Alan Menken, Sarah Sherman, Alex Winter and Larry Charles Join Jewish Creatives Supporting Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars Speech in Open Letter (EXCLUSIVE)

UPDATE: More than 300 Jewish creatives — including eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, “SNL” star Sarah Sherman, actor and documentarian Alex Winter and “Seinfeld” writer Larry Charles — have added their names to the list of signatories of an open letter in support of Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech.

The number of signees now sits at 491, having more than tripled since Variety first published the April 5 letter, which criticized the attacks on Glazer for being a “dangerous distraction” from the mounting death toll in Gaza while also contributing to the “suppression of free speech and dissent.”

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New additions also include Oscar-winning “Anatomy of a Fall” co-writer Arthur Harari, veteran U.K. producer and Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas, “Girls” co-showrunner and co-writer Jenni Konner and “The Hunger Games” writer and director and four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross. Many members of the Israeli film community have also signed the open letter, including Oren Moverman, Nadav Lapid, Yuval Abraham, Itay Tiran, Menashe Noy and Avi Mograbi.

“We see violence and suffering against the innocent all over the world. And we as a country contribute to much of it,” Charles said in a statement to Variety. “How do we cheer for bombed out hospitals, starving children and even the senseless slaughter of aid workers? Who are we and how did we get this way? Have you noticed how few Palestinian voices are given a forum in our mainstream media? Even Jews who question Israel’s policies like Norman Finkelstein and Noam Chomsky and Gabor Maté are silenced. There will never be peace without truth. And you can only hide the truth so long.”

Among the original list of 151 signees were high-profile names such as Joaquin Phoenix, Elliott Gould and Chloe Fineman. Others included Phoenix’s sister Rain, three-time Oscar nominee Debra Winger, “May December” director Todd Haynes, “Sorry to Bother You” helmer Boots Riley, acclaimed filmmaker Joel Coen, “Room” director Lenny Abrahamson, “Arrested Development” star David Cross, documentarian Amy Berg, “Barbie” actor Hari Nef, legendary playwright Tom Stoppard, former Focus Pictures CEO James Schamus, comedian Kate Berlant, “You Hurt My Feelings” director Nicole Holofcener, “Secrets & Lies” auteur Mike Leigh, “Passages” filmmaker Ira Sachs, “Gossip Girl” actor and writer Tavi Gevinson, “The Princess Bride” actor Wallace Shawn, “Bottoms” director Emma Seligman, “Mistress America” star Lola Kirke, “Zola” helmer Janicza Bravo, “Broad City” stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson and IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich.

Variety has reached out to personal representatives for many of the signatories, as well as independently reviewed documents confirming their participation.

In a statement to Variety, Ilana Glazer said, “I signed this letter to help counter the climate of silencing that many workplaces and industries are facing around Israel’s war on Gaza, now entering its seventh month. This controversy surrounding Jonathan Glazer is just one example.”

Added Schamus, “It has been weeks since Jonathan Glazer’s acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, but, as we’re reminded by this week’s unconscionable killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers — and of countless more Palestinian civilians — his plea for humanity has only become more urgent, as has our duty as Jewish creatives to protest the vicious smear campaign waged against him.”

According to Máte, Glazer’s Oscar statement renouncing the “co-optation of Jewish suffering to justify Israeli war crimes” aligns with the “highest prophetic values of Judaism, which place universal truth and justice above narrow identification with one group over another.” He added, “Never again is for all!”

His words were met with both backlash and praise. In an open letter published on March 18, over 1,000 Jewish creatives and execs denounced Glazer’s speech for helping to fuel “growing anti-Jewish hatred around the world,” while others like director Ken Loach have come to his defense by calling his statement “brave” and “hugely valuable.” Tony Kushner described his speech as “unimpeachable, irrefutable.”. Glazer has yet to publicly address the reaction to the speech, but he has donated seven signed “Zone of Interest” posters and other film memorabilia to a Cinema for Gaza auction raising money for Medical Aid for Palestinians.

“We are Jewish artists, filmmakers, writers and creative professionals who support Jonathan Glazer’s statement from the 2024 Oscars. We were alarmed to see some of our colleagues in the industry mischaracterize and denounce his remarks,” the open letter reads. “Their attacks on Glazer are a dangerous distraction from Israel’s escalating military campaign which has already killed over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza and brought hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation. We grieve for all those who have been killed in Palestine and Israel over too many decades, including the 1,200 Israelis killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the 253 hostages taken.”

The letter continues, “The attacks on Glazer also have a silencing effect on our industry, contributing to a broader climate of suppression of free speech and dissent, the very qualities our field should cherish. Glazer, Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg and countless other artists of all backgrounds have decried the killing of Palestinian civilians. We should all be able to do the same without being wrongly accused of fueling antisemitism.”

“We honor the Holocaust by saying: Never again for anyone,” the statement concludes.

Read the full open letter and see the list of signees below.

We are Jewish artists, filmmakers, writers, and creative professionals who support Jonathan Glazer’s statement from the 2024 Oscars. We were alarmed to see some of our colleagues in the industry mischaracterize and denounce his remarks. Their attacks on Glazer are a dangerous distraction from Israel’s escalating military campaign which has already killed over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza and brought hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation. We grieve for all those who have been killed in Palestine and Israel over too many decades, including the 1,200 Israelis killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the 253 hostages taken. 

The attacks on Glazer also have a silencing effect on our industry, contributing to a broader climate of suppression of free speech and dissent, the very qualities our field should cherish. Glazer, Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg and countless other artists of all backgrounds have decried the killing of Palestinian civilians. We should all be able to do the same without being wrongly accused of fueling antisemitism.

In his speech, Glazer asked how we can resist the dehumanization that has led to mass atrocities throughout history. For such a statement to be taken as an affront only underscores its urgency. We should be able to name Israel’s apartheid and occupation — both recognized by leading human rights organizations as such — without being accused of rewriting history.

As the Director of the Auschwitz Memorial, Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński, wrote, “’The Zone of Interest’ is not a film about the Shoah. It is primarily a profound warning about humanity and its nature.” We must not reserve this warning for a single group. To preserve our humanity and ensure our mutual survival, we must sound the alarm when any group faces such brutality and acts of erasure.

We are proud Jews who denounce the weaponization of Jewish identity and the memory of the Holocaust to justify what many experts in international law, including leading Holocaust scholars, have identified as a “genocide in the making.” We reject the false choice between Jewish safety and Palestinian freedom. We stand with all those calling for a permanent ceasefire, including the safe return of all hostages and the immediate delivery of aid into Gaza, and an end to Israel’s ongoing bombardment of and siege on Gaza.

We honor the memory of the Holocaust by saying: Never again for anyone.

Signed,

  1. Lenny Abrahamson

  2. Anne Aghion

  3. Ra’anan Alexandrowicz

  4. Sapphire Allard

  5. Erin Allweiss

  6. Udi Aloni

  7. Emma Alpert

  8. Lital Amos

  9. Shira Arad

  10. Livia Arditti

  11. Philip Arditti

  12. Mark Asch

  13. Hannah Assadi

  14. Liran Atzmor

  15. Michal Aviad

  16. Yuval Avraham

  17. Erin Axelman

  18. Hadas Ayalon

  19. Shimon Azulay

  20. Annie Baker

  21. Ned Baker

  22. Todd Banhazl

  23. Ariela Barer

  24. Morgan Bassichis

  25. Joshuah Bearman

  26. Brad Becker-Parton

  27. Ella Ben Ami

  28. Ayelet Ben Zvi

  29. Yotam Ben-David

  30. Abner Benaim

  31. Marina Benjamin

  32. Amy Berg

  33. Jordana Berg

  34. Kate Berlant

  35. Molly Bernard

  36. Avner Bernheimer

  37. Matt Bernstein

  38. Vidi Bilu

  39. Simone Bitton

  40. Yael Bitton

  41. Hannah Black

  42. Juliet Blake

  43. Joshua Blum

  44. Amir Bogen

  45. Clare Bogen

  46. Gregg Bordowitz

  47. Agnes Borinsky

  48. Sagi Bornstein

  49. Serge Bozon

  50. Zo? Bradley

  51. Charles Bramesco

  52. Judy Brandman

  53. Janicza Bravo

  54. Hugh Brody

  55. Robert Brooks Cohen

  56. Margaret Brown

  57. Natalie Brown

  58. Dan Bucatinsky

  59. Caitlin Mae Burke

  60. Igal Burstyn

  61. Isaac Butler

  62. Shai Carmeli-Pollak

  63. Daria Carmon

  64. Daniel Chalfen

  65. Estee Chandler

  66. Larry Charles

  67. Mstyslav Chernov

  68. Michelle Citron

  69. Anne Coatman

  70. Joel Coen

  71. Dan Cogan

  72. Debra Rae Cohen

  73. David Cohen

  74. Roy Cohen

  75. Jem Cohen

  76. Josh Cohen

  77. Erika Cohn

  78. Dominic Cooke

  79. Arielle Cooper-Lethem

  80. Molly Crabapple

  81. David Cross

  82. Christine D’Souza Gelb

  83. Israel Dadon

  84. Harris Danow

  85. Mona Davis

  86. Jeff Deutchman

  87. Ira Deutchman

  88. Scott Dougan

  89. Sandi DuBowski

  90. Cyrus Dunham

  91. Danielle Dutton

  92. Diana Edelman

  93. David Ehrlich

  94. Yaniv Eidelstein

  95. Sam Eilertsen

  96. Spike Einbinder

  97. Deborah Eisenberg

  98. Nicole Eisenman

  99. Mali Elfman

  100. Shlomi Elkabetz

  101. Dikla Jika Elkaslassy

  102. Tal Elkayam

  103. Revital Elkayam

  104. Danae Elon

  105. Tamar Ettun

  106. Anat Even

  107. Avner Faingulernt

  108. David Farr

  109. Isaac Feldberg

  110. Charley Feldman

  111. Michael J. Feldman

  112. Sam Ferguson

  113. Connie Field

  114. Chloe Fineman

  115. Taliya Finkel

  116. Jo Firestone

  117. Jordan Firstman

  118. Jordan Fish

  119. Frances Fisher

  120. Jessie Fisher

  121. Liz Flahive

  122. Rachel Fleit

  123. Rachel Fletcher

  124. Sarah Sophie Flicker

  125. Ido Fluk

  126. Yael Fogiel

  127. Naomi Foner

  128. Megan Jessica Ford

  129. Esther Freud

  130. Bella Freud

  131. Sarah Friedland

  132. Ariel Friedlander

  133. Uri Fruchtmann

  134. Niv Fux

  135. Leah Galant

  136. Doron Galezer

  137. Noah Galvin

  138. Alma Ganihar

  139. Sid Ganis

  140. Aaron Costa Ganis

  141. Sarah Gavron

  142. Tamara Gayer

  143. Gabriella M. Geisinger

  144. Tony Gerber

  145. Tavi Gevinson

  146. Ilana Glazer

  147. Sam Gold

  148. Gali Gold

  149. Natalie Gold

  150. Jimmy Goldblum

  151. Lyn Goldfarb

  152. Daniel Goldhaber

  153. Nan Goldin

  154. Julie Goldman

  155. Connor Goldsmith

  156. Kayla Goldstein

  157. Eli Goldstone

  158. Ben Goldwasser

  159. Yoni Golijov

  160. Caroline Golum

  161. Josh Gondelman

  162. Sarah Goodman

  163. Robert Goodman

  164. Josh Gordon

  165. Talia Goshen

  166. Lisa Gossels

  167. David Gottlieb

  168. Elliott Gould

  169. Tal Granit

  170. Miles Greenberg

  171. Michael Greif

  172. Mercedes Grower

  173. Dalia Hagar

  174. Doron Max Hagay

  175. Gordon Hall

  176. Katie Halper

  177. Arthur Harari

  178. Mark Harris

  179. Todd Haynes

  180. Fred Hechinger

  181. Barak Heymann

  182. Lee Hirsch

  183. Eliza Hittman

  184. Tracie Holder

  185. Anna Rose Holmer

  186. Nicole Holofcener

  187. Rachael Horovitz

  188. Kate Hurwitz

  189. Eva Husson

  190. Eytan Ipeker

  191. Ilan Isakov

  192. Ari Issler

  193. Natasha Jacobs

  194. Abbi Jacobson

  195. Kristi Jacobson

  196. Rachel Leah Jones

  197. Miranda July

  198. Vladimir Jurowski

  199. Jennifer Kabat

  200. Jessica Kahkoska

  201. Cedric Kahn

  202. Deborah Kalin

  203. Michael Kaminer

  204. Michael Kaminer

  205. Albert Hanan Kaminski

  206. Brian A. Kates

  207. Marina Katz

  208. Jason Adam Katzenstein

  209. David Katznelson

  210. Deborah Kaufman

  211. Aron Keller

  212. Ella Kemp

  213. Sara Kiener

  214. Lola Kirke

  215. Dan Kitrosser

  216. Maya Klar

  217. Alison Klayman

  218. Naomi Klein

  219. Marj Kleinman

  220. Jason Kloit

  221. Yotam Knispel

  222. Pamela Koffler

  223. Jess Kohl

  224. Jenni Konner

  225. Philippa Kowarsky

  226. Maris Kreizman

  227. Lisa Kron

  228. Justin Kuritzkes

  229. Andrea Kurland

  230. Lauren Kushner

  231. Rachel Kushner

  232. Serge Lalou

  233. Nadav Lapid

  234. Laura Lapidus

  235. Anthony Lappé

  236. Julliette Larthe

  237. Matt Lavine

  238. Alison Leiby

  239. Mike Leigh

  240. Cindi Leive

  241. Libby Lenkinski

  242. Adam Leon

  243. Tia Lessin

  244. Jonathan Lethem

  245. Blake Lethem

  246. Naomi Levari

  247. Mica Levi

  248. Adam Levite

  249. Avi Lewis

  250. Michael Lieberman

  251. Eliav lilti

  252. Joanne Limburg

  253. Ardele Lister

  254. Jennie Livingston

  255. Ram Loevy

  256. Sharon Lomofsky

  257. Melody London

  258. Richard Lorber

  259. Judith Lou-Lévy

  260. Kyle Lukoff

  261. Amanda Lundquist

  262. Dave Macklovitch

  263. Yael Magnes

  264. Liz Magnes

  265. Rafi Magnes

  266. Noa Maiman

  267. Alex Mallis

  268. Daniel Mann

  269. Adam Mansbach

  270. Darius Marder

  271. Susan Margolin

  272. Miriam Margolyes

  273. Steven Markovitz

  274. Sam Marks

  275. Daniel Maté

  276. Gabor Maté

  277. Griffin Maxwell Brooks

  278. Lise Mayer

  279. So Mayer

  280. Bar Mayer

  281. Jane Mayle

  282. Sharon Maymon

  283. Hilla Medalia

  284. Shauly Melamed

  285. Jeff Melnick

  286. Alan Menken

  287. Nina Menkes

  288. Carly Mensch

  289. Yoel Meranda

  290. Dara Messinger

  291. Jonathan Meth

  292. Collier Meyerson

  293. Shirli Nada Michalevicz

  294. Arlette Mintzer

  295. Avi Mograbi

  296. Sophie Monks Kaufman

  297. Mik Moore

  298. Hadar Morag

  299. Michael Morris

  300. Crystal Moselle

  301. Benjamin Moser

  302. Laura Moss

  303. Oren Moverman

  304. Ilana Navaro

  305. Hari Nef

  306. Monika Estrella Negra

  307. Laraine Newman

  308. Chani Nicholas

  309. Udi Nir

  310. Sara Nodjoumi

  311. Menashe Noy

  312. Annie Ohayon

  313. Charlie Olsky

  314. Yuval Orr

  315. David Osit

  316. Stephanie Palumbo

  317. Nira Park

  318. Zeena Parkins

  319. Ted Passon

  320. Ofrit Peres

  321. Timna Rose Perets

  322. Sinai Peter

  323. Sierra Pettengill

  324. Charlie Phillips

  325. Summer Phoenix

  326. Joaquin Phoenix

  327. Rain Phoenix

  328. Janis Plotkin

  329. Max Posner

  330. Naama Preis

  331. Jeff Preiss

  332. Francine Prose

  333. Kate Quarfordt

  334. David Quesemand

  335. Sarah Ramos

  336. Mark Rappaport

  337. Allon Reich

  338. Leo Reich

  339. Gini Reticker

  340. Boots Riley

  341. Howard A. Rodman

  342. Mark Romanek

  343. Jonathan Romney

  344. Michal Ron

  345. Yael Ronen

  346. Jon Ronson

  347. Jacqueline Rose

  348. Anna Rose

  349. Louise Rosen

  350. Roee Rosen

  351. Michael Rosen

  352. Martin Rosenbaum

  353. Jason Rosenberg

  354. Dani Rosenberg

  355. Dani Rosenberg

  356. Jay Rosenblatt

  357. Jessica Rosner

  358. Tessa Ross

  359. Gary Ross

  360. Alyssa Ross

  361. Joanna Rothkopf

  362. Jed Rothstein

  363. Shahar Rozen

  364. Ira Sachs

  365. Nathan Salstone

  366. Lisa Salzer

  367. Lauren Sandler

  368. Alexei Sayle

  369. Tilly Scantlebury

  370. Alec Gorman Schachner

  371. Beth Schacter

  372. James Schamus

  373. Adam Scheflan

  374. Tonje Hessen Schei

  375. Aaron Schimberg

  376. Jillian Schlesinger

  377. Ken Schneider

  378. Jane Schoenbrun

  379. Sarah Schulman

  380. Anya Schulman

  381. Ariel Schweitzer

  382. Amber Sealey

  383. Yaron Seelig

  384. Rona Segal

  385. Arik Segev

  386. Emma Seligman

  387. Shaul Setter

  388. Zohar Shachar

  389. Avner Shahaf

  390. Guy Shaham

  391. Yoav Shamir

  392. Tomer Sharon

  393. Wallace Shawn

  394. Tal Shefi

  395. Noam Sheizaf

  396. Meredith Shepherd

  397. Sarah Sherman

  398. Mel Shimkowitz

  399. Neta Shoshani

  400. Alyson Shotz

  401. Roy Shtayim

  402. Simone Shubuck

  403. Misha Shulman

  404. Yishai Shuster

  405. Noam Shuster Eliassi

  406. Allan Siegel

  407. Amy Sillman

  408. Laurel Sills

  409. Nathan Silver

  410. Shelly Silver

  411. Gil Sima

  412. Michael Simon

  413. Doug Singer

  414. Michael Skolnik

  415. Jenny Slattery

  416. Gillian Slovo

  417. Robyn Slovo

  418. Shawn Slovo

  419. Sarah Adina Smith

  420. Alan Snitow

  421. Ben Snyder

  422. Romy Soleimani

  423. Alisa Solomon

  424. Nicole W. Solomon

  425. Morgan Spector

  426. Maya Steinberg

  427. Tom Stoppard

  428. Nina Streich

  429. Elisabeth Subrin

  430. Ginny Suss

  431. Arianne Sved

  432. Sweaty Eddie

  433. Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

  434. Liora Szylman

  435. Rebecca Tamás

  436. Kae Tempest

  437. Jeremy Thomas

  438. Lynne Tillman

  439. Itay Tiran

  440. Zohar Tirosh-Polk

  441. Eran Torbiner

  442. Joshua Gutterman Tranen

  443. Rachel Traub

  444. Sarah Tuft

  445. Pablo Utin

  446. V (formerly Eve Ensler)

  447. Alicia Van Couvering

  448. Raz Bar David Varon

  449. Misha Vertkin

  450. Dani Vilenski

  451. Sophie von Haselberg

  452. David Wachsmann

  453. Elie Wajeman

  454. Dagan Wald

  455. Natasha Walter

  456. Adam Weber

  457. Lindsey Weber

  458. Nick Wechsler

  459. Madeline Weinstein

  460. Jenna Weiss-Berman

  461. Einat Weizman

  462. Rachel Wells

  463. Ariel Wengroff

  464. Ye’ela Wilschanski

  465. Mara Wilson

  466. David Wilson

  467. Debra Winger

  468. Natalia Winkelman

  469. Alex Winter

  470. Matt Wolf

  471. Angela Workman

  472. Jeremy Workman

  473. Jeremy Yaches

  474. Oded Yedaya

  475. Addam Yekutieli

  476. Gary Yershon

  477. Saar Yogev

  478. Rebecca Yogev

  479. Yossi Zabari

  480. Jeremiah Zagar

  481. Kate Zambreno

  482. David Zarif

  483. Alexander Zeldin

  484. Amy Ziering

  485. Tamara Zimet

  486. Amy Zimmer

  487. Debra Zimmerman

  488. Amnon Zlayet

  489. Itsik Zuarets

  490. Sophie Zucker

  491. Meital Zvieli

*Ehrlich is a critic at IndieWire, which shares a parent company, Penske Media, with Variety.

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