A Movie Case Study of Anemic Jewish Education

Keeping Up with the Steins (2006) is the first Hollywood film to
focus on the Bar Mitzvah ceremony in its family, congregational,
and Jewish community context. The film demonstrates how popular
culture reflects community values, but may also shape them. The
hero is alienated both from the synagogue service and his mega-Bar
Mitzvah party. In line with current sociological thought, the film
shows his search for meaning in personal space, not institutional
frameworks.What is being passed on from generation to generation
are the infrequent rituals of secular folk religion, as spirituality (let
alone God) is not mentioned at all