Jerusalem gets the 'Star Wars' treatment

Star Wars was a part of my childhood. I had toys and coloring books and my friends discussed the movies in school. I clearly remember being at the Jewish Community Center when another boy told me the surprise ending of The Empire Strikes Back and not believing him. Recently I even found a small notebook from early childhood on which I had written my own name and the words “Star Wars,” accompanied with a rudimentary drawing of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Does this mean that my own name and the words “Star Wars” were among my first personal journal entries? However, despite its status in my own youth, I am no longer surprised to find acquaintances who have never seen any of the films due to their age, either too young or too old, or because of where they grew up or their religious status. Being born in Jerusalem to a hassidic family means your parents may not have taken you to a movie theater as a child.

But seeing the latest Star Wars film in Jerusalem on opening night was a different story. There were plenty of people with kippot and tzitzit – in one case, with tzitzit hanging out of a homemade Jedi costume. Going to the movies in Israel is always an experience and Star Wars is no exception. I, of course, went on opening night in order to view the film before encountering any spoilers online or among friends eager to ruin the surprise plot twists the films are known for.