FREE Monday: Schoolhouse Rock's Jewish songwriter
Lynn Ahrens penned "The Preamble," "Interplanet Janet," "Interjections!" and more
How do you teach an 18th-century document to 7-year-olds? Monday, September 7 at Noon EDT Jewish Culture 101 will explore the career of Lynn Ahrens (lyricist for Ragtime, Seussical, Anastasia, Once on This Island, and Rocky) with special attention to the three-minute songs she wrote for the 1970s “Schoolhouse Rock” series on ABC Saturday morning TV. “The Preamble” introduced the Constitution (“We, the people…”) to millions of schoolchildren; “Interplanet Janet” gave students a musical tour of the solar system; and “Interjections!” presented a lesser-taught but still-important part of speech. (Click the links above to see her work.) How did Ahrens and her colleagues design age-appropriate videos that never “taught down” to students? How did the show impact - or fail to impact - today’s children’s TV programming? Register: bitly.com/BenkofSchoolhouse
Thursday, September 10 at Noon EDT we’re looking at Philip Roth’s exquisite short story “Eli, the Fanatic,” which you can read here. Eli Peck is an assimilated Jewish lawyer sent by his community to drive away the “fanatics” in a newly established yeshiva in Woodenton, a suburban community in which Jews are just starting to live harmoniously with gentiles. As Eli meets the yeshiva’s rabbi and reflects on his task, he begins to wonder who, exactly, are the fanatics. Register: bitly.com/BenkofRoth
Just announced: “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; Norman Lear’s sitcoms; MAD Magazine; Mel Brooks 101; Funny Women; Sondheim’s Lyrics; and Women Photographers. A monthly pass to all ten classes for October is $25. Register here: bitly.com/BenkofOctober
New this fall: an 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, $125 for eight sessions. Register: bitly.com/Benkof101
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here: bitly.com/BenkofChannel. You’ll find dozens of American Jewish culture videos, including a countdown of Broadway’s 10 best Jewish shows and this four-minute video about Philip Roth’s prophetic pandemic novel Nemesis.
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 schedule, with links, is below. Unless otherwise marked, all classes are at Noon EDT:
Monday, September 7 Schoolhouse Rock-y (the songs of Lynn Ahrens)
Thursday, September 10 Philip Roth’s “Eli, the Fanatic”
Monday, September 14 The Holocaust and American Jewish Culture
Thursday, September 17 Debbie Friedman 101
Monday, September 21 Arthur Miller 101
Thursday, September 24 Philip Roth’s “The Conversion of the Jews”
Monday, September 28 NO CLASS (YOM KIPPUR)
Thursday, October 1: Jewish Culture Academy: West Side Story (Noon EDT) and Cabaret (1 pm EDT)
Wednesday, October 7 Judaism 101 course begins
Thursday, October 8: Jewish Culture Academy: Goodbye, Columbus by Philip Roth double class (Noon EDT)
Thursday, October 15: Jewish Culture Academy: Norman Lear’s sitcoms (Noon EDT) and MAD Magazine (1 pm EDT)
Thursday, October 22: Jewish Culture Academy: Mel Brooks 101 (Noon EDT) and Funny Women (1 pm EDT)
Thursday, October 29: Jewish Culture Academy: Sondheim’s Lyrics (Noon EDT) and Women Photographers (1 pm EDT)