Movie Night – JoJo Rabbit

When

July 28, 2022    
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

5:00 PM – Dinner
6:00 PM – Movie and Discussion

Jojo Rabbit is an inventive take on the Holocaust movie using humor and satire to confront issues of political indoctrination and the profound manmade horrors it can lead to. The movie, directed by Taika Waititi (who is both Jewish and Maori) follows Jojo, a lonely German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friend — Adolf Hitler — Jojo must confront his blind nationalism as World War II continues to rage on.

Rabbi Weiss will then lead a discussion of how humor helped the Jewish people during the horrors of the Shoah and how comedy can be a potent weapon against repressive regimes.

A special message from Rabbi Weiss: When I first saw this movie, I was captivated by how differently it approached the genre of “Holocaust film” from anything I’d ever seen. It was electric, engaging, and seemed to be rewriting the script on how we depict the Shoah. Some parts of the movie, particularly the first 10 minutes or so, may be shocking in that they show the Third Reich from the perspective of its propaganda. Similarly to the “Springtime for Hitler” musical number in The Producers, Jojo Rabbit does nothing but put on full display the absurdity of Nazi ideology, however dark its outcomes. I encourage you to come with an open mind, ready to be challenged, and, afterward, we’ll have a conversation on “Jojo Rabbit”’s merits and faults.

RSVP