A Letter to the Editor

Dear Phil Green,

I was very intrigued by your experience in “Gentleman’s Agreement.” For one, I think the movie is extremely effective in its depiction of how antisemitism, and really all prejudice works: not usually as an overt rejection that the perpetrator is willing to own, but often in unspoken, unwritten rules that influence people’s actions -- a gentleman’s agreement -- which makes it ever more difficult to call out and overcome. I also appreciated how the movie highlighted the crucial role the press plays in exposing injustice and faithfully telling the stories of the people affected. But the ending of the movie left me with a lot of questions. What would you say to someone who argued that your act of pretending you were Jewish for to see what it was like, when you knew that after a few weeks you could go back to being yourself, was exploitative or disingenuous-- that perhaps a Jewish person should speak to that experience instead? Or do you think there’s a certain kind of power in a non-Jewish person lending his voice to this issue to represent how antisemitism should matter to all Americans, Jewish or not? I also want to know what happens next. How do the readers respond to your articles? What kind of effect does the series have? Where do you go from here? What role do you take up in the fight against antisemitism? Do you follow up your words with action? What action do you think is necessary to combat the discrimination you observed? And what advice do you have for today’s journalists who seek to highlight the continuing injustices in our world? How can they make sure they present a true representation of people’s experiences, and help more people care about an issue they may not have considered before? I believe your role in the movie and the answers to these questions can give us guidance as the prejudice that continues to pervade our society necessitates coverage with a voice and narrative as effective as the one that you were able to construct. 

Sincerely,
Julia Chaffers

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