Eszterhas writes tell-all e-book about Mel Gibson

Published on June 5, 2012

Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas has written an e-book that recounts his fraught relationship with actor and director Mel Gibson and Gibson's desire to write a "Jewish Braveheart."

After Mel Gibson-Joe Eszterhas spat, Hollywood Jews standing by Gibson on ‘Judah Maccabee’

Published on April 23, 2012

Jews run Hollywood, the old cliche goes. So an outsider might find it strange that one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, Warner Bros., agreed to make a movie about one of the Jewish world’s greatest heroes with a star known for going on anti-Semitic tirades.

The Endless Madness of Mel

By Danielle Berrin
Published on April 18, 2012

The script for Gibson’s shelved ‘Jewish Braveheart’—The Wrap reads it and shares some details

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on April 18, 2012

Mel Gibson Needs a Jewish Mother

By Ilana Angel
Published on April 12, 2012

[UPDATE] Gibson’s Maccabee film on hold; screenwriter calls Mel “Jew-hater,” Gibson responds

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on April 11, 2012

Deputy who arrested Gibson settles with department

Published on February 15, 2012

The sheriff's deputy who arrested actor Mel Gibson and was the subject of his anti-Semitic rant is settling a religious discrimination case against his department.

Synagogue solicits Mel Gibson

Published on January 30, 2012

A California synagogue asked movie star Mel Gibson for a donation, suggesting it would remedy his reputation regarding Jews. The president of Congregation Beth Shalom in Corona sent the filmmaker and actor a letter asking for help to prevent the synagogue from losing its building, the Hollywood gossip site TMZ reported last Friday.

I'm drunk with excitement over Mel Gibson's Maccabee movie

Published on January 13, 2012

Chanukah has come and gone, and Jewish parents everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s comforting to know that 5772/2011 will likely be the last year that we have to tell our kids the story of the Maccabees without the help of Mel Gibson. Last September, in an announcement that honored its four founding siblings — Hirsch, Aaron, Jacob and Szmul Wonskolaser — Warner Bros. proclaimed that it would finance Gibson’s next project: “The Judah Maccabee Story”! Gibson, who famously quipped (during a 2006 DUI incident), “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” apparently less-famously followed that with, “and I want to make movies out of all of them.”

An Afghanistani and Mel Gibson…sounds like the Maccabees

By Lauren Bottner
Published on November 14, 2011

Robert Downey Jr. asks forgiveness for Mel Gibson

Published on October 18, 2011

Robert Downey Jr. at an awards ceremony in Los Angeles urged the Hollywood community to forgive Mel Gibson for his recent troubles.

Could Gibson be good for the Maccabees?

By Danielle Berrin
Published on September 21, 2011

ADL raps Mel Gibson on Maccabee movie

Published on September 14, 2011

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) criticized Mel Gibson following news that he is planning to make a film based on the life of Judah Maccabee.

Mel the Avenger

By Tom Teicholz
Published on September 13, 2011

Mel Gibson’s obsession with the Jews, Part 10: The Judah Maccabee movie

By Danielle Berrin
Published on September 9, 2011

“Harry Potter’s” Jason Isaacs on Playing “Racist” Lucius Malfoy

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on July 15, 2011

Not Mel Gibson

By Danielle Berrin
Published on May 24, 2011

Trying to determine the worst offender may seem a Sisyphean task considering the past year’s almost farcical uptick in anti-Semitic rants. It’s like separating your least favorite jelly beans from an overstuffed crate. But to their credit as artists, this bunch has at least provided Jew-hating vitriol so colorful and diverse, no one will get bored with the same bean (OK, Mel, you get to be the exception).

Charlie Sheen and John Galliano—both Jewish?!?

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on March 6, 2011

Gibson arrester can sue over incident

Published on February 24, 2011

The Jewish sheriff's deputy who arrested actor Mel Gibson can sue after allegedly being passed over for promotion over the incident, a judge ruled. The deputy, James Mee, filed a lawsuit last year against his employer, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, claiming he had been repeatedly passed him over for promotion and endured harassment for reporting Gibson’s anti-Semitic rant during the 2006 arrest for drunk driving.

Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks predate DUI tape, Winona Ryder says

Published on December 16, 2010

Actor Mel Gibson made "anti-Semitic and homophobic" remarks long before he was caught on tape making those kind of comments, actress Winona Ryder said.

Emmy Awards: Top Ten Jewish Moments

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on August 29, 2010

‘When there’s life, there’s hate’: Q & A with ADL’s Abe Foxman

Published on November 7, 2008

" . . . Hatred has been around since Cain and Abel. I'm not a philosopher; I'm not a sociologist. I don't pretend to be. But they used to say, 'Where there's life, there's bugs.' When there's life, there's hate . . ."

Robert De Niro is Jewish?

By Brad A. Greenberg
Published on September 8, 2008

Briefs: Gore, Oz among Dan Prize winners; Dems dis Lieberman

Published on February 14, 2008

News briefs.

Sudan refugees sheltered in Negev, cash call doesn’t draw Jews from Iran

Published on July 12, 2007

News briefs.

Democrats call on GOP to condemn Prager; Deputy in Mel Gibson bust claims harrassment

Published on January 4, 2007

For several months, the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) pounded Democrats for allegedly being soft on Israel and for failing to call out Democratic leaders who made anti-Israel remarks. Before the midterm elections, the RJC even took out ads in Jewish newspapers painting the Democrats as weak on Israel.

Now, the Democrats are pushing back.

Prager; CAIR; Gibson; The Boot!

Published on December 14, 2006

letters to the editor

Skip into Mel Gibson’s ‘Apocalypto’ now!

By Jon E. Drucker
Published on December 7, 2006

Face it, the previews for Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" look pretty darn cool. But there's a bigger issue: Do we want to give our money to Mel?

Mel Gibson’s address to the General Assembly

By Jonathan Kesselman
Published on November 9, 2006

Ladies, Gentlemen, and Jews:

Welcome to beautiful Los Angeles! I write to you from the set of my new Ismar Schorsch biopic starring Danny Glover as Mordecai Kaplan and Jim Caviezel as Ismar Schorsch himself!

Letters to the Editor

Published on September 14, 2006

Letters to the Editor.

Rabbi David Baron vs Mad Mel in Yom Kippur Pulpit Match

Published on September 7, 2006

Letters to the Editor.

What I Really Asked Mel Gibson

By Rabbi David Baron
Published on August 31, 2006

Can an alcoholic who was poisoned with his father's anti-Semitism use a moment of naked exposure to confront his bigotry? Can he ever hope to cleanse himself of this deeply-seated hatred or is he forever doomed?

High Holiday Invite Continues the Passion of Mel

By Tom Tugend
Published on August 24, 2006

Mel Gibson has easily disposed of his legal problems, but whether, when and how he will personally appear before a Jewish audience is very much up in the air. When the actor-director was stopped on suspicion of drunk driving by a Jewish sheriff's deputy in the early hours of July 28, Gibson began cursing the "F*****g Jews ... responsible for all the wars in the world."

Kaplan’s Collage

By Tom Teicholz
Published on August 17, 2006

Marty Kaplan is often referred to as a "public intellectual." His current title is dean of the Annenberg School at USC and chairman of the Norman Lear Center. But Kaplan has led many lives -- molecular biologist, comedy writer, White House speechwriter, Disney exec, radio host. As Kaplan recently wrote me in an e-mail when I asked, "Which of those is you ?"

Letters to the Editor

Published on August 17, 2006

Letters to the Editor.

Three Groups Respond to Gibson’s Request for Meeting

By Tom Tugend
Published on August 10, 2006

The race to become the first Jewish group to land an appearance by Mel Gibson is on, with three already entered and more waiting in the wings.

Misguided Passion About Gibson’s Film

By Rabbi Michael Gotlieb
Published on April 13, 2006

In anticipation of Easter, a slightly modified version of "The Passion of the Christ," the film by actor and director Mel Gibson, and screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald, has been re-released. The second coming if you will. This re-cut version is widely available in a DVD gift format.

It’s Time to Return to Our Mission

By David Klinghoffer
Published on February 17, 2005

Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" was the most important American religious event of the past year. For Christians, its effects were quite positive, as viewers already committed to belief in Jesus were roused to renew their faith through the heartrending story of the Crucifixion. For America's Jewish community, the effects of the film can also be positive, if we draw the right retrospective lessons not from the movie itself but from the controversy that still surrounds it.

2004 Takes Some Unexpected Turns

By James D. Besser
Published on December 30, 2004

There's nothing as risky as end-of-year predictions, as 2004 so painfully demonstrated.

Transcript to the 10 p.m. ET Show

Published on December 16, 2004

Transcript to the 10 p.m. ET Show

Garbage Mouth

By Rob Eshman
Published on December 16, 2004

When the controversy over Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" first erupted, Jewish leaders like Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League angered Christians by coming out forcefully against the movie.

William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights, took umbrage. "A lot of Catholics in this town are saying, 'Is that how Jews are looking at us,'" he told The Jewish Week, "'that you scratch a Catholic and out comes a latent anti-Semite?'"

Last week, Donohue provided the answer to his rhetorical question. And the answer is, in his case, yes.

Briefs

Published on October 21, 2004

Briefs

Quiet Debut for ‘Passion’ DVD

By David Finnigan
Published on September 30, 2004

When Rabbi Harold Shulweis learned that the DVD of "The Passion of the Christ," which debuted on Aug. 31, would be just a bare-bones, no-frills copy of Mel Gibson's controversial movie, the spiritual leader of Encino's Valley Beth Shalom said, "That's very good. I don't think the Jewish community has to repeat, regurgitate, all the anguish, all the anger."

Quiet Debut for ‘Passion’ DVD

By David Finnigan
Published on September 2, 2004

When Rabbi Harold Shulweis learned that the DVD of "The Passion of the Christ," which debuted on Aug. 31, would be just a bare-bones, no-frills copy of Mel Gibson's controversial movie, the spiritual leader of Encino's Valley Beth Shalom said, "That's very good. I don't think the Jewish community has to repeat, regurgitate, all the anguish, all the anger."

The Circuit

By Gaby Wenig
Published on May 13, 2004

Recognition and Honor to individuals, groups, schools and a special appearance by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Gibson Film Stirs Up Variety of Reactions

By Journal Staff
Published on March 4, 2004

This masterfully crafted film deals with a troubling event and could lead to trouble.

The Passion of Mel Gibson

By Ivor Davis
Published on February 19, 2004

After watching Mel Gibson's two-hour-and-six-minute "The Passion of the Christ" at the Fox Studio's 200-seat Zanuck Theater, with barely a dozen carefully invited others in the audience, I came away with great admiration for Gibson.

Not for the film, I can assure you.

For while it is superbly photographed by Caleb Deschanel ("The Patriot," "Being There" and "Black Stallion") you can't but sit in awe of Gibson's brilliant publicity juggernaut that could teach Barnum and Bailey a thing or two about the not-so-delicate art of movie promotion and marketing.

Gibson Film Is a Frontal Assault on Jews

By Marvin Hier
Published on February 19, 2004

Mel Gibson's film is nothing less then a frontal assault and a collective indictment of the entire Jewish community during the time of Jesus.

Will Jesus Film Poison Christian-Jewish Ties?

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on January 29, 2004

Jesus will appear on the Christian holy day of Ash Wednesday -- thanks to Mel Gibson. The Hollywood star directed and financed the $25 million epic "The Passion of the Christ," which is emerging from a nearly yearlong media storm and is due to hit 2,000 screens nationwide Feb. 25.

No Local Plans to Quench ‘Passion’

By David Finnigan
Published on January 29, 2004

Jewish leaders are talking -- but also wary of talking too much -- about filmmaker Mel Gibson's controversial religious film, "The Passion of the Christ," opening Feb. 25.

‘Passion’ Play

By Rob Eshman
Published on November 13, 2003

Over the next several months, it is going to be increasingly difficult to be dispassionate about "The Passion."

Actor-director Mel Gibson's movie about the final 12 hours in the life of Jesus -- recently renamed "The Passion of Christ" -- will open nationwide on Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday. Last Thursday, the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) Abe Foxman tossed more kindling on the prerelease flames by declaring, at an ADL panel discussion in New York City, that Gibson was "seriously infected" with anti-Semitic views.

The Jesus Movie Gibson Should Make

By David Klinghoffer
Published on August 14, 2003

Jewish leaders continue to decry Mel Gibson's forthcoming Jesus movie for supposedly threatening to whip up anti-Semitism. Due out next April, "The Passion" identifies Jewish priests as instigators of the crucifixion.

Gibson Film Causes ‘Passion’ to Rise

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on July 3, 2003

The ghosts of virulently anti-Semitic nuns may haunt Mel Gibson's new film about Jesus' final days, some Catholic and Jewish scholars are warning.

The growing hype concerns charges that "The Passion" blames Jews for Jesus' death. Gibson denies any anti-Semitic intent, and little attention has focused on the sources for his screenplay.