Still from The Reader

Can we ever understand that which we condemn?  Does true understanding require empathy, meaning that once we understand something it ceases to be wholly “other,” and so is in some way recognizably like us?  Does such empathy imply that we acknowledge the ways in which we are potentially capable of that which we condemn?

I was going to recommend the movie The Reader as one that asks its viewers to wrestle with profound questions of individual guilt, collective responsibility, and the limits of forgiveness. But then I hit upon a link that brought me up short. (Note: The rest of this post will be full of pertinent plot points (spoilers), so read no further if you want to see the movie without knowing too much.) The headline in the Telegraph reads: “Kate Winslet’s Holocaust movie The Reader faces renewed Jewish criticism.”  In a now much-repeated quote,

Mark Weitzman, head of the Simon…

So I’m on this committee, well I’m on about 17 committees, but the one I’m going to talk about is in the process of planning an event for Jewish women. The Jewish Federation has a division called “Women’s Connection” whose purpose is to literally connect Jewish women through social, educational and spiritual programs. (A previous post of mine about the fashion show was put on by the same group.) This particular night we’re planning falls under the educational, and I suppose, social umbrella. And the topic for the evening: Jewish guilt.

After about 52 emails, several phone calls and one reschedule, we had our first committee meeting today. As we began discussing our topic, and all the aspects of guilt one could talk about, it seemed that two hours would hardly be enough time to say our hellos, introduce our speakers, show our kitschy video clips, facilitate our discussions, and eat our kosher desserts.…