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Portland area movie theater at center of antisemitism controversy over marquee advertising ‘The Odyssey’
A movie theatre in Lake Oswego, Oregon, just south of Portland, has drawn criticism after its marquee promoting Christopher Nolan's film "The Odyssey" read, "Before there were the Jews, there was… The Odyssey." Jewish community members and other critics called the message antisemitic and historically inaccurate, noting that Homer's epic is generally dated to the 8th century BC, well after the emergence of Jewish history and the Israelites. The controversy comes amid what critics describe as a broader rise in antisemitic incidents across the country.
The Lake Theater and Cafe reportedly removed the message from one side of its marquee on 16 July, though it remained visible on the other side as of 17 July, according to local news outlet OregonLive. Rabbi Eve Posen of Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland linked the incident to a wider pattern of concern, citing a separate case in which a Jewish community member's car was recently vandalised with swastikas, and describing the current climate in stark terms.
In short
- Oregon cinema marquee for "The Odyssey" called antisemitic and inaccurate
- Message partly removed but persisted on one side of sign
- Rabbi links incident to recent swastika vandalism and rising antisemitism concerns
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
This was a misjudged marketing slogan reflecting poor judgment in copywriting, not deliberate antisemitism or institutional prejudice. The theatre's removal of the message in response to feedback shows appropriate responsiveness to community concerns. Attributing malicious intent to marketing language risks mistaking tone-deafness for ideology and conflating marketing failures with genuine antisemitic acts.
The case against
The message perpetuates a harmful antisemitic narrative falsely suggesting Jewish history postdates The Odyssey and echoing tropes of Jews as foreign or secondary to Western culture. The theatre's delayed removal—keeping it visible on part of the marquee—indicates insufficient responsiveness. Within a documented context of rising antisemitic incidents, including recent property vandalism targeting Jewish community members, this incident should not be minimised as mere marketing clumsiness.
Explained simply
Christopher Nolan's film 'The Odyssey' is based on Homer's ancient epic poem. The poem is generally dated to around the 8th century BC and tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War.
The Lake Theater and Cafe in Lake Oswego, near Portland, Oregon, displayed a promotional message on its marquee that read 'Before there were the Jews, there was… The Odyssey.' Jewish community members and other critics objected to the message, arguing it was both antisemitic and historically inaccurate, since Jewish history and the Israelites emerged long before Homer's epic.
The incident comes amid what community leaders describe as a wider pattern of antisemitic incidents across the United States and in the local area. Rabbi Eve Posen of Portland linked the theatre's message to other recent incidents in the region, including vandalism targeting Jewish community members.