Television Show Analysis of Being Erica: This Be The Verse - Essay Example

Essay, Religion and Theology Topic: Television Show Analysis Being Erica, S Ep. 8 This Be TheVerse") (CBC, 2009) Introduction “Being Erica, Season 1, Episode 8” is basically the problem of a joint family and the issues about the generation gap. A Jewish family has problems of social identity due to historical reasons. The community has suffered much due to Nazi atrocities. They lost everything and had to adjust to the new situations arising out of migration to another country, often under compulsion and due to exigencies. They had to rehabilitate themselves from the economic and social angles, and find acceptance and get assimilated in the new environment. The younger generation does not know much of their Jewish past, they have not undergone actual physical suffering and the mental tortures and they have to begin life from an altogether different plane, as compared to their elders. One can see the reflection of the family relationships as per the Jewish traditions in this episode. Their agreements, and disagreements, their apprehensions and conclusions are depicted through the interplay between the different characters. For example, the loyalty of Barb to her husband Gary, notwithstanding his extra-marital relationship needs to be understood in the backgrounder information of the Jewish traditions. According to Judaism, men are expected to love their wives as their own bodies. This relationship is compared to man’s relationship with God. When such perfect understanding exists, one can conclude that there is divine presence in the family. Negativities crop up in the family of Gary and Barb on account of the situations created due to lack of understanding amongst different family members. By employing the cultural tools, interpretation of the spiritual tenets articulated in the scriptures becomes possible. Cultural programs and fine-tuned televisions shows help to make the Jewish teachings and experiences attractive and acceptable. Before articulating how this show comments on Jewish identity in the present day North America, it is necessary for us to examine the present position of Jews in that region. How the Jewish identity is sustained in the various segments of the society? What are the credentials for being identified as Jewish? In his article “Sustaining Jewish Identity” Jonathan Woocher writes “For many Jews, being Jewish is about affirming a set of core values: care for those in need (tzedakah and chesed), pursuit of justice and repair of the world (mishpat and tikkun olam), community and responsibility (kehillah and areivut), and love of Israel and of all human beings (ahavat yisrael and ahavat habriyot). These values constitute the DNA and purpose of Jewish life” (Woocher, 2009). It is easiest of the options to declare the traits relating to the identity of a particular race/community. But the problem arises at the sustaining and at the implementation level. Conscious and well-regulated efforts need to be made for any community to grow on the defined lines of its scriptures and television is an important medium through which true values of Judaism can be disseminated to people of Jewish origin, especially to their combustible younger generation. The Jewish community has special problems due to historical reasons. Turn the pages of history of humankind. Perhaps no other community has suffered devastation of their identity, uprooting of their cultural assets, mammoth loss of their community members (men, women and children), as much as the Jewish community. In an effort to create and sustain Jewish awareness and commitments to the community, efforts are being made to strengthen the institutions that teach Jewish values and share the historical experiences of the community. In this era of technological advances and internet revolution, no community can thrive adopting the policy of exclusiveness and grow in isolation. So the leaders of the community are trying out cultural activities in tandem with the demands of time. Such efforts are done outside the limitations of established Jewish institutions. As Woocher argues “When they are operating at their full potential, synagogues, day schools, camps, Hillels, JCCs, and Israel programs have a profound impact on the Jewish values and lives of the large numbers who connect to and through them”(Woocher, 2009).But Jewish community also needs to grow with the demands of the times, and the combustible younger generation of Jews would like to involve themselves in cultural traits and the spiritual study. Spiritual values are the essential and inseparable part of the Jewish existence. Majority of the Jewish people would like to be the parts of the efforts to mold an energetic and lively Jewish future. To achieve that goal, art and culture, print and electronic media and television shows play an important role and in identity building, the religious leaders also have a dominant role. By visiting synagogues to listen to the spiritual discourses of the rabbis, the younger generation will get to know the meaning of Jewish journeys. Family is the basic unit of Judaism, through which all cultural values are transmitted from generation to generation. It details the responsibilities and relationships of parents and children. The disposition of the children towards parents is highly sensitive, and the children are expected to do something positive for the wellness of the parents and how they do is more important than what they do. Marriage is an important part not only of lifestyle but that of life cycle; as such it is the creation of a spiritual connection between human beings and with God. Judaism encourages a closely knit family and bonds between brothers and sisters are highly important. In this episode, the subtle clashes of the old and new Jewish values have been highlighted. This Strange family is in disarray, and everyone wants the reconciliation but no one knows from where to begin with. Erica and Sam have many misunderstandings. . Their parents Gary and Barb are also not a happy couple. There is a religious angle to the misunderstanding between Gary and Barb. Barb does not want that her husband turn a rabbi and they often fight as Gary spends a lot of time in the synagogue. Erica is on the side of her father. The issues hot up and Barb wants a divorce and the relationship of Erica with Barb is also strained. Erica now does not take a one-sided stand in the arguments between her parents. Soon she comes to know more backgrounder information as for marital problems of her parents, which further changes her disposition. Dr. Tom sends back Erica back to 1974 and she is benefited by the knowledge that both of them went to a hippie community sanctuary immediately after their marriage. It is not unusual in any family that the girl child has more affection towards her father. This has been clearly brought out in the episode, but Eric’s knowledge about the antecedents about her father is incomplete. While intervening strongly in favor or her father during one of the quarrels between her parents, she calls her mother a Nazi. That harsh remark made the family divide complete. Erica with her father and Sam with the mother! Dr. Tom sends Erica back to that day to throw more light on her problems. Erica comes to know that her father is having illicit relation with a member of his church. She feels deceived by her fathers dishonesty, and quickly comprehends that her mother knows about the affair and still allows herself to be seen as the one abandoning the marriage. Erica now realizes that by truly following the Jewish marriage traditions, her mother is totally committed to her father. He was not responding faithfully to her feelings and was not able to appreciate the sacrifice she was making for his sake. The ending of the episode presents a true picture of the Jewish present day family and the values resurface through the small actions emerging in their big hearts. Erica reaches out to her mother and reveals that she has knowledge about her father’s affair and how it must have been a source of constant irritant for her which she bears patiently. The theme of forgiveness is revealed through the true familial bonds, which is the hallmark of a Jewish traditional family. The climax of the scene is the visit by Erica’s father hoping to make amends to her mother. In a great scene exuberating benevolence, he walks into the house and even before he begins to speak, he is invited to the table to join the family meal. This is the overflow of true love in the Jewish family, when husband loves wife, and there is mutual affection and love between the children. Conclusion If there is an episode that tries to come to terms with values of a Jewish family, it is this! It is a great morality play, with practical secular considerations and spiritual ideals revealed through the scriptures as if they are alternative beats of the same heart. The mission of The Center for Cultural Judaism has taken steps to imbibe the Jewish traditions and cultural values in North America, by encouraging Jewish philanthropy to take care of the under-served Jewish population and to conduct activities in consistent with their beliefs. This episode is a small contribution towards this end to reach out to the bigger questions like who is Jewish and what does Jewish mean and what is their true identity? Such television episodes on the subject of Jews kindle curiosity of the students of history, to go more deeply into their history and how due to Nazi atrocities, they became fragmented and how they are trying to cope up with the realities of life to regroup and reestablish their original identity. Works Cited Woocher, Jonathan. Sustaining Jewish Identity - UJA-Federation of New York, December 2009 Accessed on February 27, 2014 . Read More