Progress on Bible Video Issue : Religion: Jewish groups explain to firm why they feel its series on Scriptures contains offensive stereotypes. Executive says he now sees product ‘with different eyes.’

The head of a Dallas communications company said Thursday that he and his associates now see “with different eyes” the firm’s controversial series of animated Bible videos that have been accused of containing anti-Jewish stereotypes and interpretations of the Scriptures.

However, after meeting with Jewish leaders, he declined to say what, if any, changes would be made in the series that is being sold through television ads and in shopping malls.

“We are going to work very closely with the Anti-Defamation League (of B’nai B’rith) for a resolution of this issue,” said Stephen W. Griffin, co-owner and chief operating officer for Family Entertainment Network.

Griffin’s comments came after he and his associates met Thursday with officials of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles and on Wednesday with representatives of the Anti-Defamation League in New York. Both groups have publicly objected to depictions of some Jews and some of the dialogue in the 12-part series, “Animated Stories From the New Testament,” and in the program-length TV commercial that has been airing nationally.

The videos depict Jews who reject Christianity as sinister and furtive, with whiny voices and noses that are long or bulbous. Jewish converts to Christianity are portrayed as noble, soft-spoken and gentle.

Griffin said that the commercial had been altered to the satisfaction of both Jewish groups.

He said the Anti-Defamation League meeting produced “great progress in understanding the context and the Jewish influences that were going on in the 1st Century AD,” the period in which the series is set. “Nowhere have we been accused of being anti-Semitic on an intentional basis,” he said, adding, “maybe on an insensitive basis.”

Charney Bromberg, director of intergroup relations for the Anti-Defamation League, said Family Entertainment officials “came to understand . . . that they were perpetuating stereotypes.” He said officials of the Dallas company “made a commitment to come back and show us what they intend to do.”

Rabbi Marvin Hier, director of the Wiesenthal Center, said Griffin promised to make audio changes in the series, but that “when it came down to making cuts in the animation, they told us this was very expensive.”