Pace Professor’s Documentary on Passover Fable Holds Special Meaning
When Jewish families gather at the dinner table Monday and Tuesday nights to celebrate Passover, one of the most endearing stories recited during the holiday’s Seder is the tale of the four sons.
Pace University Journalism Professor Allen Oren has introduced new perspectives on the timeless fable through his documentary that he recently finished, “The Four Sons and All Their Sons: A Passover Tale,” being shown this week on PBS stations throughout the United States. Locally, it is scheduled to be aired on WNET on Monday at 4 a.m. and on WLIW Sunday night at 10 p.m. and Friday, Apr. 14 at 2 a.m.
Through his research and interviews of about 15 people, Oren found that the story has been continually changed or updated. The 51-minute documentary, the second Oren has written and produced for PBS in the past seven years on one aspect of a Jewish holiday, features 34 different versions of the story throughout history, each with a different take.
“I started discovering more and more versions of the story,” said Oren, a New Rochelle resident. “As I researched, I discovered that it was relentlessly revised going back centuries and everybody had their take on the four sons.”
The story of the four sons – one who is wise, another who is wicked, another who is simple and the fourth, who does not have the ability to speak – has captured the imaginations of generations of families and Jewish scholars.
Arguably the most popular story during the Passover Seder, which celebrates the Jewish people’s escape from slavery in ancient Egypt, Oren said the tale of the four sons has universal themes that can translate to anyone and how parents interact with their children.
“Since the gist of the story is how should we pass on our heritage or beliefs to our children, which is kind of what the fable is all about, they were giving their take on how to pass on beliefs to your children,” Oren said.
Some of the newer interpretations included one from an Israeli songwriter who had a popular song in her native country about the fable, a psychologist, a comedienne and a Broadway producer, said Oren, who has taught in Pace’s Communications Department for 31 years and was formerly the entertainment editor for USA Today. Other versions date back centuries.
While ‘The Four Sons,’ which Oren wrote, produced and narrated, is a standalone project that took him more than two years to complete, in some ways it is a follow up to a previous work.
About seven years ago, he released his first PBS documentary, “18 Voices Sing Kol Nidre.” Oren made that film after hearing the story of how a group of Jews in a concentration camp during World War II remembered it was Yom Kippur and sang one of the holiday’s most sacred chants, risking their lives while being watched by Nazi guards.
He was nominated for two Emmy Awards and PBS has re-aired “18 Voices” every year as the High Holy Days approach.
Oren had to use his knowledge and skills to have the first documentary shown, a process he repeated with “The Four Sons.”
“I thought the only way to get this on television was to make it first, show the product and them people would understand the importance of the subject,” Oren said of “18 Voices.” So, my wife and I, there were some contributions here and there, but mostly my wife and I funded it and then…I went to some PBS distributors, one of them was interested, and they’re the ones that helped me place it on PBS around the country.
Oren also produced a 90-minute documentary for the MSG Network on the history of Madison Square Garden.
Being able to make films about a story connected with two Jewish holidays has a poignant meaning for Oren. His father was a rabbi at a congregation in Bayside, Queens for 50 years.
“I enjoy these holidays more than any,” he said. “I think a lot of Jewish people might say that. In that sense, there’s definitely a personal connection.”
If you miss “The Four Sons” on PBS, it’s also available on DVD. For more information, visit www.thefoursons.com.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/