05/25/2026
On Sunday morning, approximately 50 people gathered to watch the 1972 classic film The Poseidon Adventure. Following the screening, Rabbi Cy hosted a delicious lunch and led an invigorating, thought-provoking discussion exploring the Christian themes woven throughout the movie.
A highlight of the discussion was a CD Rabbi Cy created that paired scenes and motifs from the film with passages from the New Testament. Through these comparisons, participants examined how deeply Christian imagery and storytelling patterns are embedded in Western culture and cinema — often so thoroughly that audiences absorb them without consciously recognizing the references.
The conversation revealed a remarkable range of symbolic themes present in the film, including imagery connected to baptism, sacrifice, redemption, resurrection, judgment, and even hellfire. What initially appears to be a straightforward disaster movie unfolded as a rich tapestry of spiritual and theological symbolism.
The overall takeaway from the event was striking: Christian themes permeate Western storytelling to such an extent that many of these tropes feel natural and invisible to modern audiences. The discussion opened many eyes to how deeply these narratives shape cultural imagination, even in popular entertainment.
