 7602 N. Tvutonla At.

CARRY OUT 351-5504 Noon ft Evening Buffet prepared by also serving from (Mulirmanii cmnesc I r- ITALIAN It ILJ AtKMCANFOOO rjrun MALM Arc- Like so many novels of historical fiction, Silberg said, "'The Last Temptation of Christ' attempts to answer the questions raised by Jesus' ambivalence as reflected in the Gospela" Indeed, Silberg said that theme runs throughout most of the Gospela The rabbi said the protests arising from the resurrection of the novel by Scorsese's movie are reactions to "any unorthodox portrayal" of Jesua Tampering with that symbolicmystical messiah triggers fear and aggression," he said. While protests generally have been aimed at the movie, anti-Semitism has come into the picture by the vilification by some religious leaders of Lew Wasserman and other Jewish executives at MCA, the parent company of Universal, which produced the movia Silberg maintained such protestors "are always looking for reasons to slander Jews by raising the latest anti-Semitic banner, namely "Christian-bashing." Wfestern region Rabbi Chaim Hisiger The Western region is one of four newly created THSN regions, the others being Canada, Metropolitan New York and the Eastern United Statea IVSaccabiah sets karate trials Chicago has been chosen as the site for the United States Mac-cabiah Karate Trials. The event will be held Nov. 17-18. Jewish male and female black belts are encouraged to submit ap-plicationa They may be obtained from the United States Committee Sports for Israel, 275 S.

19th Suite 1203, Philadelphia, PA 19103; (215)546-4700. For further information, contact karate chair Moe Dinner, 9043 NJ2. 37th PL, Bellevue, WA 98004; (206)454-3660. an nnnnnnnnii C-41 Process A i By Sharon Gibson of The Chronicle staff Cries of blasphemy notwithstanding, Nikolas Kanzat-zakis' novel "The Last Temptation of Christ" the basis for the controversial movie of the same name is "not a work that discourages faith, but encourages it," according to Rabbi Francis Barry Silberg. The senior rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun, whose own rabbinical dissertation examined the life of.

Jesus, explained Monday that Kanzatzakis' book comes out of a literary genre dating back to the 18th century. "Das Leben Forschung," or the Life of Jesus Movement, included theologians and other writers, Silberg noted. The movement "has had periods of very brisk production by such very great Protestant, especially German Protestant theologians" as Ernst Renan, F.C. Bauer and Albert Schwietzer, Silberg explained. However, Seymour Reich, president of B'nai B'rith International, noted in a statement that the movie "was made in good faith by Christians who did not intend to mock religion, and who sincerely profess reverence for Christianity and Christian theology." Because the film has found support among some liberal Catholic and Protestant ministers for portraying Christ's human side, "there is no justification for the attempts of censorship and infringement of free speech," said Reich.

Despite its relatively peaceful opening, however, Temptation" has raised troubling questions about the relation of artistic license to religious sensitivity. Film critic Medved, while denouncing the anti-Semitic flavor PROBLEMS? PLAT corrmACTOna nc Torah schools, New York Rabbi Chaim Hisiger, principal of the Milwaukee Jewish Community High School, has been appointed the first Western regional representative of the Torah High School Network. Hisiger will be responsible for working with students and professionals to develop programs affecting education within the Jewish community. The Torah High School Network (THSN) is an association of Orthodox Jewish high schools, serving some 30 such institutions throughout North America. It provides educational in-service training and staff development programs for teachers and administrators plus programs enabling students to explore religious and communal issuea Hisiger was the founding national chair of the organization, which is headquartered at Yeshiva University in New York City.

He also received an award from the organization for his leadership of the network, of which he was a part-time director, at a Curriculum and Issues Conference it held in Cedarhurst, N.Y., this summer. ensum RUBBER ROOFING SYSTEMS A AO 7 -4 ft 7 Outside Milwaukee! APZsPT TMt-l IVf 1 800 23S Got The Host Out of Retirement Ylith Our SPECIALIZED PI10GHALI0 Single Premium Deferred Annuities Single Premium Immediate Annuities Single Premium Whole Life Traditional Life Products IRAProfit Sharing Rollovers Gifting To ChildrenGrandchildren kappizi icappeh Able Security Systems has the exciting new SPARTAN VI security system that can guard against illegal entry into your home or business through doors, windows, walls or roof. The system Is as easy to use as a telephone. Just press a secret oode to turn It on or off. Included with the system Is a hook-up to our alarm monitoring oenter in Ullwaukee lor police or fire department dispatch for only The prioe Is right, the time Is right CALL US TODAY for free Information 488-4340 Am nouiuTx mrou, nro.

1800 K. Capitol Drive 7441 W. Greenfield Avenue I fHOIiJIB PIMIOYObavshoZTI innnn'ii in r- New York Life 738 IT. Jackson St HilwankM, WI 83202 876-1540 60-Minute Film Processing SALLY AHV KAPVEB. II I.