Or Shalom Celebrates ‘The Jazz Singer’

 The public is invited to celebrate the 90th birthday of a Jewish-American Classic, “The Jazz Singer” at Congregation Or Shalom’s Annual Landwirth Memorial Lecture on Sunday, March 18, at 2 p.m. at the synagogue, located at 205 Old Grassy Hill Road, Orange.

Did you know that the original “Jazz Singer,” starring Al Jolson, was Hollywood’s first talking motion picture? Did you know that Danny Thomas, Jerry Lewis and Neil Diamond starred as “Jazz Singers” as well? What is the continuing allure of this story? What was its origin? How does it speak to us today? Watch Jerry Lewis’ 1959 50-minute NBC performance of “The Jazz Singer,” as well as clips from other incarnations of this Jewish American classic. Discuss its significance with guest speaker Dr. Eric Goldman. Dr. Goldman, who received a Ph.D. in Cinema Studies from New York University, is a much sought-after lecturer on Jewish film. He has served as a member of the Educational Advisory Committee of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and is currently adjunct professor of cinema at Yeshiva University.

He co-hosted on the Turner Movie Classics television network and is the film critic for “The Jewish Standard.” His most recent book is “The American Jewish Story through Cinema.”

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