Did you ever wonder if Larry David and Sen. Bernie Sanders have the same barber? The answer to this and many other questions will be answered on Wednesday, Feb. 5, when the Jewish Community Center of Middlesex County in Edison will host Noah Rinsky, author of “The Old Jewish Men’s Guide to Eating, Sleeping and Futzing Around.”
Rinsky will give helpful insights from his humorous book on how to eat, dress, get around town and schmooze like a seasoned old Jewish man, even though he himself is in his mid-thirties. He also has a popular social media account, Old Jewish Men of New York, which he began to document the everyday quirks of his father and branched out to include all old Jewish men in New York. The book includes helpful jargon, detailed deli and coffee shop rundowns.
Rinsky will be available to schmooze and autograph copies of the book after the program, which is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register online go to jccmc.org, or call the member services desk at (732) 494-3232 or register in person. For more information, contact Donna Oshri at the same phone number or doshri@mcjcc.org.
Central New Jersey Stands with Israel will host an exclusive screening of “Tragic Awakening: A New Look at the Oldest Hatred,” an inspirational post-Oct 7 film rethinking antisemitism’s roots and turning hatred into strength for Jewish identity and Western values, on Sunday, Feb. 9 at Congregation Ohav Emeth in Highland Park. The event will feature Raphael Shore, one of the stars of the film who founded OpenDor Media and is author of the book, “Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Jew?”
The program will begin at 8:45 a.m. with a breakfast meet and greet, followed by a 9:30 a.m. screening. Shore will be available to answer questions. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door and are available at awakeninnj.eventbrite.com. Sponsors of $180 will receive an autographed copy of the book. For sponsorship opportunities or information, contact Rivka Sonts at (347) 598-9448.
Rabbi Ayelet Cohen, the Pearl Resnick Dean of both rabbinic school and H. L. Miller Cantorial School and dean of the Division of Religious leadership at the Jewish Theological Seminary, will be the Rabbi Gerald L. Zelizer Scholar-in-Residence over Shabbat, Feb. 7-8 at Congregation Neve Shalom in Metuchen. Friday activities will begin with a family service at 5:30 p.m., followed by community dinner by reservation at 6 p.m. and Kabbalat Shabbat 7:15 p.m., where Cohen, the first women to hold the title of JTS dean, will speak on “Work, Rest and Enjoyment on Shabbat followed by oneg Shabbat. Saturday services will be at 9:30 a.m., where Cohen will deliver a d’var Torah, followed by kiddush luncheon. Afterward she will conduct afternoon study on the topic, “You Were Strangers in a Strange Land.”
Cohen is the author of prayers and liturgy that are used by communities around the world and has mentored dozens of rabbinical and cantorial students.
For more information and reservations, contact the synagogue at (732) 548-2238 or office@neveshalom.net.
The Adult Education Committee of the Freehold Jewish Center will show the Israeli movie, “Fill the Void,” on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 10:15 a.m. The film centers around an 18-year-old Hasidic girl, Shira, in Tel Aviv whose older sister dies in childbirth leaving behind her husband and newborn son. To make the family whole again by having a traditional maternal figure, her parents urge Shira to marry her sister’s widower, Yochay, and “fill the void.” However, Shira is already engaged through an arrangement to another young man she likes. The film was critically acclaimed and offers a glimpse into Israel’s haredi community. It won seven Israeli Academy Awards.
Cost to attend is $5, which covers coffee, bagels and shmears. An RSVP is requested at (732) 462-0254 or office@freeholdjc.org so the synagogue knows how much food to order.