‘LIST’ BROCHURE : Get the Guide, See the Movie, Don’t Eat Popcorn

When Alex Grobman of Los Angeles’ Martyrs Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust decided to put together “A Viewers Guide to ‘Schindler’s List,’ ” he never envisioned the flood of response he’s received.

“We can’t keep them in stock,” Grobman said. “We’re going into a second printing.”

Grobman and others who worked on the brochure say that they’re surprised--and gratified--by the response coming in from all over the country; after all, “Schindler’s List” is still in only limited release in 70 cities. But they also said they thought the brochure’s guidelines would be useful for Jewish and Gentile viewers alike.

“After seeing the movie myself, I realized that there were certain historical, psychological and moral issues that should be addressed before and after,” Grobman said.

The guide, put together in conjunction with the Jewish Federation Council, includes a timeline of events in Krakow and in the Plaszow labor camp. Perhaps more significantly, it outlines psychological guidelines to viewing the film--both preparations to take beforehand and suggestions for post-viewing discussions.

For example, the guide says that children should see the movie with the rest of the family: “Do not drop your children off at the mall and pick them up after the movie.” Elsewhere, it says that eating popcorn or other snacks while watching the film would be inappropriate.

The guidelines recommend preparing with a visit to the Martyrs Memorial or another Holocaust museum or by reading books on the subject. For post-viewing, the guide supplies discussion questions, like “What scene was most impressive, most poignant?” and “Discuss concepts of conscience, gratitude, altruism.”

Benjamin Hulkower, who prepared the guidelines, hopes that the film and the guide will be used to help battle bigotry. “If you think of it, what a great opportunity we have to start meaningful dialogue all over the country, all over the world--beginning with L.A.,” he said.