CHECK OUT DAVID BENKOF'S FREE COURSE ON DISNEY'S JEWS & MORE

Did you know that the majority of Disney’s beloved musical repertoire was written by Jews? From Cinderella in 1950 through Teen Beach Movie 2 in 2015 and beyond, Disney’s movies, TV shows, and theme park attractions have consistently relied on Jewish composers and lyricists for such hits as:

• “Bippity Boppity Boo” (Cinderella);

• “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” (Mary Poppins);

• “It’s a Small World” (theme park attraction);

• “Under the Sea” (The Little Mermaid);

• “Be Our Guest” (Beauty and the Beast);

• “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Toy Story);

• “Stick to the Status Quo” (High School Musical);

• “That’s How You Know” (Enchanted); and

• “A Happy Beginning” (Once Upon a Time).

On Monday, October 19, at Noon EDT Jewish Culture 101 will present “Disney’s Jews,” a look at the songwriters whose music has formed the soundtrack of young and young-at-heart Americans for more than seven decades. Register: bitly.com/BenkofDisney 

That’s followed by “Rodgers & Hammerstein 101” on Monday, October 26, at Noon EDT (also FREE) and a FREE “Singer-Songwriter'“ series every Monday at Noon Eastern in November:

• Bob Dylan 101 November 2

• Simon & Garfunkel 101 November 9

• Peter, Paul, & Mary 101 November 16

• Carole King 101 November 23

• Billy Joel 101 November 30

On Thursday, November 5, at Noon EST, David will be teaching “Mel Brooks: A Second Look” which is a continuation of Mel Brooks 101, but with completely new clips and topics to discuss. Both veterans and newbies are welcome. Tuition: $1. Register: bitly.com/BenkofBrooks 

Do you know any young or aspiring theater professionals 18-25 who might like a ten-week seminar on the history of Broadway, with a $1,000 stipend upon completion of the course requirements? If so, tell them about me and send them to bitly.com/BroadwaySeminar

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here: bitly.com/BenkofChannel. You’ll find dozens of American Jewish culture videos, including this six-minute video about newly minted Nobel Laureate poet Louise Glück, which grew out of last week’s class on Jewish women poets; and this five-minute video about Jewish Voice Actors drawing on the previous week’s content.

And I’m booking Zoom talks for individual organizations, and eventually in-person classes. Here’s a demonstration of my in-person teaching and this one-minute intro shows how Jewish Culture 101 works.