Hasidic Jew drops out of Natalie Portman movie

An Hasidic Jew has been forced to drop out of playing Natalie Portman's husband in a movie - after getting death threats from community leaders.

Abe Karpen, who is from a respected New York Jewish family, had already started work on 'New York I Love You'. But news he was appearing in a Hollywood movie that scandalized the Hasidic community - and the backlash was so bad he has been forced to take his family into hiding.

"The community wants to kill him," said his longtime friend Levi Okunov.

Karpen, 25, a married father of three, is usually a kitchen cabinet salesman but signed-up to play Portman's husband in the movie which is composed of 12 short stories about love in New York.

Before fleeing New York, Karpen confirmed: "I am backing out of the movie."

He said the final straw came with rabbis telling him his kids would be booted out of their schools if he carried on with his acting dreams.

"It's not acceptable in my community," he said of acting. "It's a lot of pressure I am getting.
"They [the rabbis] didn't like the idea of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood.

"I have my kids in religious schools and the rabbi called me over yesterday and said in order for me to keep my kids in the school I have to do what they tell me and back out."

He had already made it clear that his faith was his priority and there were certain things he would not do on film.

"They wanted me to hold Natalie Portman's hand, but I said 'no way,'" he said. "It's against our religion. You can't even hold your wife's hand on the street."

He insists the community leaders' protests made him realize he was doing the wrong thing.

"This is when I woke up and saw that I made a big mistake," he said. "My kids mean everything to me and my community where I live means everything to me."

Karpen had nothing but kind words for the film and Portman, who has been seen sporting a dark head-covering and a coat for her role as the Jewis wife.

"She's the only one I was willing to work with," Karpen said. "I was shocked that she's a Hollywood big shot. We talked in Hebrew. ... She wants to become more religious."

Movie bosses were devastated.

"We are very sorry that this has created a problem for him personally and for the community," said the film's executive producer, Jan Korbelin. "He's a great ambassador of his faith and it came out of the left field.

"This is the last thing this picture should be doing.

"This film is about love and understanding between different people and communities."

However Hasidic community activist Isaac Weinberger said Karpen should have known better.

"We don't watch television. We don't go to the movies, so to be in a movie is the worst thing. It's shame for any Hasid," he said.