Schindler's List Race and Religion Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Schindler's List.

Quote #1

[The film opens with a scene of a Jewish family lighting the Sabbath candles and saying the traditional blessing.]

This scene establishes the film as a story about Jews, and tells us that people were still observing their traditions in the face of war.

Quote #2

GOLDBERG: It's illegal to buy or sell anything on the street. We don't do that. We're here to pray.

The line is actually a bit of a joke, since it's uttered by a Jewish man in a Catholic Church. But it demonstrates how this character is willing to bend the conventions of religion in order to find a way to survive in very brutal circumstances.

Quote #3

JEWISH WOMAN: Do you know the saying, "An hour of life is still life?" You are not a boy anymore. I'm saying a blessing for you.

This is a very spiritual moment, and the fact that it occurs within the midst of a massacre is very telling. Even here, the woman's faith helps her comfort the boy.