By Jeffrey Catalano
Assistant Editor
On Wednesday, December 3, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Congregation Etz Chaim will be hosting an exciting new monthly event, “Food for Thought Book & Film Club.” This event is open to all curious individuals, food lovers and story enthusiasts. If you’re a bookworm, cinephile, foodie or someone who just loves some good company, this fun new club at Congregation Etz Chaim is for you!
Each month, either a book or a movie is chosen for a lengthy and insightful discussion. Some books and movies may have a Jewish tie-in, but the focus will mainly be on mainstream content as viewed through a Jewish lens. A book that’s chosen can be just about any genre or category, whether it’s a work of fiction, a memoir or a nonfiction title.
A movie that’s screened might be a cinema classic, an independent film, a drama or even a comedy. If a book is selected, there will be a themed discussion at the event. If it’s a movie, the film’s story, style and substance will be thoroughly analyzed by the attendees.
The one constant of “Food for Thought Book & Film Club” is a nice selection of delicious food in a warm and inviting atmosphere. And one of the fun parts about the food is that ties into the unique theme of each event! Light dinner and/or snacks mentioned in a book or seen in a movie will be served. The food at this event promises to be both delicious and nutritious.
On the evening of December 3, the 2024 movie, “A Real Pain,” will be the topic of the first “Food for Thought Book & Film Club” event. Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, the comedy-drama film focuses on two cousins, played by Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin (in an Oscar-winning performance), taking a Jewish heritage tour through Poland as a way to honor their late grandmother.
The comedy and drama in the film mainly stems from the fact Eisenberg’s and Culkin’s characters couldn’t be anything less alike. Culkin’s free spirited character, Benji, is the furthest thing from his uptight cousin, Eisenberg’s David. Over the course of the film, these two characters, along with the rest of their tourist group, visit some important, unforgettable and disquieting sights like the Warsaw Uprising Monument and Majdanek, a former Nazi concentration camp.
“A Real Pain,” which was embraced by critics and audiences last year and won Culkin the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, is sure to inspire some profound conversations about Jewish heritage and the multitude of ways in which one can explore and embrace it. Equal parts funny and serious, “A Real Pain,” will encourage some really deep discussions.
The next “Food for Thought Book & Film Club” has already been scheduled for January 7, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The subject of the next entry in this series will be Erma Bombeck’s book, “If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?”
Come and join “Food for Thought Book & Film Club” on December 3 for a deep analysis of “A Real Pain,” some stimulating conversation and the company of like-minded individuals. The event welcomes donations and an RSVP is required to attend.
