phd Isaac Newton / Judaism

I need two discussions - 100 words each 

We hear the term "gentleman's agreement" used often, and not always in negative light.  "We have a gentleman's agreement to trade the cow for the steer" one might hear at a local feed supply shop.  The "Gentleman's Agreement," in this film's perspective, was a pact to deny admittance to Jewish people to specific public locations and facilities such as hotels/motels, social clubs, eating establishments.  In addition, it served to keep Jewish people from being hired for jobs at specific businesses and to force their presence (ban them from living in) certain residential neighborhoods.  

We're confronted with a specific form of racism/xenophobia in this film.  Remember that it's set in 1947.  What types of message do you think the film is providing?  Is it supporting the behavior encountered in the film, or do you find that it might be providing a light into an ugly corner?  In a larger sense, how might we connect what we see in this film with what we are seeing and hearing on our nightly news?  

I would ask that we all be respectful and courteous in our conversations on this topic.  In a sense, be a normal adult interacting with other normal adults!