This Is How They Erase and Rewrite Jewish Identity

A Netflix Take on “Mary“: Redefining History or Erasing It?

From every corner of history, it seems the Jewish narrative is under constant attack—a relentless effort to rewrite, reframe, and erase the foundational stories of Jewish culture and identity. This phenomenon is not new, but its manifestation in modern storytelling, particularly in films like Mary, offers a stark reminder of how easily history is co-opted. The portrayal of Mary, a central figure in Jewish history as the mother of Jesus, exemplifies this erasure. By aligning her with contemporary Western Christian ideals—her blue eyes, her Europeanized beauty—the film distances her from the Jewish roots that defined her life and her significance.

Noa Cohen In Marry//Credit: Netflix

This is not just about aesthetic choices; it reflects a broader pattern of intellectual and cultural displacement. Jesus, a rabbi who taught the profound mystical teachings of Kabbalah, has been reframed in the Christian tradition as the cornerstone of a theology that negates his Jewish identity. This reframing does more than rewrite history—it diminishes the importance of Kabbalah and the spiritual treasures of Judaism. The mystical and ethical frameworks that emerged from Jewish thought, which could benefit the entire world, are overshadowed by narratives that strip them of their origin and authenticity.

Yet this effort to erase and repurpose Jewish identity does not come solely from Christianity. In the modern era, political interests from various quarters—Islamic, secular, and even academic—have sought to undermine Jewish history, often with the aim of delegitimizing the Jewish connection to Israel. The rewriting of Jewish history is a form of cultural gaslighting, a persistent denial of facts that is meant to confuse and demoralize. From claims that Jewish ties to the land of Israel are a colonial fabrication to the portrayal of Jewish figures as anything but Jewish, these distortions serve the agendas of those who fear the power and resilience of Jewish culture.

What is most insidious is that these narratives are often presented as “progressive” or “inclusive,” when in reality, they erase the richness and depth of Jewish contributions to humanity. The story of Mary, her life as a Jewish woman in Judea, and the Jewish mystical tradition she lived within are not relics to be appropriated. They are living truths that the world must acknowledge and respect.

This systematic rewriting of Jewish narratives—whether by denying Jewish ties to Israel, co-opting central figures like Jesus and Mary, or minimizing the profound wisdom of Jewish teachings—is not merely a historical issue. It is a present-day challenge, a call to vigilance against the forces that seek to erase the Jewish people from the story of the world.

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