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Historians generally date “The Odyssey” to the eighth or seventh century B.C.E., while the Jewish people predate that period by centuries.
By Shula Rosen
A movie theater in Lake Oswego, Oregon, drew criticism from members of the Jewish community after displaying a marquee promoting the Christopher Nolan film “The Odyssey” with a message referring to a time “before there were Jews,” prompting accusations of antisemitism and historical inaccuracy.
The marquee at the Lake Theater & Cafe in downtown Lake Oswego advertised the film based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, “The Odyssey.”
By Thursday, the message had been removed from one side of the marquee, but local residents reported that it remained visible on the other side Friday.
Rabbi Eve Posen of Congregation Neveh Shalom in Southwest Portland criticized both the content and the historical claim.
“It’s historically inaccurate. That’s the first piece,” Posen told OregonLive. “It’s a movie that doesn’t need much to get people to come see it, so why the theater would make this decision knowing that it’s historically inaccurate makes no sense.”
Historians generally date “The Odyssey” to the eighth or seventh century B.C.E., while the Jewish people predate that period by centuries.
Posen said the Jewish Community Relations Council contacted the theater to express concern over the sign’s historical inaccuracy and the offense it caused.
According to Posen, the theater did not respond to the council. The Lake Theater & Cafe also did not respond to requests for comment from The Oregonian/OregonLive seeking an explanation for the marquee message.
Some members of the Jewish community said the wording appeared to promote a period “before Jews” as a selling point for the film, arguing that the message contributed to growing antisemitism.
The theater has previously attracted attention for provocative and politically themed marquee messages.
During the premiere of “Melania,” it displayed the message, “Does Melania wear Prada? Find out Friday.” Another sign paraphrased Machiavelli, stating: “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday.”
According to the Lake Theater & Cafe, Amazon later removed the film from the theater. The theater responded with another marquee reading: “Amazon called. Our marquee made them mad. All Melania showings cancelled. Show your support at Whole Foods instead,” followed by: “Join Amazon Prime for Free Two-Day Shipping.”
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