Film Shul: In The Beginning

A Zoom Interactive Presentation on Hollywood Movies and The Jewish Experience Curated and Presented by Irv Slifkin and Laurence Lerman

IN THE BEGINNING…

The film industry was started primarily by Jews who had emigrated from eastern Europe and settled in big cities like New York and Chicago, supporting their families by dealing in everything from clothing to food to jewelry. Transfixed with the flourishing of nickelodeons and storefront theaters in the early years of the 20th century, interests for a number of them shifted to the entertainment business.  Soon, some made their way to Southern California, where they opened the large-scale motion picture studios that became Paramount, MGM, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Columbia and Universal. Discover the fascinating story of how men like Adolph Zukor, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Harry Cohn and others began Hollywood with their ambition, ingenuity and keen instincts.     

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FUNNY GIRLS – Part 2
Thursday, January 18, 2024   |   8:30pm

It was clear from the outset that we could only cover so many laugh-worthy ladies in our first edition, so here’s another collection of uproarious Jewish women for you to nibble on!  We’ve got it all covered here, from movie stars like Oscar winners Goldie Hawn and Judy Holliday to TV favorites like Fran Drescher and Golden Girls Bea Arthur and Estelle Getty. We also make room for standup sisters Rita Rudner and Elayne Boosler to raunchy mirth makers like Sophie Tucker and Rusty Warren. All this and the titter-worthy talents of Sarah Jessica Parker, Lainie Kazan and more!  

THOSE WERE THE DAYS
Thursday, February 22, 2024   |   8:30pm

From Barry Levinson’s Diner, Tin Men and Avalon and Woody Allen’s Radio Days and Bullets Over Broadway to the much-beloved My Favorite Year, The Chosen, Brighton Beach Memoirs and An American Tail, we present a collection of nostalgic Jewish films that affectionately look back on the good old days of yesteryear. We also discuss their roots in the time-honored tradition of Jewish storytellers like Sholom Aleichem, Chaim Potok, Philip Roth, Michael Chabon, Cathleen Schine and others, and then give some attention to such sentimental TV shows as Brooklyn Bridge, The Goldbergs and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

For more information on FILM SHUL, click here.