Friday Night Surprise

Friday night, after services and dinner at Hillel, I went with my friend to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, hoping for a charming teen comedy that wouldn't make me think too hard. Yes, after a long week of using my brain, I was looking forward to some mindless pleasure. Starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, it's the story of two New Jersey teens who fall in love while out on the town in Manhattan in pursuit of their favorite band. And as the movie progressed, it slowly became apparent that it had some serious Jewishness going on.

The main female character, Norah Silverberg, is the daughter of a record label executive. There is a Hanukkah reference, along with the term "JAP," slang for, "Jewish American Princess." We also find out that Norah's ex-boyfriend is named Tal, an Israeli name.

These elements are not irrelevant to their characters. It turns out that Tal is using Norah for her father's connections because he has his own album, which he describes as a mix of anarchy and Zionism. Yes, this is obviously a comedic moment, but still, the kid was dedicated enough to make an album about his Zionism. And as for Norah's Judaism, in perhaps the most surprising appearance of a Jewish concept ever in American cinema, she discusses her appreciation of the Jewish idea of "Tikkun Olam," or, "repairing the world," a conversation that leads to coitus.

When my friend and I left the theater, still wearing our fancy Shabbat clothes from our earlier appearance at Hillel, we looked at each other with mouths agape. It was shocking, not because Jews never appear in film or on television--they do all the time, but this portrayal was different. The Judaism of these characters goes deeper than being the subject of a few quick jokes. Their Jewish identities aren't blatantly announced, but slowly become apparent as we get to know the characters.

In fact, these characters are much like my friend and me. If you weren't aware of the signs, you might not even realize that they, or we, are Jewish at first. They have some Jewish friends, and some non-Jewish friends. They love being Jewish, but are equally committed to American culture. As it is for us, their Jewishness is an organic part of who they are. And like us, they too were out breaking the Sabbath on a Friday night but still incapable of leaving their Judaism behind.

By Shari Rabin  |  October 12, 2008; 11:22 PM ET  | Category:  Chutzpah Chronicles Save & Share:                 
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Posted by: Kevin | October 27, 2008 10:15 AM
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