1. Due to the popularity of my “Sondheim’s Lyrics” class I’ve added a two-part class on Into the Woods and West Side Story, which will meet on two Thursdays at Noon EDT: July 9 (“Woods”) and July 16 (“Story”). We’ll look at the lyrics and music of each show and discuss reasons for the lasting enthusiastic popular and critical evaluation of the shows. Sign ups: tinyurl.com/BenkofWestWoods
Note: these are 75-minute expanded versions of May’s 40-minute classes on these shows.
2. There’s still room in the every-Monday at Noon EDT Philip Roth class:
Tomorrow July 28 we’ll discuss the novella Goodbye, Columbus, which is about class, race, romance, and assimilation in 1950s America.
Then on July 6 it’s the short story classic “Eli, the Fanatic,” in which an assimilated Jewish community sends a lawyer to expel a community of “fanatical” hasidim who have moved into town - and he starts wondering who, exactly, is the fanatic.
And on July 13 it’s my favorite short story ever: “The Conversion of the Jews.” In poignant, funny, and thought-provoking 20-page gem a bar mitzvah student whose theological questions are never answers forces the community to pay attention in the most dramatic way.
Sign-ups for all Roth classes: tinyurl.com/BenkofShortFiction.
3. This Thursday, July 2, in “SNL’s Jews” we’ll take a look back at some of the greatest Jewish sketches in the history of Saturday Night Live. Register: tinyurl.com/BenkofSNL.
4. Reminder: Dozens of my American Jewish culture videos are available at tinyurl.com/BenkofChannel. Examples: a two-minute quickie on how shul music influenced Broadway. And a rundown of my ten favorite Jewish Broadway shows.
5. I am available to speak to Jewish institutions and organizations online (and eventually in person!). Here’s a demonstration of my teaching. Hit reply if you’re interested in inviting me to offer a special class to your group.
Quick calendar (all classes Noon EDT):
• Monday, June 29: Goodbye, Columbus
• Thursday, July 2: SNL’s Jews
• Monday, July 6: “Eli, the Fanatic”
• Thursday, July 9: Into the Woods
• Monday, July 13: “The Conversion of the Jews”
• Thursday, July 16: West Side Story
Note: All classes are 100% free, but there’s a completely optional tuition of $6 per class and a sliding scale for those who wish to pay less or more.