Win a double pass for “Menashe”
J-Wire has double passes for the critically acclaimed American movie “Menashe” made in Yiddish.
The passes are for participating cinemas across Australia between February 8th and 14th. Please check your local cinemas to confirm participation.
Just send an email to [email protected] and tell us in less than 25 words what you think about movie shot in Yiddish.
We need to know your name and full POSTAL address.
Priority will go to subscribers to J-Wire so please use the email address at which you receive your daily email.
From Wikipedia:
Menashe (Menashe Lustig), a recently widowed Hasidic Jewish man, tries to regain custody of his ten-year-old son Rieven (Ruben Niborski). Rieven is living with his aunt and uncle (Eizik, Yoel Weisshaus) per a ruling by the Rabbi (Meyer Schwartz) that Menashe must first remarry to provide a proper home for his son. Menashe’s first marriage was unhappy, and he is reluctant to wed again. He works as a clerk in a grocery store with a difficult manager, and has a hard time earning enough money for himself. He doesn’t wear the traditional black coat and top hat in public, though his son tells him he would look nice in one. Eizik, his successful brother-in-law, looks down on him. They argue in front of the Rabbi, who lets Rieven stay with Menashe for a week, until the upcoming memorial service for his wife, but reiterates the requirement for a two-parent home. Eizik wants the memorial meal in his finer home, but Menashe insists on having it in his shabby apartment. Getting a “bachelor-proof” recipe for kugel from a neighbor, Menashe puts the pan in the oven before going to the cemetery for the service. He and the participants, including the Rabbi, return to an apartment full of smoke. Eizik criticizes the burnt kugel, but the Rabbi praises it and insists the uncle eat a piece. Menashe begs Eizik to let Rieven live with him, but is told he must first find a wife. Menashe says he will see the matchmaker again. He goes to the ritual bath (mikvah), and dons a coat and top hat.
The plot is loosely based on Lustig’s life. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times he said that “unlike Menashe in the film, I’m not a schlimazel by nature. Maybe just a schlimazel by situation.”
Customs and religious practices depicted include:
- a Lag BaOmer bonfire
- studying texts in the beth midrash
- a Farbrengen (celebratory gathering)
- Negel vasser – morning ritual, bedside hand washing.
- wearing the tallit katan undergarment
- wearing the rekel overcoat
- Mikvah, immersion in a ritual bath
Thank you so much for my tickets. I am very excited to be attending. Unfortunately the session times are very odd. 10.am each day. Surely Bondi Junction could put a late afternoon or evening session for at least one day(not Shabbos)
We have no control of this Sorry