(Jewish Group) Academy of Motion Pictures mum on how Jews fit into new inclusion standards

The organization that awards the Oscars has refused to comment on whether Jews can count as an under-represented group under its new inclusion standards that aim to boost diversity in Hollywood.

Jews have long had a significant presence in the American entertainment industry, but the new standards raise questions about on-screen representation and the specifics of their implementation and eligibility for awards: For instance, will a Holocaust film count as a movie about an ethnic group? Can Hasidic Jews be considered a minority?

The issue comes as non-Jewish actors playing Jewish characters on screen has repeatedly sparked debate. Controversy erupted this week over the non-Jewish actor Bradley Cooper using a prosthetic nose in his portrayal of the Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein (Bernstein’s family has since brushed this off).

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ new representation and inclusion standards will go into effect for the Best Picture award for the first time at next year’s awards ceremony. The academy announced the standards in 2020, as critics decried a lack of diversity in the Academy and its award recipients.

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No surprise there.