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Mel Gibson and Me
Do not silence Holocaust story to punish Mel Gibson. He will not be punished for long. But if we do not do something now, the chance to tell Flory's story will be lost forever
Laura Goldman
Most people who know me would never believe there would be an occasion for a sentence including the words Mel Gibson and me. Before several months ago, I also would not have believed it.
I am a frustrated Private Benjamin. I moved to Israel several years ago and I would like to serve my country. I am too old to serve in the regular army but that does mean that I can not serve in the armchair army. What does an armchair general do? I don't patrol Israel's borders and protect its citizens. I can not fight Hizbullah or Hamas with guns, missiles or tanks.
With pen, computer and phone, I can defend Jewish interests and Israel by written and spoken word. While reading the newspaper one morning, I nearly choked on my coffee and vowed to get new glasses immediately because I could not be reading the paper right.
| The Gibson Saga |
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| Offer: Publicly circumcise Gibson / News Agencies |
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Superstar Mel Gibson goes on a drunken anti-Semitic tirade and Hollywood's powerful Jewish community finds itself under attack for not speaking up in protest. Meanwhile, comedian Joy Behar got a sharp idea for a solution |
| Full Story |
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"Please read this," I urgently commanded my friend. "I must be going blind from sitting at the computer so long."
"Relax," he said. "You read it right."
"How could that be? Mel Gibson's father is a Holocaust denier." I asked. "I'm not going to rest until I do something about it."
Flory's story
Believing knowledge is power, I somehow found a copy of the book in that the mini series was based on. It was written by Holocaust survivor, Flory Van Beek, called "Flory - Survival in the Valley of Death." I began reading and was enthralled with this love story. Flory and her non Jewish boyfriend were protected by their Dutch Christian neighbors. By the end of the book, I could not stop crying.
Like, many children of Holocaust survivors, my parents refuse to discuss with me what happened during the war. So the only opportunity for me to understand their suffering is through the stories of others.
The only way for the Holocaust to stay in our collective memories is for the stories to be captured on film or written down. Soon, there will no survivors alive to give us first hand accounts. The Jews are sadly no longer the people of the book and a movie and this movie is particular will reach a far greater audience.
ABC response
Since I still had concerns even after reading the book, I left as nice a message for Taylor Quinn, vice president of television movies and mini series for ABC. "I am the child of survivors. I would like to talk to you about Mel Gibson's participation in a Holocaust series."
I was busy trying to figure out what I could do next when the phone rang. Much to my surprise, it was the very important vice president of ABC, Taylor Quinn. "You are calling me back" I asked in surprise.
"Yes, you are one of the few that left your phone number and were not afraid to identify yourself." I could not just imagine what kind of message the others had left. Although I sometimes forget it, I learned long ago that you catch more flies with honey so I had left a nice message.
"I have to do this for my mother and father who suffered so much during the war and in memory of my paternal grandfather and four maternal uncles that was shot dead in cold blood by the Nazis," I told Quinn.
"Don't worry", Quinn reassured me. "I am gay so I am a member of a minority group that would have been persecuted by the Nazis. So I would never make a movie sympathetic to the Nazis." You could not help but like Quinn. He dripped in charm and sincerity. He also reminded that he had produced the Emmy award winning mini series on Anne Frank.
"That is all well and good but it is not enough for me."
"There are also two Jewish producers that are attached to the project. Here is their contact information."
Even I could not ask for more.
They even sent me the script
I called the first producer and received my second surprise of the day. Mr. Big producer returned my call right away. "My family fled Russia in 1892. I descend from a long line of Rabbis. The other producer's father is a survivor. This movie would not be made without Mel Gibson's star power."
I have never been known to be shy so I asked for script approval. Mr. Big producer had a ready comeback. "The script is not even written. But you can see the script before filming begins. We will listen to your suggestions. I can not promise that we will take them all."
I was not finished with my list of demands. "What about having a Holocaust historian attached to the project?" I asked. Mr. Big Producer returned my volley with finesse. "What better historian than Flory herself. She will be involved in the filming."
Once I received the script, I was going to have a Dutch Holocaust historian review it for accuracy. As far as I was concerned, the producers including Mel Gibson were more than fair to me by letting me see the script before filming.
All the Holocaust organizations that I had represented in my initial call could not believe that I had succeeded where Abe Foxman of the ADL had failed. (Mr. Foxman did not get a script of Mel Gibson's the Passion of Christ before it was filmed and had to sneak into the previews.)
Letting my inner author speak, I suggested the ending of the film be a ceremony at the Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem where the Dutch Christians who saved Flory be awarded the high honor of Righteous Gentile. The producers took my suggestion. Yad Vashem would have featured in the film and hopefully encouraged more people to come and see the story of Nazi Germany for themselves.
Stop the production and they'll win
Now because Mel Gibson went on a drunken anti-Semitic rampage, the opportunity to tell another Holocaust story is going to be lost unless we do something. Cindy Saunders wrote the screenplay not Mel Gibson. Holocaust survivor Flory Van Beek wrote the book that the movie is based on not Mel Gibson. As Flory herself said, "This gives Mel and the others like him another victory."
Do not silence Flory's story to punish Mel Gibson. He will not be punished for long. He will bounce back from this. The currency of Hollywood is well currency. In Hollywood, the box office rules. But if we do not do something now, the chance to tell an important Holocaust story will be lost forever. Flory is her eighties and does not much longer to tell her story.
Laura Goldman worked on Wall Street for many years. If that was not enough of a challenge, she made aliyah to contribute to the Jewish people and the state of Israel
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