Video: Boteach V. Coren

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach dukes it out with TV host Micael Coren. Botech misquotes Coren repeatedly, ignores Jewish anti-Christian polemic that was common in the first century CE onward, and proves again that he knows next to nothing about the subjects he writes on.

Rabbi Shmuley Botach

The key thing her is that Coren states a truth: Jews are influential in Hollywood. And he accurately portrays some secular Jews understanding of some Christians. But odds are, those same secular Jews would describe hasidim in a very similar negative way.

The conflict Coren sees isn't between Jews and Christians. It is between secularists and believers, whatever the faith, and between pluralists and fundamentalists.

But Boteach is such an ignoramus and such an ass, he turns an innocent remark into an epic battle, and Coren into an anti-Semite, which he clearly isn't.

 

Comments

[Jake]

I never really heard him before. I think he comes across very well.

Good for him!

[Abe]

I also think he came across well, and as much as I dislike turning everything into anti-semitism, he was right in pointing out that using Hollywood to assess Jewish attitudes is very stereotypical.

[adams]

He does know next to nothing he is no scholar, but a sort of hukster. He has nothing at all to offer imo. I don't waste my time on any of his 'ideas'.

[Shlomo1 don't care about ashkenazi]

Stupid ashkanazi

[Garnel Ironheart]

Jews are influential in Hollywood? Really?
Right, now I remember. That's a topic at the annual secret Jews International Meeting, what we're going to do in Hollywood this year. Funny, I don't remember planning Whitney Houston's death but I might have been in the bathroom when it came up.
There may be influential people who happen to be Jews in Hollywood but they are certainly not in those positions because they're Jews and they don't see their Jewishness as guiding their actions. There are also Blacks and Orientals in Hollywood. Are they also acting as a shadowy united ethnic group?

[ultra haredi lite]

The juxtaposition of stories is great! The Botox hukster should write "Kosher Liar"

[Yosef ben Matitya]

ignoramus?
he probably is. but more than that,
he is also a lier.
a habit, and a trade he learned at
his alma mater, chabad.

[Commentator]

Michael Coren is a very problematic character. He is of partly Jewish origin (Jewish father), and was an evangelical Christian until converting to Catholicism a few years ago. He is a foremost apologist for Catholicism (incl the Popes' attitude to Jews - see the closing minute or so of the clip). In Canada (he lives in Toronto) he LOVES to set himself up and pontificate as an authority on Jews, Israel etc. While he is quite literate (English literature etc) he has only a surface knowledge of Judaism, and is generally regarded as an embarrassment by the Jewish community.

[Yoel Mechanic]

Coren's remark is problematic. The slick way he slipped it in makes analysis difficult in a televised interview, but we have the leisure to think (for those who care to). First, there is no reason to assume it a Jewish influence in hollywood that is responsible for negative stereotypes of bible-thumpers. Even if some examples of Jewish writers could be found there is no need to make lay it at the doorstep of an insinuated pervasive "Jewish influence". But why the presumption it is Jews?? After all there are plenty of liberal Christians in conflict with conservative Christians, and plenty of negative imagery being peddled all around. That said, Boteach handled the remark without any tact. First, it unlikely there was politically antisemitic motive behind the remark. In fact, he probably didn't intend any negativity at all. A better tactic would be to point out that it best not to make a Jewish issue out of the stereotyping lest we just feed the frenzy for more negative stereotyping, particularly since the remark is hard to support and *reminds* us that such allegations have historically been used as an antisemitic canard. Perhaps one could have said "I know that you didn't mean it that way.. but..." But most importantly, we should realize that many individuals have engaged in all sort of stereotyping: The image of Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis, along with mockery from Mark Twain and many many other non-Jews is all part of the culture battle between liberal and conservative Christians, a battle unrelated to Jews, and one that Jews would be well-advised to stay out of.

[Bill]

Mystery solved. I spotted Boteach at Sobey's (a supermarket in north Toronto) on Friday and couldn't understand what compelled him to visit cold and snowy Canada in late February. My specualtion was that he might have been meeting with R' I. Shochet (who also lives in Toronto) to see if they couldn't agree on finally getting their "Kosher Jesus" debate on. Not necessarily a fan, but thought Boteach did a good job standing up to the loud and blustery Coren. When you've gone a few rounds with the late and great Christopher Hitchens, Coren must have seemed like a walk in the park.

[Sarek]

I generally have no use for Boteach but I'm with him 98% on this interview. He did put some words into Coren's mouth, but they were logical extensions of what Coren had said.

Coren may well be right about how the older generations feel about Christians (and rightly so, given history) but the younger generations are far more tolerant.

As for Coren's crap about Pius XII, let the many books written about him fight it out.

[Dovid]

I was very impressed by R Boteach. It was Coren who used the clock to try to sound smart.

[moshe]

Despite the fact that most comments seem to favor Rabbi Boteach, the blogger writes in his narcissistic authoritative tone about Boteach's misgivings in the interview. Probably indicative of his general blogging. Guaranteed this wont be posted.

[Friar Yid]

This interview is a great example of how when you have people who only want to talk and not listen, you get nowhere.

Boteach makes a decent point about media representation, and Coren, in typical TV debate format, prattles on about "the majority" of a community feeling or doing x without ever citing a source.

I suppose it's slightly entertaining, but it's remarkable how much energy and time they spent yelling about side-topics that had nothing to do with the supposed point of the interview.

[Betzalel]

Bla bla bla.... boring!

[Eli Rubenstein]

All the BOteach fans (or Boteach himself?) who post here are missing the point. Even the JDL came in defence of Coren. Boteach misrep[resented. I wonder which shul he felt comfortable in while in Toronto. I'm guessing he didn't go into Chabad. Did he meet up with Shochet? Anyone know?

[Bill]

Eli, I don't know if he met up with R' I Shochet but was told he did daven at Chabad Thornhill and also officiated at a friend or family member's wedding this past Thursday.

[Mannymd]

Based on the footage, I would say Boteach becomes the new hero of Jews for Jesus and so called Messianic Jews (the Christians who think to practice some sort of Judaism).

And neither of these two guys are communicating.

[Mannymd]

I forgot to mention in my previous post, I read the book, it would not surprise if it becomes a must read in Messianic "churches" I mean, temples? Whatever the term they use to gather.

[Jonathan]

Jews are influential in Hollywood? Really?
Right, now I remember. That's a topic at the annual secret Jews International Meeting, what we're going to do in Hollywood this year. Funny, I don't remember planning Whitney Houston's death but I might have been in the bathroom when it came up.
There may be influential people who happen to be Jews in Hollywood but they are certainly not in those positions because they're Jews and they don't see their Jewishness as guiding their actions. There are also Blacks and Orientals in Hollywood. Are they also acting as a shadowy united ethnic group?

Right. It's just a coincidence that all 8 production studios are owned by Jews, who are 2% of the population. Yet, it's just a coincidence, and they just happen to be Jews. You know, you'd generate less hate toward you if you just admitted it, rather than deny with obvious lies.