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“Oppenheimer,” the hotly anticipated Christopher
Nolan biopic about the Jewish nuclear physicist who
developed the atomic bomb, will include another
familiar Jewish face when it opens this summer:
Albert Einstein.

A new trailer for the drama, released this week,
includes a brief glimpse of the scientist’s unmistake-
able visage, as rendered by the Oscar-nominated
Scottish character actor Tom Conti. Underscoring
the gravity of the bomb’s development, this Einstein
has foregone his usual cheery demeanor and is
instead wearing a grave frown.

It seems appropriate for the film, which tracks J.

Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) as he and the
other members of the Manhattan Project race to
develop the bomb by constructing the Los Alamos
Laboratory in New Mexico in the mid-1940s. Oppenheimer and his team of scien-
tists tested the weapon there before it was eventually dropped on the Japanese
cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the waning days of World War II, killing more
than 110,000 people.

As the legend goes, the scientist initially heralded the bomb’s successful
test run by quoting from the Hindu text Bhagavad Gita: “I am become Death,
destroyer of worlds.” He would eventually come to regret his creation, telling
President Harry Truman he had blood on his hands.

Einstein’s role in the bomb’s development is often overstated, yet still notable.

According to the American Museum of Natural
History, when the physicist and Jewish refugee of
Nazi Germany learned that German scientists had
succeeded in splitting the uranium atom in 1938,
he urged then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
to speed up development of nuclear weapons in
the United States. His fear was that the Nazis might
develop the bomb first, in part building on his own
scientific equations. Einstein was later barred from
participating in the actual Manhattan Project as his
left-leaning politics were enough to deem him a
security risk.

As soon as the bomb was dropped on Japan,
Einstein reportedly was devastated and came to
regret even his small role in pushing Roosevelt to
develop it.

Several other Jewish figures from the atomic age will make appearances in the
historical drama, including U.S. Atomic Energy Commission chair Lewis Strauss
(played by Robert Downey Jr.), Manhattan Project physicist Richard Feynman
(Jack Quaid), hydrogen bomb developer Edward Teller (Benny Safdie) and
nuclear physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi (David Krumholtz).

“Oppenheimer” will open in theaters on July 21. Nolan, a filmmaker known for
his grandiose style in blockbusters like “The Dark Knight” and “Inception,” shot
the entire film in large-format IMAX cameras to add to its epic scale. It will be his
second WWII history, after 2017’s “Dunkirk.”
Screenshot via Universal Pictures via JTA
In ‘Oppenheimer’ Trailer, the Atomic Bomb Is Born — and Einstein Weeps
The sportswear giant Adidas has decided to sell off its
West. remaining inventory of sneakers from Kanye West’s Yeezy
Shortly after dropping West, Adidas — which was founded
brand and donate the proceeds to charity.

by Nazi Party members — announced a $1 million, four-year
The decision comes roughly seven months after Adidas
partnership with the ADL designed to educate athletes about
cut ties with West in the face of mounting pressure due to
antisemitism and other forms of bigotry.

his stream of antisemitic comments. Adidas’ sales of the
The ADL praised Adidas’ plans but told JTA that the
rapper’s sneakers had accounted for 10% of the company’s
company hasn’t said if the ADL will receive a donation from
annual revenue last year, or roughly $2 billion. That decision
the Yeezy sales. The organization added that it was not advis-
left Adidas with $1.3 billion of unsold Yeezy inventory in its
ing Adidas on where to direct the sale proceeds.

The Adidas logo is pictured on a
possession. “This is a thoughtful and caring resolution for the unsold
building on July 14, 2022.

During the company’s annual shareholders meeting in
merchandise,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a state-
Germany, where Adidas is based, CEO Bjørn Gulden pledged that the money would ment. “Ye’s antisemitic remarks and abhorrent behavior have resulted in real-world
go “to the organizations that are helping us and that were also hurt by Kanye’s acts of antisemitic hate. Any attempt to turn the consequences of his actions into
statements.” something that ultimately benefits society and the people he has hurt is most
Gulden did not elaborate on which organizations the proceeds would be directed welcome.”
to, nor if any of them would go to Jewish or anti-hate groups. In response to a request
Adidas had agonized for months over how to deal with the Yeezy merchandise, at
for comment, Adidas shared Gulden’s comments from the board meeting but did not one point considering simply burning it. That idea was nixed by Gulden. “Burning is
say which charities it would be donating Yeezy sales to.

not the solution,” he told shareholders.

Jews were the target of West’s comments last fall. West, who now goes by Ye,
But the company’s Yeezy woes aren’t over yet. Adidas still faces a lawsuit from
promised to “go death con 3 on Jewish people,” professed admiration for Hitler and investors who allege executives knew about West’s “extreme behavior” for years
bragged that he could say antisemitic comments and Adidas would not drop him. In and didn’t end their partnership quickly enough. Last year, amid West’s antisemitic
November, the rapper dined with former President Donald Trump and Nick Fuentes, comments, reports emerged that West had openly admired Hitler for years and
a prominent antisemite, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

wanted to name one of his albums after him.

Following his comments, statements such as “Kanye Was Right” became a rally-
As for West himself, he recently announced that he no longer hated Jewish people
ing cry for antisemites. According to the Anti-Defamation League, 59 antisemitic after watching Jewish actor Jonah Hill in the 2012 comedy film “21 Jump Street.” ■
incidents that took place from Oct. 11 through the end of 2022 directly referenced
— Andrew Lapin | JTA
4 MAY 18, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
Daniel Harvey Gonzalez/In Pictures via Getty Images via JTA
Adidas Says It Will Sell off Yeezy Shoes and Donate Proceeds