Speaker Series: Inside Out, a Pixar Film: Jewish Themes and Values—Who Knew?!

What can an animated coming-of-age film teach us about Jewish values? Surprisingly, a lot, says Rabbi Lisa, who will show segments of the film, “Inside Out,” narrated with her insights.

The film features a young girl named Riley who is facing her family’s move from Minnesota to San Francisco. While the beginning of the film introduces us to Riley's external life, the bulk of the film is from the perspective of her basic, internal emotions:  Joy, Fear, Disgust, Anger, and Sadness. These five emotions are personified within Riley's mind and are responsible for her actions. Many of “Inside Out’s cast includes several veterans of the TV show “Saturday Night Live”. The film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature of 2015. A sequel is scheduled to come out next summer.

Rabbi Lisa will illuminate the deeper meanings of Jewish tradition and rituals embodied in the film that are still…