All is darkness.. Then the movement begins, a trailing shot down the birth canal of a hallway, toward the mystery. Suddenly light! A bright room filled with old men in beards and black hats: sages, perhaps from another world. At the far end of the room, on a raised platform, is a blazing red light.

Is this a scene from a Steven Spielberg movie?

In a 1985 overview of the career of this legendary director, Time Magazine described this event as one which influenced Spielbergs vision. It turned out to be his earliest memory from a day in 1948 when he was taken in a stroller to a Cincinnati synagogue for a service.

© 1995-2024 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.

Articles may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue or school newsletters. Hardcopy or electronic. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission in advance at ohr@ohr.edu and credit for the source as Ohr Somayach Institutions www.ohr.edu