This event will be hybrid English and Hebrew- Please attend, we will have such fun.

This will be an incredible evening- with 2000 people already registered. Peter Yarrow, Arlo Guthrie, David Myers, Daniel Kahn and more surprise guests. Do not miss this incredible program.

Film critic Leonard Maltin and Mr. Bikel's widow, Aimee Bikel, will introduce and participate in a Q&A after the Monday, October 19th screening at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills. Mrs. Bikel will also participate in a Q&A after the 1 PM screening of the film on Tuesday, October 20th at the Town Center 5 in Encino.

Narrated by Emmy-winning actor Alan Alda, this is an enchanting musical biography of the great Yiddish author, performed by one of the foremost interpreters of his work- Theodore Bikel: the legendary actor, singer, troubadour and Jewish activist. Using vintage film, interviews with celebrities, and footage of Bikel performances, this film is filled with laughter, tears, and music.

Post-Screening Q&A with Theodore Bikel & writer John Lollos

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research cordially invites you to the 13th Annual Heritage Luncheon Honoring Theodore Bikel YIVO Lifetime Achievement Award with Special Musical Guests. Thursday, June 18, 2015

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research 15 West 16th Street New York City

12pm - 2pm

Dietary laws observed

Portraits of two beloved icons - Sholom Aleichem and Theodore Bikel - are woven together in this enchanting new documentary, that reveals the wit, wisdom and talent the two men share. Bikel, the unstoppable performer whose career spans more than 150 screen roles and countless stage and musical productions, is also the foremost interpreter of Sholom Aleichem's work. He's portrayed the beloved Tevye the Milkman on stage more than 2,000 times and has created two celebrated musical plays about the great author. This film combines Bikel's charismatic storytelling and masterful performances with a broader explanation of Aleichem's remarkable life and work. Sholom Aleichem, a masterful pioneer of modern Jewish literature who championed and luxuriated in the Yiddish language, continues to provide us with an invaluable window into pre-war Eastern European Jewish life, real and imagined.

Join us for this thoroughly entertaining portrait to hear directly from Theodore Bikel, who will introduce the film and engage in a lively Q&A led by Leonard Maltin, well known film critic and historian.

Reception with Theodore Bikel following the discussion, includes Preferred Seating at the concert (please select Row D): $65

General Tickets: $30

Presented as part of the Geller Festival of the Arts, in honor of Bruce (z"l) and Jeannette (z"l) Geller, whose passion for creativity and the pursuit of art defined their lives.

The one-and-only Theodore Bikel will be joining us at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota in connection with the Southwest Florida premiere of his new documentary: “Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem.” (See below for more information about the film.) Mr. Bikel will introduce the film, answer questions from the audience afterward, and even inspire us with a few songs! An elegant Dessert Reception will complete the evening.

Peter Paul and Mary helped us to change the world. At least for awhile. Their songs moved us, their performances roused us, and their activism inspired us. To say that Peter Paul and Mary defined a generation would be minimizing their influence and reach their appeal spans generations. They made music for us for almost 50 years, and continue to do so even after Mary's death. Peter Yarrow's and Noel Paul Stookey's book, Fifty Years In Music and Life reminds us of their contribution to our culture, to our canon. Peter Paul and Mary's songs prove that simple acts can change our world.

In conversation with another legend, Theodore Bikel. Bikel's performances are indelible in theater, in film and television, and in his records. He's got a great deal in common with the love of folk music and activism of Peter Paul and Mary, and has said, "I prefer to make common cause with those whose weapons are guitars, banjos, fiddles and words."

Writers Bloc is profoundly honored to host Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey and Theodore Bikel.