Page 12 - March_Boomer_Times
P. 12
From The March Cover Amanda Gorman, Inaugural Poet
By Richard Lederer
ChaiFlicks: Jewish And Israeli On January 20, Amanda Gorman, 22 years of age, became the
Entertainment On Demand youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history when she delivered her
Since the pandemic, movie-goers have kinetic poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at President Joe Biden’s and Vice
President Kamala Harris’s inauguration. Having overcome a severe
looked toward streaming platforms to speech impediment as a child, she is our first U.S. National Youth
cure their cabin-fever. Jewish themed Poet Laureate.
TV series such as Unorthodox and The In “The Hill We Climb,” Gorman illuminated the power we have to
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel seemed to in- seize the “dawn” before us and to rejuvenate our democracy. She did
crease in popularity. not cast her poem in traditional rhyme and meter. Rather, she fused
With an abundance of Jewish and Israeli themed programming avail- free verse with rap rhymes, near rhymes and hip-hop musicality. Hers
able, long-time film industry executives, Neil Friedman and Heidi Oshin was performance poetry, as all the while she gestured expressively
of Menemsha Films (the leading distributor of Jewish and Israeli themed with every word she shared.
cinema) and Bill Weiner formerly of New Regency Productions (12 Years John F. Kennedy‘s 1961 inauguration marked the first time a poet,
A Slave, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) launched ChaiFlicks—the new streaming Robert Frost, participated in such an event. Bill Clinton followed suit
platform devoted to Jewish and Israeli entertainment. by featuring Maya Angelou at his first inauguration and Miller Williams
ChaiFlicks offers over 300 acclaimed feature, documentary and short
films (both classic and new), TV series, stage productions, plus music at his second. Barack Obama included Elizabeth Alexander in his first
and dance performances that embrace Jewish and Israeli tradition inauguration and Richard Blanco in his second. And now Amanda
Gorman has joined these literary luminaries in creating and voicing
and culture.
Three new programs per week are added to the channel, which has words that will echo through the minds of Americans for years to come.
an endless variety of genres. The latest additions are Israel’s smash On February 6, 2021, Amanda Gorman again made history when
hit comedy series The New Black, which follows the adventures of she became the first poet to perform at a Super Bowl. That game
four Haredi students at a yeshiva in Jerusalem, and The Tobacconist, was punderfully billed as the GOAT (Tom Brady, “Greatest of All
a vibrant coming-of-age drama starring the late Bruno Ganz and based Time,” 43-years-old) vs. the Kid (Patrick Mahomes,
on the international bestseller by Robert Seethaler. 25-years-old).
ChaiFlicks is user friendly and doesn’t break the bank. The monthly
subscription price is only $5.99 per month or a discounted annual price Dr. Richard Lederer is the author of more than 50
of $65.99 with a 7-day free trial. books about language, history and humor, including
ChaiFlicks’ is available on your TV, mobile device, desktop, etc., his newest books, “A Treasury of Halloween Humor”
with Apps for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple iOS, Apple TV, Android & and “A Treasury of Christmas Humor.” To order signed
Android TV! copies, explore his website, verbivore.com or write him
Learn more at https://www.ChaiFlicks.com. Richard Lederer at richardhlederer@gmail.com.
12 / BoomerTimes & SeniorLife BoomerTimesFL.com MARCH 2021