Masculinity and Mission

T h e “lo n g 1 9 5 0 s ” – ro u g h ly 1 9 4 8 th ro u g h 1 9 6 3 – w itn e s s e d a s ig n ific a n t tra n s fo rm a tio n o f C h ris tia n a ttitu d e s to w a rd s J e w s in th e U n ite d S ta te s . A m o n g th e re a s o n s fo r th e c h a n g e , p e rh a p s th e m o s t s u rp ris in g w a s a n u n p re c e d e n te d a s s o c ia tio n o f J e w s w ith v ig o ro u s m a s c u lin ity a t a tim e o f n a tio n a l c o n fu s io n a n d a n x ie ty a b o u t th e m e a n in g a n d d u ra b ility o f m a le g e n d e r ro le s . A ll A m e ric a n s fe lt th e p u ll o f th e s e te n s io n s , n o t le a s t a m o n g th e m P ro te s ta n t C h ris tia n s w h o , d e s p ite th e e m e rg e n c e o f n e w m a le ro le m o d e ls in th e ir o w n m id s t, a c c e p te d tu te la g e fro m o th e r tra d itio n s a s w e ll. P a rtic u la rly p o w e rfu l s y m b o ls o f th e n e w J e w is h m a s c u lin ity w e re a tria d w h o c a n b e th o u g h t o f a s th e “th re e B e n s ”: o n th e m o v ie s c re e n s , J u d a h B e n -H u r in th e 1 9 5 9 b lo c k b u s te r film B e n -H u r ; fro m lib ra ry s h e lv e s A ri B e n C a n a a n , th e h e ro o f L e o n U ris ’s b e s ts e llin g 1 9 5 8 n o v e l E x o d u s a s w e ll a s th e 1 9 6 0 film m a d e fro m it; a n d o n th e e v e n in g n e w s , D a v id B e n -G u rio n , w h o s e c a re e r a s th e m o s t im p o rta n t fig u re in Is ra e li s o c ie ty a n d p o litic s c o in c id e d e x a c tly w ith th e s p a n o f th e “lo n g 1 9 5 0 s .” T h e “th re e B e n s ” d iffe re d fro m o th e r m a le ro le m o d e ls in th e e ra b y th e ir e ffe c tiv e lin k a g e o f h y p e r-m a s c u lin ity w ith a s e n s e o f fo c u s e d p u rp o s e . T h e u n io n o f m a s c u lin ity a n d m is s io n w o u ld h e lp s h a p e A m e ric a n id e a ls a n d id e o lo g ie s in th e 1 9 6 0 s a n d b e y o n d .