On April 24, our Wise YAD (Young Adult Division) hosted a movie night under the stars, one of its signature events for Jewish young adults.
Hosted by Cantorial Intern Josh Goldberg, a group of millennials gathered on Nahmias Plaza, where they found a delicious dinner catered by Maria’s Italian Kitchen, as well as theater snack classics like popcorn, Starburst, M&Ms, and assorted candy bars. Adult beverages kept everyone satisfied as they sat back and watched watched the quirky, irreverent, and outlandishly-Jewish film, “Shiva Baby” on a massive outdoor screen.
Goldberg introduced the film to the crowd: “’Shiva Baby’ is a story about a young woman coming to terms with her own sexuality, as well as her identity as an adult, as a daughter, as a Jew, as a soon-to-be professional, and as part of an extremely overbearing and nosey Jewish family. I think there is a little bit of ‘Shiva Baby’ within each of us.”
Judging by the laughter, groans, gasps, and sighs heard in the crowd throughout the movie, the film was indeed truly relatable and enjoyable for the whole crowd. One participant wrote to Wise the next day, saying: “Thanks for inviting me tonight! I had a lot of fun and I felt very happy after the event.”
Wise YAD hosts events year-round for people in the Los Angeles Jewish community in their 20s and 30s. Wise members and non-members are always welcome to attend our events. This past year, we have hosted a wide variety of events for Jewish young adults, including Campfire Night at the Beach, Sukkot Brunch, Hanukkah Bowling Night, a Tu B’shvat Hike, a Purim extravaganza (for which we partnered with seven other local synagogues), as well as this movie night.
“We strive to create programs that are fun, interactive, Jewishly meaningful, informal, and inclusive,” said Goldberg. “We warmly welcome you to come check out what we do, and leave us any suggestions on what types of programs you’d like to see!”
To find out more and become a part of Wise YAD, email [email protected] to join our email list!
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