Hasidic Actor Walks Off Natalie Portman Movie

First he couldn't hold Natalie Portman's hand - and now a Williamsburg Hasidic Jew-turned-actor has to give up his chance to hit it big in a Hollywood movie. Abe Karpen, 25, a married father of three, was cast as Portman's husband in "New York I Love You," a film composed of 12 short stories about love in the five boroughs. "I am backing out of the movie," said Karpen, a kitchen cabinet salesman. "It's not acceptable in my community. It's a lot of pressure I am getting. They [the rabbis] didn't like the idea of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood. "I have my kids in religious schools and the rabbi called me over yesterday and said in order for me to keep my kids in the school I have to do what they tell me and back out," Karpen said. While news of Karpen's withdrawal sent waves of disappointment through the movie set, the Hasidic community was up in arms over Karpen's acting gig - forcing him to flee for the weekend, a friend said. Keep reading how "the community wants to kill him" -or- See the photos of Karpen and Portman filming that caused the uproar -or- See photos of Portman made up for an Indian wedding, also from the film

Comments

[vandegrasse]

Well, you have to say the man has principles; too bad they aren't really his own.

[ENK727]

What I don't get is.. if you're that religious and Orthodox... why did you even agree to do this movie in the first place. Seems kind of stupid to get hired and then quit. Shouldn't have agreed to do it in the first place.

[writergal8]

Completely agree. Dude should not have been in the movie.

Actually, why would someone so religious be an actor anyway? It isn't really all that proper, is it?

[gonavy]

Isn't religion GREAT!!!

[tumblewind]

It's amazing what some people will do for religion! It's even more amazing that they have little or no will power of their own to allow themselves to be controlled by a religion. When a drug addict does that he is sick and needs help! When a religious person does it it's called devotion to your faith! You are elevated to some pedestal for others to admire. How strange people are!

[GeoNorth]

Hasidic Judaism kinda reminds me of fundimental Islam. Both religions refuse to see humanity for what it is. They preach from the start that you have weaknesses. Rather than transend the weakness of man through reason and self control, both attempt to transend those weaknesses by threats. They preach free will is not a good thing, that you must avoid choices in life. You must let clergy make your choices. All this because God loves you. If you do not follow God's will, you will be killed. What's wrong with these people?

[Serena67]

Wow. I would certainly be stoned to death by that community for the things I do to my husband in public. Luckily, I only have to answer to God for my actions, and not to my community! But if those are their beliefs, then peace be with them.

[antaeus]

Too bad, cause he's hot.

[rzan]

Perhaps this man should only appear in Hasidic films and plays. Then he would not feel compromised.

[caber]

Man the hatred of religion on this site is shocking. I'm not a religous person, but what one does in their personal life is exactly that, personal.

[MalloMel]

caber, It is not just personal. I had that crap imposed on me as a child. It took some doing, but I finally broke free of all that crap, and all of you religious zealots can go to hell, where you justly belong.

[sa]

i saw that dude
stumbling through
the barrio
with mr. jones.

p.s. he wants to be bob dylan.

[RickO]

"Religion Poisons Everything"
- Christopher Hitchens

[chirps]

It certainly seems to.

[brobike42]

Ditto.

[bilditup1]

The number of ill informed statements on this blog, such as:

"Orthodox Jews are as whacky and dangerous as Islamists."

and especially:

"That's only because, by their definition, they can't; I and 5.999 billion other people are eternally damned simply because we lack a (suitably Orthodox) Jewish mother"

are disheartening. Most of you hear, not knowing what it is to live within the context of such a strict religion, do not understand how difficult this decision must have been for him, and what sort of pressure he must have been under. To label practicing traditional Jews as dangerous as radical Islamists or attack Judaism precisely because it is NOT a missionary movement (quite the contrary) is simply incomprehensible (the above quoted statement is also fundamentally wrong).

Don't get me wrong: I don't support the sort of Judaism espoused by the Williamsburg community. But the criticisms offered here smack of ignorance and fundamental misunderstanding.

[HDR]

I hear the Williamsburg Hasidics are the strictest.

[HDR]

"What, Robby Benson wasn't available?"

[HDR]

What, Robby Benson wasn't available already?