The Joseph Prototype; Justin Bieber’s Jewish Manager, Scooter Braun

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Justin Bieber & Manager
16 Feb 2011
Arts & Media

When the Orthodox Union was approached with an invitation to interview Justin Bieber’s Jewish manager, it seemed like an absurd stretch. Yes, the timing was impeccable because of the Grammy Awards. Yes, Bieber had been scheduled to perform in Israel and attend a Passover Seder. Yes, the movie “Never Say Never” was set to open and there was a controversial scene involving the Shema. And yes, the NCSY crowd would certainly be interested.

But the question remained, was there any real connection and how could we put this story into a context that made it relevant? As we processed the background information prior to the interview, something peculiar happened; something about this story was vaguely familiar.

The Torah gives us timeless prototypes for understanding the world-at-large, and the beauty of those prototypes is that they aren’t stuck in the biblical past. The Joseph prototype is classic and continues to function very well in the here-and-now: Jewish kid finds himself in an icon-worshipping, alien culture and is responsible for managing someone else’s dreams. Despite success, he retains his core identity, central values, and a willingness to express who he is and what he believes in.

To read how the interview unfolded, please click and view the full article on NCSY’s website: Never Say Never to Dreams

The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.