The Rosenthal Household

Interesting point, but I think Allen answers it with the shock of Professor Levy's suicide. He basically says that faith either is felt in the gut or not at all. Earlier in the film, Judah says to someone, I think to the rabbi, something along the lines of the "heart wants one thing, the head another," and that lately, his heart and head have had very little to do with each other. There's the unnamed cigarette-smoking presumed Holocaust survivor who insists at a Seder dinner, in front of children, that Hitler kinda sorta wasn't that bad because he got away with it.

Then there's also Hallah's (sp?) rejection, which might be the film's biggest shock of all. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" is so brilliant because it continually shows, through every major character, how words and appearance have nothing to do with actions. The film is a series of shocks.

I think it just depends on how you grow up. You can be from a religious household and yet still grow up atheist, or have stern parents and become a criminal.