Adl, Aj Committee Blast Christ Film

Two national Jewish organizations–the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith and the American Jewish Committee–condemned today the film “Jesus Christ Superstar” which opened here in three theaters. It is also being shown in 55 other cities across the country.

Benjamin R. Epstein, national director of the ADL, declared in a statement that the movie’s “sharp and vivid emphasis on a Jewish mob’s demand to kill Jesus can feed into the kind of disparagement of Jews and Judaism which has always nurtured anti-Jewish prejudices and bigotry.” Epstein said that “If people were emotionally healthy and free from prejudices, Passion Plays–including the fantasy ‘Jesus. Christ Superstar’ would not kindle Jewish apprehensions.” He noted that a University of California study found that the deicide charge against Jews is a root cause of anti-Semitism.

Noting that before the film went into production in 1972, the ADL had sent a 14-page memorandum to producer Norman Jewison urging sensitivity on the part of those responsible for the script, casting and directing, Epstein said “the flaws in the film are particularly regrettable in the light of the fact that they could have been so easily avoided.” He declared that the film’s “exciting rock format and beautiful photography will undoubtedly attract large numbers of impressionable young people.” He said he was deeply concerned about the impact on them.

Epstein scored the casting which made Jesus a blond, Judas a Black, and the priests and rabbis as dark-haired, forboding and garbed in black Finally he stressed that “Christian leaders them selves have repeatedly condemned as reprehensible the notion that Jews, rather than all mankind are responsible for Jesus’ death.”

WILL NOT CALL FOR BOYCOTTS, DEMONSTRATIONS

Elmer L. Winter, AJ Committee president, expressed his distress at the expected wide distribution of the film. Speaking at a press conference here, Winter reiterated the group’s suggestion to Universal Pictures, the film’s distributor, that it append a prologue and an epilogue to the film declaring that it is intended solely as entertainment and that all Catholic and Protestant officials have denied Jewish responsibility for the crucifixion.

Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum, national director of interreligious affairs of the AJ Committee, said that as a civil libertarian organization, the Committee respects the right of Universal Pictures and Jewison “to present their view of the crucifixion.” Winter noted that the AJ Committee is opposed to boycotting, demonstrating or picketing the film because it believes the actions would not have the educational effect necessary to oppose the film which he described as “a passion play comparable to the anti-Semitic Passion Play of Oberammergau.”

“It is appalling to think of the ammunition this film will give to anti-Semitic groups in parts of the world where anti-Jewish campaigns have recently been conducted by politically reactionary elements that have exploited the old canard of ‘Christ-killer’ as justification for their activities.” Winter stated. The film which millions will view eventually on night-time television and which will be viewed by many children because it has a “G” rating may be taken as truth rather than the dangerous myth it is, Winter warned.

Many Christian leaders and Black newspapers have denounced the film, Leonard Yaseen, national co-chairman of the AJ Committee’s interreligious affairs commission, reported. One Black newspaper has gone as far as to call for a boycott, he said. “Many of these leaders feel that the film is anti-Christian as well as anti-Jewish,” Winter declared.

Rabbi Tanenbaum expressed the hope that the “Justified concern” about the film “will give impetus to a growing conviction among many Christians as well as Jews that all Passion Plays–from Oberammergau to Jesus Christ Superstar–ought to be voluntarily abandoned until such time as a morally sensitive and genuinely informed creative artist will find a way to dramatize the Passion account so that it contributes to love, mutual respect, and reconciliation rather than to hatred and vilification.”