'The Chosen' director takes us behind the scenes -- to see a scene cut for being 'too Jewish'

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ADL is furious with Facebook, tonight's World Series is the most Jewish ever, a Hasidic travel blogger is making intriguing friendships and Wyatt Earp's wife was a complicated Jewess.

OUR LEAD STORY

‘It was bashert’: The behind-the-scenes story of ‘The Chosen’ you never saw

‘The Chosen’ is one of the most iconic Jewish films, but it almost didn’t get made. When Jeremy Kagan, the director, first saw the script, he admittedly “didn’t think it was very good.” Cue divine intervention.

On the 40th anniversary of the film’s release, Kagan, the son of a Reform rabbi, reveals in a new Forward piece how he and the cast embedded themselves in the Hasidic community. He tells us how the Lubavitcher Rebbe responded after the movie came out and, for the first time, shares video of a scene that was cut from the original because producers deemed it too Jewish.

This oral history also uncovers how an aggressive Robby Benson nabbed himself the lead role; how a wealthy Jewish businessman and New York City unions rescued the film from financial disaster; what happened to the prop tallis used by Rod Steiger’s character; and how an unscripted moment completely changed the movie’s ending.

Read the story and watch the cut scene >

ALSO IN THE FORWARD

Searching for kosher food in Iraq – and other tales from a Hasidic travel blogger: Shloime Zionce wasn’t built for yeshiva, and dropped out at age 17. The first time he traveled outside North America, “it was like a lightning rod hit me.” Zionce, a Hasidic Jew from Toronto, has since traveled to 43 countries, posting about it all on YouTube, where he has 40,000 followers. During a trip to the United Arab Emirates last year, Zionce got lost in the desert, and was ultimately picked up by a group of Emirati men. Find out what happened next >

But wait, there’s more ...

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

💻 The head of the Anti-Defamation League was furious with Facebook on Monday after journalists revealed new damning information about how the social media giant struggles to stop hate speech. “The kind of monopolistic indifference the company has demonstrated in dealing with hate is mind-bending,” Jonathan Greenblatt said. “I don't think ever before a single company has been responsible for so much misfortune.” (CNN)

🛑 And speaking of Facebook … Another leak revealed a systemic problem of removing content in the Arab-speaking world. In one example, during the May war between Israel and the Gaza Strip, the app’s algorithm inappropriately banned the hashtag #AlAqsa, a reference to the holy mosque in Jerusalem, mistaking it for the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a militant group. (AP)

😲 And while we’re on the topic of algorithms, Amazon’s is now recommending a Bible-emblazoned spanking paddle with a reference to Proverbs 13:24: “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” (Religion News Service)

🇸🇪 Sweden’s education agency recommended teachers make students try to prove that the Holocaust never happened, as part of a lesson on conspiracy theories. Critics say asking kids to engage in Holocaust denial is both offensive and dangerous. (JTA)

📈 A new survey on antisemitism by the American Jewish Committee found that more than 80% of American Jews think antisemitism has increased in the past five years – and about 12% said they had been personally targeted in the last 12 months. (AJC)

🚘 Two New York Times journalists spent 10 days driving the length of Israel – all 260 miles – to explore the complicated tableau of characters that make up the modern state. From Kfar Giladi to Eilat, Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief, and photographer Laetitia Vancon visited small Arab villages, Haredi restaurants, tourist attractions, kibbutzim and Tel Aviv towers. (NYT)

📺 An upcoming episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will address “the issues of antisemitism and hate groups,” according to the the show’s director, Jeff Schaffer, as well as a “discussion about how the Jews fled Egypt.” And, in case you missed it, Larry David gave Jon Hamm a Yiddish lesson on the Sunday season premiere. (Jewish Insider)

Shiva call > Richard Wexler, former chairman of the United Jewish Appeal, died at 80. Wexler, a lawyer, sought to make fundraising more efficient by bringing the main Jewish philanthropic bodies together under one umbrella. He later became a critic of the organized community and authored a book called “United Jewish Catastrophes … A Love Story.” (JTA)

What else we’re reading > Google, Facebook and Ancestry.com helped create a moving reunion for descendants of Holocaust survivors ... Three years after the Pittsburgh synagogue attack, trial looms … The world’s oldest drawing of a ghost has been discovered on a 3,500-year-old Babylonian tablet.

FROM OUR OPINION SECTION

Joan Rivers, the ultimate Jewish woman, taught us how to take back our power:From New York comedy clubs to “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” Rivers disarmed with her irreverent comedy. She could be materialistic, crass and harsh if she chose to — and she didn’t need any Phillip Roth wannabe’s permission. Carly Pildis writes an ode to Rivers, the subject of an upcoming biopic series, “The Comeback Girl.” Read the column >

How Mahjong saved her life: Sarah Grundle was not prepared, after the birth of her daughter, to sink into a depression “so deep it felt like quicksand.” Her only source of relief in those early months? Mahjong, the Chinese tile game beloved by American Jews. “I looked forward to these games fervently,” she writes. “The rumbling in my head gave way to the still, satisfying click of the tiles.” Read her essay >

And one more: A new survey captures the voices of more than 37,000 students at 159 colleges and provides insight into the current state of expression on campus today. Jewish college students are more likely to oppose free speech — and that should scare us, writes Samuel J. Abrams, a professor at Sarah Lawrence College.

ON THE CALENDAR

Josephine Marcus Earp, the common-law wife of Wyatt Earp. (Photo: Wikimedia)

On this day in history: Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday participated in the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral on Oct. 26, 1881. Turns out that the fight had something to do with a certain Jewish girl. “It was a love triangle,” said Ann Kirschner, author of “Lady at the O.K. Corral: The True Story of Josephine Marcus Earp.” Her book explores how Jews were a presence in frontier boomtowns like Tombstone, and the often complicated relationship they had with their religion. “And yet at the greatest crisis of her life,” Kirschner notes, “Wyatt’s death, she turned back to a Jewish cemetery as his final resting place.”

In honor of National Tennessee Day, check out this roundup of seven Jewish facts about the Volunteer State. For example, did you know that Adolph Ochs, the son of German Jewish refugees, was an owner of the Chattanooga Times? After making the paper profitable, he went on to buy The New York Times in 1896.

And to celebrate National Pumpkin Day, try this recipe for pumpkin-cranberry challah.

Is anti-Zionism antisemitic? Our editor in chief, Jodi Rudoren, is moderating a hybrid event on this controversial question at Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center this Thursday evening featuring political commentators Bret Stephens and Peter Beinart. Register now to watch in-person or online >

WE'RE HIRING!

We’re looking for a few creative, diverse journalists. If you or someone you know is an intrepid investigator with a track record of landing high-impact stories, that could be our next enterprise reporter. Just starting out? We’ve created a one-year fellowship to cover Jews and race. And our internships are legendary for launching careers – just ask Ben Smith, Bari Weiss or Alana Newhouse. Check out all of our job postings and apply now by sending a resume, cover letter and clips to [email protected].

PHOTO OF THE DAY

The persimmon plant is also known as the Balm of Gilead. (Photo: Eliyahu Yanai/City of David)

Archaeologists in Israel have found what they believe is a precious gem etched with a carving of the biblical persimmon plant used in Temple offerings. The discovery was made in a 2,000-year-old drainage ditch next to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Thanks to Laura E. Adkins, Arno Rosenfeld and Rukhl Schaechter for contributing to today’s newsletter. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at [email protected].

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