Men of Israel
Encyclopedia
Men of Israel is a 2009 gay pornographic
film released by Lucas Entertainment
studio. Journalists from The Atlantic, Out Magazine and Yediot Aharonot noted it as a landmark film as the first pornographic movie shot on location with an all-Israel
i cast; while Tablet Magazine
and the Los Angeles Times
remarked on it being the first to feature an all-Jewish cast. Director Michael Lucas
—who is Jewish and obtained his Israeli citizenship (made aliyah
) in 2009—undertook the film as "a bold move to promote Israeli culture and tourism" and to counterbalance what he saw as biased portrayals of Israel in mainstream media
.
was born in Soviet Russia
and experienced antisemitism at an early age, which led him to form a strong connection with his Jewish identity
and the state of Israel
. Lucas is particularly well-known for his activism and outspokenness on a variety of issues in LGBT
and Jewish cultures. Hezbollah's attacks in the 2006 Lebanon war stirred Lucas to go to Israel
to entertain gay soldiers who are allowed to serve openly in the military. The trip stirred debate in Israeli society, which is pulled between a progressive, almost secular Tel Aviv
—named the "gay capital of the Middle East
" by Out Magazine—and the conservative, Ultraorthodox
community centered around Jerusalem.
His New York Blade columns on Ultra-Orthodox Judaism and Islam
sparked a campus debate at Stanford University
in February 2008 when Lucas was invited to give a speech to students. The New Republic
and the New York City media have called him the "Lion of Chelsea
" and the "last of the New York porn moguls". He contends that his film Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
is the most expensive gay porn film ever made, with a budget of $250,000 and multiple celebrity cameo
s. In 2009, Lucas was inducted into the GayVN Hall of Fame, noted for "his stature as an A-list director and performer".
According to Lucas the intent of the film is to help viewers see Israel for its geographic features
and history
, and a place not much different than Prague
or Palm Springs
: an inviting LGBT vacation destination where handsome men have sex. "The global media has created an image of Israel as war-torn nation, which streets are lined with destroyed debris and crumbling ruins," wrote Lucas on the film's site, "Never are we shown Tel Aviv
, Haifa
, the Red Sea
, the Dead Sea
resorts, the beautiful beaches, the amazing architecture and the embracing culture
that allows its citizens to thrive."
The film received widespread press coverage, particularly for its use of an all-Jewish, Israeli cast. Tablet Magazines Wayne Hoffman noted that Jewish porn stars like Harry Reems
of Deep Throat
and Ron Jeremy
adopted deracinated porn names. Writing on the Los Angeles Times
website, Patrick Goldstein
observed that the stars of the film use plausibly Jewish and/or Israeli names, and that "whenever Jews are more open about their Jewish identity
-- as the Adam Sandler
, Judd Apatow
and Sarah Silverman
generation of comedians has been in recent years -- it sounds like a healthy development, as it would be for any minority culture." Haaretz
openly wondered "Can gay porn save Israel's image?"
After the film's release in July 2009, Lucas wrote a letter on August 31 to the website GoGay, Israel's largest LGBT
Internet site, admonishing closeted
Israeli gays. He wrote the letter after Israeli men "started hitting me up on the Web site, inviting me to hook up, then said they're not out
. They're delusional. They're cruising this Web site, benefiting from the fights of other people. They think the gay movement has nothing to do with them, that the shooting of gay youths in Tel Aviv has nothing to do with them. What reason is there to be in the closet in Israel in 2009? It's embarrassing."
Gay pornography
Gay pornography is the representation of sexual intercourse between men with the primary goal of sexual arousal in its audience. There is also a tradition, and continuing considerable output, of lesbian pornography....
film released by Lucas Entertainment
Lucas Entertainment
Lucas Entertainment is a New York-based gay pornographic studio started by porn star Michael Lucas. It is one of the largest such studios in the world. The studio is known for lavish, big-budget movies, and it contends that its 2006 film Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita is the most expensive gay porn...
studio. Journalists from The Atlantic, Out Magazine and Yediot Aharonot noted it as a landmark film as the first pornographic movie shot on location with an all-Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i cast; while Tablet Magazine
Tablet Magazine
Tablet Magazine is a two-time National Magazine Award-winning online publication of Jewish life, arts, and ideas. Sponsored by Nextbook, it was launched in June 2009. Its Editor in Chief is Alana Newhouse....
and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
remarked on it being the first to feature an all-Jewish cast. Director Michael Lucas
Michael Lucas (director)
Michael Lucas is an American-Russian-Israeli gay pornographic actor, director, activist, writer and the founder/CEO of Lucas Entertainment, New York's largest gay-adult-film company...
—who is Jewish and obtained his Israeli citizenship (made aliyah
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
) in 2009—undertook the film as "a bold move to promote Israeli culture and tourism" and to counterbalance what he saw as biased portrayals of Israel in mainstream media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
.
Background
Director Michael LucasMichael Lucas (director)
Michael Lucas is an American-Russian-Israeli gay pornographic actor, director, activist, writer and the founder/CEO of Lucas Entertainment, New York's largest gay-adult-film company...
was born in Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
and experienced antisemitism at an early age, which led him to form a strong connection with his Jewish identity
Jewish identity
Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Under the broader definition, the Jewish identity does not depend on whether or not a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an external set of religious, or legal, or...
and the state of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Lucas is particularly well-known for his activism and outspokenness on a variety of issues in LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
and Jewish cultures. Hezbollah's attacks in the 2006 Lebanon war stirred Lucas to go to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to entertain gay soldiers who are allowed to serve openly in the military. The trip stirred debate in Israeli society, which is pulled between a progressive, almost secular Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
—named the "gay capital of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
" by Out Magazine—and the conservative, Ultraorthodox
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
community centered around Jerusalem.
His New York Blade columns on Ultra-Orthodox Judaism and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
sparked a campus debate at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in February 2008 when Lucas was invited to give a speech to students. The New Republic
The New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
and the New York City media have called him the "Lion of Chelsea
Chelsea, Manhattan
Chelsea is a neighborhood on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. The district's boundaries are roughly 14th Street to the south, 30th Street to the north, the western boundary of the Ladies' Mile Historic District – which lies between the Avenue of the Americas and...
" and the "last of the New York porn moguls". He contends that his film Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita is a gay pornographic remake of the Federico Fellini classic La dolce vita, directed by Michael Lucas and Tony Dimarco and released by Lucas Entertainment in 2006....
is the most expensive gay porn film ever made, with a budget of $250,000 and multiple celebrity cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s. In 2009, Lucas was inducted into the GayVN Hall of Fame, noted for "his stature as an A-list director and performer".
According to Lucas the intent of the film is to help viewers see Israel for its geographic features
Geography of Israel
The geography of Israel is very diverse, with desert conditions in the south, and snow-capped mountains in the north. Israel is located at at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea in western Asia...
and history
History of Israel
The State of Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948 after almost two millennia of Jewish dispersal and persecution around the Mediterranean. From the late 19th century the Zionist movement worked towards the goal of recreating a homeland for the Jewish people...
, and a place not much different than Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
or Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
: an inviting LGBT vacation destination where handsome men have sex. "The global media has created an image of Israel as war-torn nation, which streets are lined with destroyed debris and crumbling ruins," wrote Lucas on the film's site, "Never are we shown Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
resorts, the beautiful beaches, the amazing architecture and the embracing culture
Culture of Israel
The culture of Israel developed long before the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948 and combines the heritage of secular and religious lives. Much of the diversity in Israel's culture comes from the diversity of its population...
that allows its citizens to thrive."
Reaction
Harry Reems
Harry Reems is the nom de film of one of the most notorious pornographic actors of the 1970s and star of the 1972 cult classic Deep Throat.-Early life and career:Reems was born Herbert Streicher...
of Deep Throat
Deep Throat (film)
Deep Throat is a 1972 American pornographic film written and directed by Gerard Damiano and produced by Louis Peraino and starring Linda Lovelace ....
and Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
adopted deracinated porn names. Writing on the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
website, Patrick Goldstein
Patrick Goldstein
Patrick Goldstein is a film critic and columnist for the Los Angeles Times, writing about movies in a column titled The Big Picture. Colleague Tom O'Neill describes him as the newspaper's "chief Oscarologist" as his column focuses largely on the doings of the Academy Awards.-Rob Schneider...
observed that the stars of the film use plausibly Jewish and/or Israeli names, and that "whenever Jews are more open about their Jewish identity
Jewish identity
Jewish identity is the objective or subjective state of perceiving oneself as a Jew and as relating to being Jewish. Under the broader definition, the Jewish identity does not depend on whether or not a person is regarded as a Jew by others, or by an external set of religious, or legal, or...
-- as the Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
, Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
and Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....
generation of comedians has been in recent years -- it sounds like a healthy development, as it would be for any minority culture." Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
openly wondered "Can gay porn save Israel's image?"
After the film's release in July 2009, Lucas wrote a letter on August 31 to the website GoGay, Israel's largest LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
Internet site, admonishing closeted
Closeted
Closeted and in the closet are metaphors used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and intersex people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and sexual behavior.-Background:In late 20th...
Israeli gays. He wrote the letter after Israeli men "started hitting me up on the Web site, inviting me to hook up, then said they're not out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
. They're delusional. They're cruising this Web site, benefiting from the fights of other people. They think the gay movement has nothing to do with them, that the shooting of gay youths in Tel Aviv has nothing to do with them. What reason is there to be in the closet in Israel in 2009? It's embarrassing."