Oregon theater’s ‘Odyssey’ marquee mocking Jews sparks backlash

A movie theater in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is facing backlash after its marquee stated, “Before there were the Jews, there was The Odyssey,” a claim critics said was historically false and, given the current climate, needlessly provocative.

The sign outside the Lake Theater & Cafe was timed to the release of Christopher Nolan’s big-budget adaptation of the ancient Greek epic. One side of the marquee was taken down Thursday, but the message remained visible on the other side into Friday, according to OregonLive. 

Historians generally date “The Odyssey” to the eighth or seventh century B.C.E., a period the Jewish people predate by centuries. Rabbi Eve Posen of Congregation Neveh Shalom in Southwest Portland said the claim doesn’t hold up.

“It’s historically inaccurate. That’s the first piece,” Ms. Posen said.

Congregants began flooding Ms. Posen with complaints Wednesday morning, and the criticism spread quickly through the community. West Linn resident Abby Farber emailed the theater directly, writing that the marquee’s attempt at humor missed the mark.

“If it’s an attempt at humor, it falls flat,” Ms. Farber wrote.

Bob Horenstein, chief community relations and public affairs officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, said the message crossed a line the theater’s past stunts hadn’t, drawing dozens of complaints, according to the Portland Tribune.

“There’s drawing attention, and then there’s being offensive,” Mr. Horenstein said. 

The Jewish Community Relations Council also contacted the theater over the marquee’s historical claims and the offense it caused, Ms. Posen said, adding that the business did not respond to the council or to a request for comment from OregonLive.

Jordan Perry, the theater’s general manager, told the Willamette Week the message was intended as a commentary on the timeline of human mythology rather than a jab at Jewish people.

“Opinions may differ, mine is a valid one,” Mr. Perry said. 

Mr. Perry told the Portland Tribune separately that the marquee was meant to push back on what he views as overuse of antisemitism accusations tied to criticism of Israel’s actions and said the messages reflect his personal views rather than those of the business. He said the sign would come down.

The dust-up is the latest in a string of controversies for the theater, which is owned by local businessman Drew Prell and has built a reputation for provocative marquee messaging. In February, a jab at a Melania Trump documentary — “To defeat your enemy, you must know them. Melania starts Friday” — prompted Amazon MGM Studios to pull the film from the theater. The theater also displayed a marquee mocking Michael Jackson around the artist’s biopic release — “Wouldn’t it be great if Michael Jackson hadn’t groomed boys?” 

Ms. Posen said the Odyssey message was different from the theater’s earlier stunts because it took aim at an entire religious community rather than a single public figure.