FREE MONDAY: Arthur Miller 101
The playwright who defined "The American Dream" in "Death of a Salesman" and "All My Sons"
In plays like Death of a Salesman, All My Sons, and The Crucible, Arthur Miller helped define - and challenge - the American Dream. We’ll look at the symbols and themes in his work, especially Salesman, and explore the Jewish aspects of his plays. Arthur Miller 101 is FREE and meets on Monday, September 21 at Noon EDT. Register: bitly.com/BenkofMiller
Philip Roth’s brilliant short story “The Conversion of the Jews” (my favorite work of literature) presents the following situation: a bar mitzvah boy thinks his rabbi is not taking his theological questions seriously, and probably couldn’t answer them anyway. So he converts his rabbi to Christianity. Really. Find out how by reading this 10-page story here, or listening to it here (40-minute recording). The class is FREE and meets on Thursday, September 24 at Noon EDT. Register: bitly.com/BenkofRoth.
The FREE Monday classes for October have all been announced: Voice Actors (October 5); Women Poets (October 12); Disney’s Jews (October 19); and Rodgers & Hammerstein 101 (October 26).
“Greatest Hits” Thursdays have been supercharged for October, with “Jewish Culture Academy,” which includes two repeat classes per week.
Included in Jewish Culture Academy next month:
West Side Story;
Cabaret;
Philip Roth’s Goodbye, Columbus (two parts);
Norman Lear’s sitcoms;
MAD Magazine;
Mel Brooks 101;
Funny Women;
Sondheim’s Lyrics; and
Women Photographers.
(A single class is $8, or a monthly pass to all ten classes for October is $25. Register here: bitly.com/BenkofOctober)
Extended: the early-bird discount (save $30) has been extended for the eight-week Judaism 101 course set for Wednesdays at Noon EDT, starting October 7. Every week, we’ll explore the most important knowledge and wisdom needed to understand Jewish history, life cycle, calendar, Israel, values, Hebrew, theology, Bible, and the Jewish home. All are welcome - Jews with no background; Jews with minimal or moderate Jewish educations; and non-Jews. Limited to 40 participants, $95 for eight sessions for sign-ups through September 30; $125 thereafter. Register: bitly.com/Benkof101
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here: bitly.com/BenkofChannel. You’ll find dozens of American Jewish culture videos, including a new nine-minute video about the Holocaust and American Jews based on this week’s class on that topic, and this 10-minute clips reel from last week’s “Schoolhouse Rock” class.
I’m booking Zoom talks for individual organizations, and eventually in-person classes. Here’s a demonstration of my in-person teaching and this one-minute intro shows how Jewish Culture 101 works.
My entire upcoming schedule, with links, is below.
Monday, September 21 Arthur Miller 101 (Noon EDT)
Thursday, September 24 Philip Roth’s “The Conversion of the Jews” (Noon EDT)
Monday, September 28 NO CLASS (YOM KIPPUR)
Thursday, October 1: Jewish Culture Academy: West Side Story (Noon EDT) and Cabaret (1 pm EDT)
Monday, October 5 Voice Actors (Noon EDT)
Wednesday, October 7 Judaism 101 course begins
Thursday, October 8: Jewish Culture Academy: Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth double class (Noon EDT)
Monday, October 12 Women Poets (Noon EDT)
Thursday, October 15: Jewish Culture Academy: Norman Lear’s sitcoms (Noon EDT) and MAD Magazine(1 pm EDT)
Monday, October 19 Disney’s Jews (Noon EDT)
Thursday, October 22: Jewish Culture Academy: Mel Brooks 101 (Noon EDT) and Funny Women (1 pm EDT)
Monday, October 26 Rodgers & Hammerstein 101 (Noon EDT)
Thursday, October 29: Jewish Culture Academy: Sondheim’s Lyrics (Noon EDT) and Women Photographers (1 pm EDT)