[HANASHIR:1863] Re: Spielberg's Insult to Jewish Music

[DurlKare <DurlKare...>]

In a message dated 11/29/98 15:32:20 Central Standard Time, durleste (at) 
home(dot)com
writes:

<< "Prince of Egypt" is clearly based on a text that is from the Torah. It's
 setting and them are clearly from the Jewish faith tradition. Consulting
 rabbis isn't enough, when you ask Xtian artists ONLY to contribute to a
 companion CD.
  >>

When I saw the preview of this movie at CAJE, I winced at the title..."Prince
of EGYPT" doesn't  sound very Jewish...I noticed, as did other viewers, that
in the movie, the singing of Mi Chamocha happened while the Jews left Egypt,
and not after they had crossed the sea.  I'm sure other differences exist,
too, as is usual with the making of a book (even the Torah!) into a movie!  

There is a connection, it seems to me, between this need to dissociate the
movie with its true Jewish roots and the marketing of the Xtian music inspired
by the movie.  I think that Hollywood has always had Jewish producers and
stars, but so many times, the Jewishness of the star is usually rather watered
down anyway.  To me this movie is just another example of how the marketplace
and the Xtian world like to use our heritage for their own purposes...

-Karen D.