Matthew Fishteyn Courtesy Wayne Y

The Wayne Y continues its Sundays Backstage at the Y series with pianist/composer Matthew Fishteyn, 18, performing “Mystery Man,” on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. (973) 595-0100, ext. 237.

The Young People’s Chorus at Thurnauer performed at the JCC Thurnauer School of Music’s 2011 Gift of Music Gala Benefit Concert in February. Eugene Parciasepe, Jr.

The Young People’s Chorus at Thurnauer, the student choir of the JCC Thurnauer School of Music, will perform its winter concert on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m., at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly. The concert will include the Prelude (ages 6 to 9) and Concert (ages 10 to 18) choirs, as well as the Grieco and McCloud choirs. The latter two ensembles are part of the Music School’s Music Discovery Partnership – a collaboration with Englewood Public School District since 1997. Admission is free. Repertoire is listed below. For information, call (201) 408-1465 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein Courtesy Chabad

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein, author of the award-winning “Up, Up and Oy Vey!” will be at Chabad of Fort Lee on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. His latest book is “Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century.”

Weinstein has appeared on CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight” and NPR, and has been profiled in publications including The New York Times, The Miami Herald, and The London Guardian. He is a contributor to The Jerusalem Post and The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and chairs the religious affairs committee at the Pratt Institute. He was recently voted “New York’s Hippest Rabbi” by PBS affiliate Channel 13. Call (201) 886-1238 or http://www.ChabadFortLee.com.

Cantor Caitlin Bromberg, left, Gerard Edery. Photos Courtesy Temple Israel

Temple Israel and JCC of Ridgewood will launch its new series of “Winter Music” with Sephardic music by folklorist Gerard Edery, his ensemble, and Temple Israel’s cantor, Caitlin Bromberg, on Saturday, Jan. 21. Songs will be in Ladino, a blend of medieval Spanish, Hebrew, and other Romance languages and Middle Eastern elements. The concert is a fund-raiser for the shul’s Brandeis Men’s Club and is co-sponsored by the music committee. There will be a cocktail reception from 5:45 to 7 p.m., a catered dinner and dessert (featuring foods from Europe and Northern Africa), from 7 to 8:30, followed by the concert. Call (201) 444-9320 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Stanley Fischman Photos courtesy BPY

Ben Porat Yosef in Paramus will celebrate the launch of Stanley Fischman’s (BPY’s director of general studies) new book “Seven Steps to “Mentchhood,” at the school, on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8:15 p.m. Fischman will also discuss “The Virtue of a Principle-Driven Life.”

Fischman spent 10 years writing the resource book for parents and teachers based on Torah verses and real-life scenarios and applications. Books will be available for purchase and signing. For information, call (201) 845-5007 or www.benporatyosef.org.

Classical music superstar/Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell will perform at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. Prior to the performance he will meet with violin students from The Elisabeth Morrow School for a private workshop and there will be a special opening performance by school’s Chamber Virtuosi conducted by Amelia Gold. (201) 227-1030 or www.bergenpac.org.

It is time again to bundle up and go out to explore the world of Jewish cinema. The New York Jewish Film Festival is now under way at Lincoln Center. This year, it offers 35 films from 11 countries, many never again
to be seen in our area. The festival continues through Jan. 26.

Over the years, most audiences have been more interested in the narrative films that have been the hallmark of this festival, as have I. Of late, however, we are seeing more — and better — Jewish film documentaries. This year, I am more impressed by them than the fiction films. Most are significant and worthy of consideration.

Of course, a documentary film may not draw a viewer in the way a “regular” theatrical work will do. There are no known actors, no magnificent sunsets, no plot twists, no dramatic climaxes, no surprise endings. Nevertheless, these films are worth seeing.