“Bad Shabbos”
An old friend is about to visit Harrisburg.
For decades, ventriloquist Shari Lewis and her sassy sock puppet, Lamb Chop, entertained and educated legions of children.
Now, Baby Boomers and Gen-Xer’s can wax nostalgic for this childhood favorite, thanks to the 2024-25 Edward S. Finkelstein Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival Series.
On May 29, the festival will close out the year-long series with a “Season Finale Mini-fest,” showcasing the 2024 documentary, “Shari & Lamb Chop,” with some very special guests.
“Attending the event, via Zoom, will be Lamb Chop herself,” said Julie Sherman, festival chair, along with Mallory Lewis, Shari’s daughter, who has been performing with Lamb Chop since her mother’s death in 1998.
This includes traveling the world and interacting with some of the 325,000 TikTok and Instagram followers the pair has amassed over the years. Attendees of “Shari & Lamb Chop” will have the opportunity to virtually meet and greet both Lamb Chop and Mallory and enjoy a post-screening dessert reception.
“My mother was a remarkable woman and one of the world’s greatest entertainers,” Mallory said.
Having learned ventriloquism at her mother’s knee, Mallory today performs in her stead, not to “challenge” Shari, but to pay tribute to her life and legacy. “And I want to do everything I can to keep Lamb Chop going,” said Mallory, acknowledging that she and the forever-young sock-puppet are, in many ways, sisters.
Now in its 30th year, the Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival has morphed from an eight-day annual festival into a monthly outing. The “Season Finale Mini-fest” is the culmination of a successful film series that began last September.
“There’s much to be said for a monthly series,” Sherman said. “It’s something people can put in their calendars and look forward to. But nothing beats the excitement and intensity of a multi-day, multi-film affair.”
After opening night’s “Shari & Lamb Chop” at Beth El Temple, the mini-fest continues with seven screenings over three days at Midtown Cinema. Five films will be featured, among them two Israeli narratives, “Seven Blessings,” winner of 10 Israeli Academy Awards, and “The Stronghold,” winner of “Best Director” and “Best Film” awards at the Montreal Festival of Israeli Cinema.
“The Story of Annette Zelman,” a Romeo and Juliet-type tale set in 1942 in Nazi-occupied Paris comes to the festival from France, and the mini-fest is rounded out by two American comedies, “Citizen Weiner” and “Bad Shabbos.”
“Citizen Weiner” is a docu-mocumentary starring one Zack Weiner, who, despite being truly unqualified for the job, ran for a seat on the New York City Council during the pandemic.
“This one doesn’t have Jewish content as much as a Jewish sensibility,” Sherman said. “Zack’s heart was definitely in the right place.”
Weiner’s real talent was brought to bear on “Bad Shabbos,” a film he co-wrote with director Daniel Robbins. Winner of the “Audience Award” at Tribeca in 2024, “Bad Shabbos” has been a big hit on the festival circuit this season. (“Buy your tickets early,” Sherman warned.)
Everything that can go wrong does go wrong in this story of a newly engaged couple bringing her Midwestern Catholic parents to meet his New York Jewish ones for the first time at a Friday night Shabbos dinner. The ensemble cast is headed by Kyra Sedgwick, David Paymer and Cliff “Method Man” Smith and includes a slew of other recognizable faces.
“Bad Shabbos” will screen twice during the mini-fest, including as the closing film on Sunday, when Weiner and Robbins will appear, live at Midtown Cinema, to discuss their film and to answer audience questions.
“The mission of our festival is to share films that reflect contemporary and historical Jewish and Israeli experiences,” Sherman said. “We look for diversity in theme, genre—comedies are always a bonus—country of origin and perspective. This mini-fest is a snapshot, and we invite you to take a look.”
The “Shari & Lamb Chop” special event takes place on May 29, starting at 6:30 p.m., at Beth El Temple, 2637 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For tickets, visit www.hbgjff.com.
Other festival films will screen at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.hbgjff.com or www.midtowncinema.com/jff.
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The Edward S. Finkelstein Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival “Season Finale Mini-Fest” will run the weekend of May 29 to June 1.
Thursday, May 29
“Shari & Lamb Chop,” 6:30 p.m.
Beth El Temple
2637 N. Front St., Harrisburg
Friday, May 30
“Seven Blessings,” 11 a.m.
“Bad Shabbos,” 2:30 p.m.
“The Stronghold,” 5:30 p.m.
Midtown Cinema
250 Reily St., Harrisburg
Saturday, May 31
“Citizen Weiner,” 9:30 p.m.
Midtown Cinema
250 Reily St., Harrisburg
Sunday, June 1
“The Story of Annette Zelman,” 10:30 a.m.
“The Stronghold,” 1 p.m.
“Bad Shabbos,” 4 p.m.
Midtown Cinema
250 Reily St., Harrisburg
For more information, visit www.hbgjff.com.
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