10 tough Jewish characters in movies and television

by Ronn Torossian, 5W Public Relations

“The Avengers” opened this weekend to the biggest film opening of all time – making over $200 million at the box office in a single weekend in cinemas in North America, and set to become one of only a handful of movies to gross $1 billion worldwide. Unknown to many is that these characters were created by three Jews (Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Joe Simon), and the film consists of an all-star team of Marvel Super heroes. These were some tough Jewish super-heroes – and has been documented by some, there are also real life avengers – heroes who took revenge upon those who killed Jews.

Media has not often portrayed Jews as tough – but in real life there are many tough Jews as I recently wrote, and there are also many tough Jewish characters in movies and TV. It’s a list open for debate – but consists of no gangsters, mainstream movies with mass-market appeal, and is written by a PR agency owner, not a Rabbi.

In no particular order, a list of the top 10 tough Jewish characters in Movie & TV:

    n Tuvia, Zus and Asael Bielski in Defiance – one of the greatest Jewish movies ever these are three Jewish warrior brothers who fought the Nazis – tough but decent good real life (and on screen) heroes.

n Ari Ben-Canaan in Exodus: The heroic underground commander who outwits the British to bring Jewish immigrants into postwar Palestine. (Fittingly, the actor Paul Newman who portrayed Ben-Canaan self-identified as Jewish, “because it’s more of a challenge”.)

n Avner in Munich: Avner and the other Mossad agents were strong Jews who let terrorists understand that Jewish blood is not cheap. In the comedy movie “Knocked Up”, a few Jewish characters discuss how great it was to watch tough Jews beating people up, killing them and taking revenge – I agree.

n The Bear Jew in Inglorious Bastard: The bat-wielding Sgt. Dony Donowitz, a.k.a. “The Bear Jew,” played by Eli Roth in Quentin Tarantino’s movie about American Jewish soldiers in the immediate aftermath of World War Two depicted a Jewish soldier who beat Nazis to death with a baseball bat.

n Richie Roberts in American Gangster: Russell Crowe plays a detective who wears a star-of-David – and tracks down a drug lord stopping at nothing to win.

n Zohan Dvir in “Don’t Mess with the Zohan” – Surely the toughest hairdresser ever, this ex-Israeli commando played by Adam Sandler was a kind-hearted fighter with extreme capabilities.

n Walter Sobchak in “The Big Lebowski”: What a character – but an absolute tough Jew who defends the faith. “Three thousand years of beautiful tradition, from Moses to Sandy Koufax—YOU’RE … RIGHT I LIVE IN THE PAST!”

n Taylor Reese in Knockaround Guys: Vin Diesel’s character in the movie has him take off his jacket where he had a huge Star of David tattoo on his arm. He then beat toughest bully in a neighborhood bar to a bloody pulp.

n David Greene in School Ties: Portrayed by Brandon Frasier, Greene is a working class tough kid who wins a football scholarship – he’s handsome, smart and hard-working, and challenges his racist classmates and the school administration.

n Tevye in Fiddler on The Roof: Perhaps the most famous Jewish character in theater or movies, he is indeed a tough man – who manages to keep his family together, knows when to laugh and keeps his faith despite tremendous difficulty. He stands up to the thugs who disrupt his daughter’s wedding and keeps the faith.

There were some close runner-ups, including Charlton Heston as Moses, and multiple Kirk Douglas characters. The quintessential tough Jew, Ze’ev Jabotinsky wrote movies and books all his life – and it’s fitting that today there are movies depicting tough Jewish characters.
Chazak Ve-ematz – Be Strong and Have Courage are words from the Torah – and it’s beautiful to see courageous Jews portrayed on screen as they are in real life. As you watch “The Avengers” think of strong tough Jews – and don’t get distracted by the gorgeous Jewish actress Scarlett Johansson.

 

Ronn Torossian is the CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR firm and Author of “For Immediate Release”, a leading PR book.

May 7, 2012 | 12 Comments »

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12 Comments / 12 Comments

  1. @ dweller:
    Dweller:
    That was exactly what was wrong with “Munich.” Steven Spielberg, although a devoted supporter of things Jewish, can not repel the influences of liberal (and Jewish) Hollywood, and in doing so destroys the impact of the story. There are no equivalents in the motivation of the Israel hunters and the perpetrators of the Munich Olympic horror, and to force this phony “even-handedness” on the story is to undermine the Israeli narrative of a country much more sinned against than a sinner. Between the two, there is no comparison.
    Pity.
    The original, “Vegeance” by George Jonas, avoided this politically correct “vision” in which the Palestinian terrorists are humanized and the Israelis are villified.
    The chance to tell the world the truth was missed.

  2. @ Andrew:

    “…difficulties with…Munich… [e.g.] where a PLO terrorist and a Mossad agent are ‘shooting the breeze’ and we the audience are supposed to go ‘ah why can’t we all just get along’…”

    Yes, it was badly flawed in conception.

    Efforts at depicting moral equivalency are not intrinsically problematic.

    However, in instances where moral equivalency simply does not even remotely exist — such attempts are fundamentally dishonest, morally poisonous & insidiously wicked.

  3. I liked Munich but had some difficulties with it (ie where a PLO terrorist and a Mossad agent are “shooting the breeze” and we the audience are supposed to go “ah why can’t we all just get along”. But I was proud that a Melbourne boy Eric Bana did a good job as a Mossad agent. Daniel Craig was good as well.

    Just saw “the debt” a couple of days ago. I thought another Melbourne boy Sam Worthington did a good job as a Mossad agent.

  4. @ yamit82:

    “Once Upon a Time In America”

    Excellent choice. This was one magnificent piece of celluloid — easily, Sergio Leone’s best work.

    DeNiro was typecast for it, since he had just completed Godfather

    — but he took the role of Noodles to a place that even Leone himself couldn’t have hoped for.

    Often overlooked in the critiques is Ennio Morricone’s music soundtrack

    — the recurring main theme has a sweet sadness one doesn’t expect in a gangster flick.

    Leone originally conceived (and cut) the movie with the idea of presenting it entirely in flashback — which is (largely) why it works so well.

    But then the studio got hold of it — and the imbeciles re-cut the damned thing so as to present it in strictly chronological sequence. (Gag me.)

    — It died at the Box Office, and the critics panned it horribly; called it “the worst film of the year.” (What a surprise.)

    Then, some years later, Once Upon a Time In America was RE-RELEASED — this time with Leone’s original Director’s Cut.

    — Whereupon Sheila Benson promptly pronounced it “the best film of the decade [1970’s].”

    Rightly so.

    If you rent it, bring lots of popcorn to the living room before you put the DVD into your drive — it runs about 6 hours, as I recall.

  5. I wish and pray that more jews, Israelis and in the diaspora would be tough as these guys, so Israel would fight back the way this situation with the arabs should be fought. Same for the liberal jews in the USA who are weak and give in to those who hate us and support our enemy, Obama and his thugs. Wherre are there eyes, their brains?

  6. @ yamit82:
    This is a wonderful story! The world needs more stories like this for public view. I am convinced that it will be through fiction that the often horrible image of Israel and Jewish people has a chance to be modified. Thanks for your faithfulness.

  7. A wonderful contemporary novelist comes to mind. Daniel Silva, whose hero is Gabriel Allon works for Mossad in his spare time as an assassin who did away with the Black September Group who murdered the Olympic Athletes in Germany. Allon works undercover as a famous art restorer. His many victories on behalf of Israel are often fraught with the angst of the Middle East. But Israel has a recurring novel hero for all who love Israel and Jewish heroism to rally behind. Yea! for the models of Jewish/ Israeli feats of heroism, bravery and skill!

  8. @ yamit82:

    “As a boy growing up in Chicago, Barnet Rasofsky…”

    Actually, before it was “Barnet,” it had been Beryl Rasofsky. (Hebrew name was Dov-Ber Rasofsky).

    — No wonder he became a fighter.

    Probably had to — just to get by, growing up in the neighborhood, with a moniker like that.

  9. My Jewish Hero, A real one! Barnet Rasofsky (aka) Barney Rosskhj

    (1909-1967)

    As. a boy growing up in Chicago, Barnet Rasofsky planned to be a Talmudic scholar and Hebrew teacher. In 1924, however, when Barnet was 14 years old, his father, an immigrant rabbi and grocer, was shot and killed by two men who robbed the family store. Barnet’s mother, left with five children to support had a nervous breakdown and was sent to live with relatives. Barnet and his oldest brother, Morrie, went to live with a cousin; his three youngest siblings were placed in an orphanage.

    In his grief, Barnet Rasofsky renounced his Orthodox faith and sought revenge on the world by becoming a petty thief, numbers runner and brawler. He vowed to make enough money — by whatever means he could to reunite his family. Barnet took up amateur boxing, pawning the medals he won for the few dollars they would bring. Sometimes, he would take six fights in a week. Barnet grew tougher with each confrontation. At age 19, he turned professional and took the name Barney Ross, so his mother, now back on her feet, wouldn’t know he was fighting. As Barney Ross, he won championships and election to the Boxing Hall of Fame.

    Ross’ big break came in 1933, when he fought tough Tony Canzoneri in Chicago for the world lightweight (137-pound) title and won by a split decision. To prove that his victory was no fluke, Rose agreed to a rematch in Canzoneri’s hometown, New York City. Before a pro-Canzoneri crowd of 60,000, Ross won a unanimous decision. Never a powerful puncher, Ross showed unflinching courage by counterpunching when hit hard and always staying on his feet, a formula that served him throughout his life.

    Ross entered the ranks of boxing’s greats in a brutal series of three fights for the welterweight (147-pound) crown against Jimmy McLarnin, who outweighed Ross by several pounds, was a harder puncher and had a reputation for beating Jewish boxers. In their first fight, Ross defeated McLarnin in a bloody battle by a split decision. Ross offered McLarnin a rematch five months later, and McLarnin avenged the defeat in a vicious battle, ft only fight in which Ross ever suffered a knockdown. When they met again for the third time, Ross took the rematch in a fight that showed his clear superiority as a boxer.

    Ross’ most courageous prize fight was his last, in 1938, against Henry Armstrong, the only man to hold the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight crowns. By the time he fought Armstrong, Ross — although only 28 years old —had fought almost 300 times. Although he started strong, Ross fired after the fourth round and Armstrong pummeled him at will. After the tenth round, the referee asked Ross if he wanted to stop, but the champion said no. After the twelfth, the referee approached Ross’ managers, asking them to throw in the towel, but, Ross told them, “You do that and I’ll never talk to you again. I want to go out like a champion.” To Ross that meant standing on his feet when the final bell sounded, Through rounds thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, Armstrong pounded away at the exhausted Ross, who would not go down. Voices in the crowd pleaded with the referee to stop the fight, but he respected Ross’ wish to end his career never having failed to go the distance. In the last minute of the fight, Ross rallied and stood toe to toe with Armstrong, exchanging blows. The crowd was on its feet many with tears in their eyes, cheering for Ross, knowing they had seen the heart of a true champion.

    Ross retired after that fight and opened a restaurant. When the Japanese, attacked Pearl Harbor, Ross — beyond draft age at 32 — received a waiver to join the Marines. Assigned to serve as a boxing instructor, Ross instead asked for combat duty and was shipped to Guadalcanal, sow* of some of ft bloodiest fighting in the Pacific. On patrol one night Ross and three comrades were attacked by a superior force of Japanese troops. All three of Ross’ comrades were wounded. He gathered them in a shell crater and defended them through the night by firing more than 400 rifle rounds. When he ran out of bullets, Ross threw 22 grenades at enemy machine gun positions. Ross claimed that he said two hours of prayers, “many in Hebrew,” hoping to make it through the night. Finally, at dawn, with two of his three comrades dead, wounded in the leg and foot himself and out of ammunition, Ross — who weighed less than 140 pounds — picked up his surviving wounded comrade (who weighed 230 pounds) and carried him to safety. Ross, whose helmet had more than 30 shrapnel dents, was awarded the Silver Star for heroism.

    At the military hospital where he was treated for his wounds, medics gave Ross all the morphine he asked for. When he got out of the hospital, Ross toured military plants to raise morale among workers, but couldn’t shake his need for morphine. When his habit began to cost him $500 per week and his wife left him, Ross sought admission to a federal drug treatment facility. While few gave him much chance of breaking the habit, Ross went “cold turkey” and, after much agony from withdrawal, emerged 120 days later having kicked the habit. While he lived in constant pain from his wounds, Ross spent the remainder of his life speaking out against drug abuse. Hollywood later turned Ross’ autobiographical account of his addiction into the movie “Monkey on My Back.”

    In his autobiography, No Man Stands Alone, Ross recounted that a rabbi once told him that, since he was a Jew in the public eye, he would have to lead an exemplary life. Barney Ross did not let his rabbi — or his people down. But of all the things Ross achieved in his life and all the obstacles he overcame, the one that meant the most to him was having earned enough money in the first Canzoneri fight to reunite his mother with her three youngest children who had been placed in an orphanage.