Time to get back to seeing culture in the flesh - The Jewish Chronicle

Hurray for James Bond! The craggy muscleman did something that I had feared might never happen again — he prised me off my sofa, away from the comforts of Bake Off, Strictly and Taskmaster and lured me into a cinema for only the second time since we locked down for the first time 19 months ago.

And what fun it was to watch people driving incredibly dangerously on a huge screen, while sitting in comfy chairs and trying not to cough, so as not to alarm one’s fellow viewers. This, we reminisced afterwards, was something we used to do every single weekend! In fact, so regularly did we visit the local moviehouse that when my daughter was about seven, asked what our family believed in, she answered confidently, “film”.

The first film I ventured to the cinema to see, in a small break in lockdown was the superlative Rocks, made by Jewish director Sarah Gavron — although she would be the first to point out the collaborative nature of the project. It is a completely unsentimental yet utterly heart-warming story of East London schoolgirls, and it’s now available on Netflix — so, had I waited a bit I could have seen it on my sofa. I was glad that I didn’t though. Because when you go to the cinema you are tangibly supporting the film-makers in a way that isn’t so obvious, watching at home.

I have to admit that I’m watching a lot more television than I used to. There’s so much that is worth watching, from the utter joy that is Strictly, through the entirety of Schitt’s Creek, to meaty dramas and documentaries. But one thing TV doesn’t seem to do well is Jews. It’s generally not intentional, just an ignorant sloppiness that means that the voice-over on Bake Off pronounces charoset as Shar O’Sett (couldn’t they have consulted Matt Lucas?); and sees Vivien, the heroine of Ridley Road mix up a tzitzit with a tallis.

Ah, Vivien, so lovely and unusual to see a Jewish heroine on our screens, but what a strange Jewish girl she is. On the one hand, so frum that she can quote from psalms in Hebrew from memory and takes her prayer book with her when she is running away from home; on the other, she barely blinks when offered the number of a doctor who will provide her with the means to enjoy sex outside marriage. And then there’s her mother, who exclaims ‘Baruch Hashem!’ (as no one would have in 1962) when Vivien calls home, just like the cast of Shtisel — could that possibly be where the script writer got the idea?

Anyway, it’s been great fun spotting all the things that seem pretty unlikely, including the whacking great engagement picture in the Jewish Chronicle (“ the Chronicle”, as no one has ever called us) for a tailor’s daughter from Manchester. And the debate about the show on social media has been fun too — ‘It’s so Jewish that we’re all arguing about it,’ as one friend put it.

But if we expect a bit more from our Jewish cultural content — authenticity, variety, depth — then we have to look beyond the mainstream. Luckily for us there are two festivals brightening the autumn months which will encourage us out of our homes. The Tsitsit fringe festival currently on, has offered comedy, music and much more, and hopefully will become a regular part of the cultural scene.

And coming up in November is the annual UK Jewish Film Festival, now in its 25th year. Last year the festival had to abandon in-person viewings and go online only — which widened access and participation but meant that the joy of meeting old friends at a screening was lost. This year the festival is hybrid, offering screenings and online streaming. The programme, as always, comes from around the world, offering glimpses into Jewish lives all around the world with a particular focus on Israel.

UK Jewish Film does far more than put on a yearly festival. It’s also instrumental in encouraging young talent, both in film-making and in film criticism. A young person’s jury is recruited to help judge the short film competition and the organization also runs various educational programmes, including free workshops to combat antisemitism among teenagers.

In an age when we need all the allies we can get, film is a powerful way to educate and entertain, and to give young people a way of expressing their Jewishness, particularly if formal religion does not appeal. I’ve said before that secular Jews have a particular responsibility to support our cultural organisations — UK Jewish Film and the Jewish Music Institute in particular. Theatres, too, are places where Jewish content, Jewish talent definitely punches above its demographic weight.

It’s time to abandon our sofas. Get into those cinemas — unless you are shielding still. Our cultural world needs you.

To get more from opinion, click here to sign up for our free Editor's Picks newsletter.