Isaiah Breakfast Program on Philip Roth
Sunday, December 17, 2017 • 29 Kislev 5778
9:15 AM - 11:00 AMProfessor Larry Lowenthal Speaks on
“Hollywood’s Treatment of the Novels of Philip Roth —
The “Bad Boy” of American Jewish Literature”
Philip Roth created an explosive controversy in the American Jewish community with the publication of his first novel, Goodbye Columbus, in 1959. A few years later, the publication of Portnoy’s Complaint generated an unprecedented, almost hysterical frenzy that has barely subsided in the minds of many American Jews even today.
The presentation will explore the challenging differences between literary and film art. We will watch the hilarious but controversial wedding scene from Goodbye Columbus and draw from the attendees their reactions today and compare them to reactions in 1969. Is Roth as controversial today as he was then? If so—why? If not—why not? What has possibly changed in the American Jewish community over the years to elevate Philip Roth from a “self-hating, anti-Semitic Jew” to a distinguished cultural icon?
Born and raised in New York City, Larry Lowenthal has enjoyed two distinctly different careers—college professor and organizational director. Larry taught Literature at Western Washington State University, New York University, and Gettysburg College before moving to Israel with his family in 1970. For 5 years, Larry taught English and American Literature at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at Tel Aviv University. After outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, he served in the Israeli Army.
Upon his return to America in 1975, Larry became Executive Director of various Jewish organizations in Boston, including the American Zionist Federation, The Israel Cultural Center, The Metro West Jewish Federation, and for 20 years, the New England Region of the American Jewish Committee, the oldest human relations organization in America. Larry is currently an Adjunct Professor at Northeastern University in Boston where he teaches a course on The Impact of Jews on Popular American Culture: the Hollywood Film, the Broadway Musical, Literature, Poetry, Stand-up Comedy, Drama, and Television.
Talks in this series are sponsored by Brotherhood, and include a delicious buffet breakfast of assorted bagels, smoked salmon, pickled herring, whitefish salad, tabbouleh, desserts and more. Breakfast begins at 9:15 a.m. The presentation runs from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and is usually followed by a question and answer session. Admission is $10; free to Brotherhood members. For more information, email brotherhood@templeisaiah.net.
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