SHOLEM ALEICHEM - THE SHORT STORIES OF THE JEWISH MARK TWAIN
Plainview Jewish Center - The Adult Institute of Jewish Studies
(Mondays 7:45 - 8:45PM)

Sholem Aleichem (birth name: Salomon Naumovich Rabinovich, 1859-1916) was a master story teller and author, beloved by virtually the whole of East European Jewry.  At first, he wrote in Russian and Hebrew, but soon switched to Yiddish, the language that gave all the Jews of his day entry into his marvelous tales.  The famously successful theater production, Fiddler on the Roof, is based on Aleichem's stories, Tevye the Dairyman.  His stories reflect the speech of the people he writes for and depictions of life in the shtetl are sharp, if not a bit slanted toward the cheerful.  Writing during a particularly bleak period for the Jewish people in Russia, he brought them relief and comfort through humor and satire.  Students will purchase a book of stories of Sholem Aleichem (Tevye the Dairyman and The Railroad Stories) and in preparation for each class, read an assigned selection and be prepared for some insightful discussion about these great tales, what they taught the Jews of the period for whom they were written, and what we can learn from them even today.

October 18, 25     November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29    December 6, 13

LUNCH IN THE SHMOOZE ROOM WITH RABBI RANK AND RABBI HEARSHEN 
(Wednesdays 12:30 - 1:00PM)

This is new.  Anyone can eat a tuna fish sandwich, but how many can say they had a spiritually nourishing meal with the rabbi?  Now you can, from the comfort of your desk or kitchen, in the Midway Shmooze Room, with either Rabbi Rank or Rabbi Hearshen.  Here's how it works.  Get out your lunch at 12:30PM and go the Midway website, www.mjc.org.  Click on the Midway Shmooze Room.  When the window appears asking for your user name, type in your name and click on "connect."  Turn on your speakers because Rabbi Rank and Rabbi Hearshen will have a little Torah to share with you - something uplifting and thought-provoking to keep you going the rest of the day with more energy and focus.  You won't be able to speak back, but you will be able to send you own messages, questions, or thoughts, which the rabbis will naturally respond to.  This is a real experiment in a new kind of education and we hope you will enjoy it.

October 6, 13, 20, 27    November 3, 10, 17, 24     December 1, 8

MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES AT MIDWAY
(Mondays 7:30 - 9:30PM)

Why spend those high prices at fancy theaters when you can come to Midway and see the movies for free?  This series of ten movies will focus on themes in both explicitly Jewish films as well as films that are, at least on the surface, purely secular.  Each film will be preceded by a brief introduction and followed by a discussion, also brief, of the films major themes. A more complete list of the movies to be shown is pending, but our tentative list now includes:

• GOD ON TRIAL (2008), a BBC/WGBH Boston production based on an Elie Wiesel story about inmates at Auschwitz who put God on trial.
• ARRANGED (2007) about two women, one ultra-Orthodox and one Muslim, who meet as teachers in the public school system and end up sharing their plight as women whose marriages are arranged by their fathers.
• EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (2005), based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer and starring Elijah Wood in which a young American Jew journeys to the Ukraine in search for the woman who saved his grandfather during the war.
• THE BUCKET LIST (2007), starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, and directed by Rob Reiner, in which two of the most unlikely characters - one a wealthy, heartless businessman and the other a poor, brilliant auto mechanic - share a common fate, terminal illness, and a journey to explore life one last time.

 October 6, 13, 20, 27    November 3, 10, 17, 24     December 1, 8

THE 28 MINUTE SURPRISE SHI'UR
(Wednesdays 7:30 - 7:58PM)

Shi'ur is the Hebrew word for lesson.  And in Hebrew, 28 is spelled jf, which is the word for power or strength (ko'ah).  In only 28 minutes, we will cover a topic in Jewish philosophy or thought that will deepen our connection with our history and clarify our understanding of the Jewish present and future.  The subjects will be eclectic, and gleaned from the wisdom as found in the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, Modern Hebrew literature and even current events.  Each week will be a surprise and each week's lesson will be potent.  Join us for the 28 minute Surprise Shi'ur.

March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31    April 7, 14, 21, 28     May 5

LEARN WITH RABBI HEARSHEN