Comparison Between Ozzie Freeman's Conversion Of The Jews 'And'

This short story gives the opinions and beliefs of Ozzie Freeman, a thirteen year old Jewish boy who questions the rationality of the Jewish religion. Rabbi Binder, his teacher, is persistent to overthrow Ozzie and put an end to his profane questions. Eventually this leads to Ozzie's escape up to the roof of synagogue. In turn, Ozzie achieves religious freedom by making the Jews convert to Christianity. In the Conversion of the Jews, it is my belief that Roth's character Ozzie reenacts the dark hours of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and by doing so I believe Roth is stressing the importance of religious tolerance.

In particular, Roth portrays Ozzie as a very inquisitive boy who has a mind of his own and does not have a problem going against the grain to seek truth. However, Ozzie’s persistent questions about the validity of Judaism, particularly his question regarding “Why God can’t let a woman have a baby without having

intercourse?” It was these questions regarding the birth of Jesus and the unwavering cultural unity of the Jews which caused Rabbi Binder to blow a gasket and strike Ozzie. This is not the first time Ozzie had been struck, it was his mom who slapped him when she found out he was in trouble with the rabbi for a third time. In like manner, I will explain how Roth’s interpretation of this story is a reenactment of the dark hours of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to stress the importance of religious tolerance; particularly, in this case, to Jewish people.
Rabbi Binder portrays the interpreted role of “the teachers of the law” and “the Pharisees” as listed in the New Testament. The teachers of the law and Pharisees were in constant conflict with Jesus and his teachings. During a free discussion time in the classroom the Rabbi Binder consistently edge Ozzie to talk; however, Ozzie, not wanting to get into any more trouble choses to remain silent. Nevertheless, Rabbi Binder is persistent, almost daring Ozzie to bring up the question again, the one about Jesus and the virgin birth. Eventually, Ozzie caved and stated, “Why can’t He make anything He wants to make!” When the rabbi was temporally distracted by Ozzie’s friend Itzie, Ozzie shouted at into his back “You don’t know anything about God!” After demanding Ozzie to apologize, the rabbi inadvertently strikes Ozzie in the nose. After seeing the blood, Ozzie screams at the rabbi and escapes to the roof of the synagogue.
As a result of this inciting incident, it is my belief that the following experiences of Ozzie are symbolic of the dark hours of the crucifixion of Jesus’s Christ. After the rabbi struck Ozzie the narrator state “the blood came in a short, red spurt on to Ozzie’s shirt front.” This is representative of the crown of thorns being placed on Jesus’s head. In addition, the narrator states “If one should compare the light of day to the life of man: sunrise to birth; sunset, the dropping down over the edge, to death.” This refers to the life and death of Jesus from birth (sunrise) to death, (on the cross). “For it was in that month, during those hours, that one’s awareness of light seems no longer a matter of seeing, but of hearing; light begins clicking away. This phrase represents the long hours that Jesus hung on the cross and the darkening of the sky as it neared his death. It further states that “the sharp click of the bolt into the lock might momentarily have been mistaken for the sound of the heavier gray that had just throbbed the sky. … Splintering the wood into shrapnel and catapulting his body into the sky.” This is symbolic of the the nails being driven into Jesus hands and feet as he was being nailed to the cross.
Furthermore, as Ozzie frolics about the roof asking himself is it me, the narrator states “It is the question a thief must ask himself the night he jimmies open his first window, and it is said to be the question with which bridegrooms quiz themselves before the alter.” This statement clearly references the Bible verse regarding the second coming of Jesus “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” In addition, Jesus is often referred to as the Bridegroom in the Christian church.

Shortly after, it states that the crowd below Ozzie was “In the shape of a star were his friends who stood around Rabbi Binder.” The star reference is symbolic of the Jewish Star of David. It also states that when Itzie tells Ozzie to jump “he broke off his point of the star and with the courage of a disciple, stood alone.” At this point I believe Roth is expressing and acknowledging the Christian faith by showing us how Jesus gathered his disciples’ one by one as they departed from the Jewish faith into

Christianity.
In conclusion, the Rabbi Binder is on his knees pleading with Ozzie not to jump, “please, please, please.” This would be the mannerism of the teachers of the law and Pharisees, in fear and refusing to acknowledge Christ as the Messiah. The narrator concludes that “the light took on a new darkness, and hushed the friends singing, for this and the mother and rabbi chanting for that.” Symbolizing the darkening of the sky as Jesus nears his death and spoke “mother, behold your son and son behold your mother.” When Ozzie had everyone kneel and say that “God can make a child without a woman having intercourse,” this is Roth’s statement to the Jews of religious tolerance of the Christian faith.
In conclusion, when Oscar says to his mom “Promise me, you’ll never hit anybody about God,” and everyone says it including the rabbi, this references the persecution of Jesus Christ who had taken on the sins of the world.