By Ed Kalin
FT. COLLINS — Hanoch Eiron, a Ft. Collins resident, felt the pain and confusion of his son, Ethan, when he was confronted with overt anti-Semitic actions by fellow students in the public school system.
It deeply affected Hanoch Eiron and caused him to ask the question, Why is this the case?
He concentrated his energies toward directing and producing a documentary that would encourage the dialogue between Christians and Jews and foster better relationships.
Following three years of research and development, the film, Between the Star and the Cross: Jews and Christians in America, has been completed.
The documentary features a discussion among Ft. Collins teenagers from the Northern Colorado Jewish Youth organization and the First United Methodist Church.
Interviews with rabbis, pastors and a college philosophy professor are also included.
An Israeli-born Jew, Eiron feels that Jewish children dont identify themselves in a school setting in order to avoid attention.
He believes that children are positive and want to engage in dialogue with each other on a sensitive matter such as Jewish-Christian relationships.
Eiron hopes that his film positively influences adults as well as children.
The documentary should help people to develop the syntax for interfaith engagement. People need to understand where the areas of sensitivity are.
Eiron wants the film to send two important messages.
First, for Jews, that they need to overcome their inherit trepidations and engage with Christians about their view of Jews.
Second, for Christians, that they need to interpret the New Testament passages that refer to the Jews with great care.
The narrative of the film is a dialogue that occurs between Jewish teenagers and their First Methodist Church peers. At first there is a definite sense of discomfort among the teens. However, as the documentary unfolds, the discomfort melts away.
Eiron indicates that the film has already had a positive effect. Since the filming in March, the youth group leaders have indicated that they have met several times as individuals and as a group.
The documentary has received rave reviews by rabbis and church leaders.
Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi recently commented:
This video touches hearts. Observing young people, shifting the way they see each other as believing human beings across the faith barrier will move your heart as it moved me.
Howard Cohen, the adult leader of Northern Colorado Jewish Youth, said, This film encourages young adults to express their views more openly, thus fostering uninhibited dialogue.
Eiron intends the film to be used as an educational program for schools, churches and synagogues. It is available to them in addition to other groups interested in Jewish-Christian interfaith dialogue.
Eiron is developing a discussion-study guide and seeking additional funding for the project.
EIRON was born and raised in Israel by parents who immigrated to Israel from Germany.
He completed his undergraduate studies at Tel Aviv University. Eiron moved to the US in 1980 and received his MBA from UC Berkeley.
He and his wife Trudy have been living in Ft. Collins since 1996.
Eiron has an extensive background in business and marketing.
Their son Ethan is currently a student at CSU. The family belongs to Har Shalom in Ft. Collins.
Information: www.norievision.?com or (970) 227-6020.
