• Marathon Mom – July 17, 7:00 PM at Coolidge Corner Theatre. 
• Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse – July 24, 7:00 PM at Coolidge Corner Theatre. 
• Joanna Rakoff: When a Memoir Becomes a Movie – July 31, 6:00 PM at The Vilna Shul, Boston.
• Welcome to Yiddishland – August 14, 6:00 PM at The Vilna Shul, Boston.

MARATHON MOM
Thursday, July 17, 2025, 7:00 PM at Coolidge Corner Theatre
Massachusetts Premiere
Tickets: $14 

Marathon Mom chronicles the journey of Beatie Deutsch, a young Orthodox mother of five and a world-class runner striving to become an Olympic athlete. When the COVID pandemic derails her qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she competes in the UK, Berlin, Seville, Kenya, and Tokyo marathons in pursuit of a race time of 2:29:30. Beatie grapples with setbacks, injuries, and struggles with body image and an eating disorder. Will her single-minded pursuit to meet the Olympic qualifying standard extinguish her joy and passion for what she loves?

ART SPIEGELMAN: DISASTER IS MY MUSE
Thursday, July 24, 2025, 7:00 PM at Coolidge Corner Theatre
Boston Premiere
Tickets: $14 

This insightful documentary delves into the life and work of Art Spiegelman, the Queens-raised artist who revolutionized comics by exploring dark, complex themes. Shaped by his Holocaust-survivor parents and inspired by MAD Magazine’s irreverent satire, Spiegelman’s most famous work, MAUS, is a poignant Holocaust narrative that redefined the medium. The film showcases his resistance to fascism and features rich illustrations from his comics, highlighting his significant impact as an artist and cultural critic.

Followed by a conversation with Director/Producer Philip Dolin, moderated by Emmy Waldman, PhD. 

JOANNA RAKOFF: WHEN A MEMOIR BECOMES A MOVIE 
Thursday, July 31, 2025, 6:00 PM at The Vilna Shul, Boston
Tickets: $25 (includes dinner)

Joanna Rakoff wrote My Salinger Year in 2014, describing her tumultuous year as an editorial assistant for a major publisher. She never expected it to become a blockbuster film in 2020. Join Joanna for a beautiful summer evening at The Vilna, complete with dinner, a film screening, and conversation, as we delve into this compelling and heartwarming story.

WELCOME TO YIDDISHLAND
Thursday, August 14, 2025, 6:00 PM at The Vilna Shul, Boston
Massachusetts Premiere
Tickets: $25 (includes dinner)

Welcome to Yiddishland is a snapshot of the Yiddish cultural renaissance of this moment. Featuring the leaders and tastemakers of this tradition, the film highlights the youth and vibrancy of Yiddish, which have always been at its core. Through intimate interviews and rare behind-the-scenes access to some of the world’s top musicians and performers working in Yiddish, the film showcases the innovative works of artists who use this ancient language as a vehicle for addressing contemporary issues, including identity, the refugee crisis, war, and authoritarianism.

Followed by a conversation with film co-producer Lisa Newman of the Yiddish Book Center and babka! 

The setting is Camp Firewood, the year 1981. It’s the last day before everyone goes back to the real world, but there’s still a summer’s worth of unfinished business to resolve. At the center of the action is camp director Beth, who struggles to keep order while she falls in love with the local astrophysics professor. He is busy trying to save the camp from a deadly piece of NASA’s Skylab, which is hurtling toward Earth. All that, plus: a dangerous waterfall rescue, love triangles, misfits, cool kids, and talking vegetable cans. The questions will all be resolved, of course, at the big talent show at the end of the day.

Registration is required – the fee to attend is $2.00.

This event is in partnership with JCC Greater Boston.