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| Friday 3rd of September 2010 |
24 Elul 5770
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Chutzpa follows messianic Jews to film festival |
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By JOSEPH SERGE
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Friday, 16 April 2004 |
 A Jewish woman confronts a Jews For Jesus pamphleteer in the film Chosen People.
Under this label, the duo has produced two controversial Jewish films, the fictional Camels of Nahor and the documentary Y.I.D. (Yehudim in the Diaspora).
Their newest film, The Chosen People, which premieres at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival on May 2, is also bound to provoke heated discussion.
“The Chosen People is about the world of messianic Jews and what they mean to the rest of the Jewish world,” Hecht says. “I spent a year with [the City of David Messianic Jews]. They opened up their homes and their synagogue to me.”
The documentary, mostly filmed in Toronto, was also shot in Israel, Los Angeles and Budapest.
The film spotlights two sisters in their early 20s, Nicolette and Roanne Sochett, who recently converted to the messianic movement. The two talk frankly about their conversion and the rift it caused at home.
“Nothing sets Jewish parents off as much as Yeshua,” Nicolette says, using the Hebrew name for Jesus.
The sisters are very devout and strongly committed to their beliefs.
“I didn’t want to demonize messianic Jews,” Hecht, 26, says. “They’re very passionate about their faith.”
Although Hecht believes the film is balanced, he is disappointed that Jews for Judaism, a counter-evangelical movement, isn’t happy with it.
Rabbi Michael Skobac of Jews for Judaism told The CJN his group’s main concern was there wasn’t equal screen time.
“It’s a simple enough observation, from watching the film, that it’s not balanced,” he said. “We get 13 minutes, they get 47. They have 10 speakers, five male and five female; we have five – all male. If the movie is exploring both sides, it doesn’t do it in a balanced way.”
But Hecht says the timing is that way because it is first and foremost about messianic Jews.
“I’m not sure what [Jews for Judaism] were expecting,” he says. “I feel it is balanced, both sides have their views. But it is a movie that explores the messianic Jewish movement, not Jews for Judaism.”
The film is sympathetic toward the young converts interviewed, including, in addition to the Sochetts, a Russian boy.
But, on the other hand, the film’s opening and closing words belong to the articulate Rabbi Yoseph Zaltzman of the Jewish Russian Community Centre, who adamantly insists that messianic Jews can’t be Jewish.
“In Judaism, Jesus is an idol,” Rabbi Zaltzman says at the end of the film. “In Judaism, God is only one – God doesn’t have the Holy Spirit and the Son. This is the dogma of Christianity that contradicts the essence of Judaism.”
For the most part, The Chosen People stays away from theological arguments. In addition to Rabbi Zaltzman, Hecht shows Julius Ciss of Jews for Judaism explaining five reasons why Jesus can’t be the Jewish messiah. But mostly, Hecht follows the converts as they pray, sing, cook dinner and talk about what their faith means to them.
Documentaries work well when a bit of luck, or perfect timing, add something that couldn’t have been scripted.
One such scene is of a confrontation on a Toronto street between a young Jews For Jesus girl handing out a pamphlet to an unreceptive older Jewish woman.
“Don’t you have enough Christians already?” the woman snaps to the younger one. “Why do you have to convert Jews? Why don’t you convert the Muslims that are killing the Christians?”
“That’s Ron Furman’s doing,” Hecht says of his partner. “He was there shooting that. He stood there for 45 minutes getting verbally attacked by Jews for Jesus. When stuff like that happens, it really adds depth to documentaries.”
In another scene, Hecht is interviewing Rabbi Skobac in a parking lot. Jews for Judaism and City of David share premises side by side at the Main Exchange Plaza in Thornhill. During their interview, they are talking about Jeff Forman, a spiritual leader at City of David, when Forman pulls into the plaza.
As Forman walks past, brandishing newly polished shoes for a “bat mitzvah,” the two exchange pleasantries like old friends.
“That was honestly spontaneous,” Hecht laughs. “I was interviewing Mark outside for about 45 minutes and he just happened to be talking about Rabbi Forman when he drove into the parking lot. I was shocked. It was unbelievable.”
The chief target of conversion appears to be new Jewish immigrants, mostly because they know little of their faith and are easily swayed.
“They have a tremendous desire to latch onto something spiritual,” Rabbi Skobac says in the film.
Ciss, who briefly flirted with the movement, says in the movie he understands the draw.
“It’s very tempting – they say you don’t have to convert to anything. When the messiah comes, you’ll be more Jewish than ever – a fulfilled Jew – a messianic Jew – a completed Jew.”
Hecht says he got the idea for this documentary while toying with the idea of doing a film on the Jewish dating scene.
“We wanted to look at all streams – Orthdox, Conservative and Reform – when somebody told me there was another stream – messianic Judaism. I thought this topic could be an interesting movie. I’ve never seen one on them before.”
Typical of Chutzpa Productions, The Chosen People is fascinating and thought- provoking.
“I believe The Chosen People will be controversial,” Hecht says. “It keeps in line with the trend of Chutzpa Productions. We tackle subjects not a lot of people tackle – hopefully in a good way.
“I’m a controversial person by nature,” he says. “I want to explore issues that I haven’t seen other Jewish filmmakers do.”
Hecht and Furman have spent much of the past year at York filming the controversy that’s been brewing between Arab and Jewish students. The result, Protest at York University, will be released shortly.
They’re also planning a sequel to Y.I.D., Y.I.D. 2 – Not In Our Name, which will look at Jews in North America who are opposed to Israeli policies and openly advocate and legitimize the Palestinian terror. It is scheduled to premiere at next year’s Toronto Jewish Film Festival.
The Chosen People is showing on May 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bloor Cinema. For tickets, call 416-324-9121.
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