Having lost the trust of Jewish community long ago, Hollywood filmmaker reportedly tries to reboot relationship through Holocaust philanthropy.
Mel Gibson clearly has a long road to travel if he wants to win back support from the Jewish community. But it seems as if he is at least willing to try.
The movie star — known for a drunken anti-Semitic rant and promoting the idea that the Jews killed Jesus in “The Passion of the Christ” — has been donating to a Holocaust survivor aid project, Extra reported on Friday.
The Survivor Mitzvah Project, started by comedic actress Zane Buzby, will be honored by the Anti-Defamation League in Los Angeles on March 30. The project provides financial aid, home visits and medical supplies to some 1,000 survivors living in the former Soviet Union.
The Extra report didn’t specify how much Gibson has been donating, or for how long.
Those “mistakes” Buzby mentions still loom large in the Jewish community.
Gibson apologized shortly after the incident, but many Jews deemed it insufficient.
The actor spent the next decade in relative obscurity but made a comeback last year when “Hacksaw Ridge,” a World II epic that he directed, earned widespread acclaim. The film garnered six Oscar nominations, including one for Best Director.
Gibson shouldn’t expect a similar embrace from Jews just yet — but donating to Holocaust survivors is a start.