‘That Jew Died for You’ Video May Offend Some, Bring Hope to Others
In conjunction with Passover, Holy Week and Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jews for Jesus has released a controversial video, “That Jew Died for You,” to help redefine the conversation and reshape views of Jesus and His relationship to the Holocaust.
“The horrors of the Holocaust and the 6 million who died has gnawed at the consciousness of Jews for over 60 years,” says David Brickner, executive director of Jews for Jesus. “We want Jewish people to understand that the sufferings inflicted at the hands of the Nazis were in no way based on the teachings of Jesus. In fact, He suffered and died on our behalf to show us the love of God.”
The professional short video depicts a powerful scene set at the gates of the Auschwitz concentration camp as a line of Jews await their fate. The Nazi guards at the front of the line decide who will go to the work camp and who will go to the gas chambers. Toward the end of the video, Jesus, carrying a cross, comes to the front of the line and is sent by the guards toward the gas chambers.
“While the Holocaust evokes dark despair, we want Jewish people to know that God still has a message of hope,” says Susan Perlman, associate director of Jews for Jesus. “Jewish artists have previously connected the sufferings of Jesus with the Holocaust, but this may be the first time it has been depicted on film. We want to show that Jesus is on the side of Jewish people, not the Nazis.”
For more information, visit thatjewdiedforyou.com.
