There are two things I have been told I should never blog about, but this week I will:
Religion and Politics.
We' a ll get to Religion in a minute, sorry, Lord, but first...
I would not allow a canine-American to endure what this country, Heck, this whole world, has gone through in the past thirty days. Unless you've been living in a cave, (in which case, are you taking in boarders?) you've heard that the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas chose October 7, the Jewish festival of Simchat Torah, little more than a month ago as I write this, to deliberately attack the young attendees of a music festival in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv just for the crime of being Jewish. And all this while the House of Representatives bobs in the water like a ship without a captain until they name a MAGA-centric speaker in Mike Johnson of Louisiana. As the season of "Peace On Earth, Goodwill Towards All" grows ever closer,this blog, which stands with Israel, hopes that the terrorists will see the evil of the ways and that Israel and Palestine will continue to live and work in peace.
As for Religion,Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York,of which I am a proud member,has many exciting programs, one of which is a Zoom course on"Women of Faith," and not only are we examining Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah and all those sheroes who followed in their footsteps,but also New Testament characters, such as one particular Saint Mary of Magdala, better known as Mary Magdalene. To make sure I don't sound like a world champion dork when I get the urge to ask questions either on camera or in chat,I'm currently binging a historical drama which has been lauded by the Christian community, but which also resonates with many Jewish viewers, myself included. I refer to THE CHOSEN, described by its creator and executive producer Dallas Jenkins as the first multi-arc portrayal of the life of Jesus Christ, or,as we Reform Jews call him, "Our boy the late great JC of Biblical fame." Jonathan Roumie doesn't play Jesus as a Superstar, or a Super-Salesman, but as a Super-Rabbi,one well-versed in the ways of Torah, but willing to add his, or as they like to say on the show, His own special modifications, and he leads an impressive cast including Shahar Isaac as Simon Peter,Erick Avari as Nicodemus, and Elizabeth Tabish as the subject of this upcoming class, Mary Magdalene. Unlike other portrayals that cast Mary as the ultimate Fallen Woman, Elizabeth plays Mary as an ordinary woman who just makes a few BIIIIG mistakes, none the least of them being possessed by demons. (I HATE when that happens!) Assuming the name of Lilith, she falls in with the underworld until Our Boy JC rides to her rescue and she becomes an invaluable member of his group of followers.
THE CHOSEN is clearly up there with Zeferelli's 1970's miniseries JESUS OF NAZARETH (Full disclosure; Rabbi Albert Friedlander, an old friend of the family, was a historical advisor for Zeferelli's production.), a low-budget musical by a little-known composer named Andrew Lloyd Webber, and, believe it or not, Mel Brooks' HISTORY OF THE WORLD,PART 2, a hilarious mashup of the lives of Jesus and John Lennon, who claimed to be bigger than poor old Hey-Zeus,when it comes to a retelling of the New Testament in an entertaining manner. You may not totes agree with the message, but if you enjoyed the aforementioned entertainment entities, or just want to know either how the other half worships, choose THE CHOSEN which happens to be available on its own website, http://www.thechosen.tv, http://www.angel.com, Netflix,Tubi, Amazon Freevee,Fubo,Philo,Peacock,YouTube,YouTubeTV,Hulu,FOX Nation, Crackle, and your local The CW station. (WHEW!) No matter how you find it, find it, Worth the trip, and pardon my bad taste, but it WON'T make you cross. (Sorry, just couldn't resist!)
Until next time, shalom shalom. (Twice the peace, which, I believe we can ALL use!)
Steve
