Live and Learn with Ira Weiss: The History of Yiddish Film, Part I

08 Jul @ 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

The History of Yiddish Film, Part I
Tuesdays, July 8, 15, 22 | 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Instructor: Ira Weiss

Discover the vibrant world of Yiddish cinema—lost gems, bold stories, and cultural resilience on screen. From shtetls to the silver screen, journey through a forgotten golden age of Jewish film.

Schedule:

• July 8 – Raisins & Almonds
  A documentary exploring the history of Yiddish cinema.

• July 15 – Yidl Mitn Fidl (1937)
  A beloved musical starring Molly Picon, who later immigrated to the U.S.

• July 22 – Tevye (1937)
  A powerful adaptation of Sholem Aleichem’s original story, which inspired Fiddler on the Roof.

About Ira Weiss:
Ira Weiss is a retired neurophysiologist who grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where Yiddish was once spoken as commonly as English. His diverse educational background spans an orthodox yeshiva, Stuyvesant High School, MIT, City College of New York, and Syracuse University. Ira serves on the boards of the Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society and New Story Leadership, an organization focused on developing future Palestinian and Israeli leaders. With a personal collection of over 200 Israeli and Yiddish films, Ira has been sharing his passion for Jewish cinema in the Washington metro area for over 20 years.