arts & culture
‘13: The Musical’ A Blemished
Coming-of-Age ecoming a bar or bat mitzvah
signifi es entry into Jewish adult-
hood, but it hardly means you’re
a grown-up.

With patchy mustaches and voices that
crackle and squeak, 13-year-old boys are
certainly not yet men.

For proof, see Evan Goldman,
a preteen forced to relocate from his
Manhattan hometown to the Indiana
suburbs, caught up in his parents’ messy
divorce. Th e move is made even harder
by his looming bar mitzvah date and the
existential challenge that accompanies it:
throwing a banger party.

Th e trials and tribulations, victories and
defeats of his story are told in the toe-tap-
ping “13: Th e Musical,” the now-stream-
ing Netfl ix fi lm adaptation of the 2008
Broadway show of the same name.

But Evan (Eli Golden) isn’t the only
pre-pubescent with problems. Upon
begrudgingly moving to Walkerton,
Indiana — a town with no Jews — he
meets Patrice (Gabriella Uhl), a bespec-
tacled junior climate justice warrior, and
Archie (Jonathan Lengel), a dry-humored
neighbor with muscular dystrophy.

When the eighth-grade school year
starts for the intrepid middle schoolers,
trouble follows. In a web of crushes and
the crushing blows of growing up, the
story’s heroes demonstrate their under-
developed frontal lobes.

Th ough it has an appealing prem-
ise and snappy soundtrack, “13: Th e
Musical” gets stuck on the details and
loses the bigger picture, mirroring the
myopic mindset of the tweens it depicts.

Th e plot of the fi lm is sandwiched
between two bold numbers, “13” and “A
Little More Homework,” which feature
“13: The Musical” culminates in
Evan Goldman’s bar mitzvah.

not only an impressive array of talent
from child actors, but a refreshingly self-
aware depiction of tweendom, as the
characters belt about how their lives are
only just beginning, how they have so
much to learn and grow from.

Th e musical’s bookend tracks deceive
the movie’s middle, which, despite its
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lack of nuance, still manages to be a
challenge to watch. Determined to make
up for the peers he lost in his move from
New York and beef up his bar mitzvah
attendee list, Evan does whatever it takes
to make fast friends.

Despite “13”’s bright colors and decep-
tively sunny Indiana skies, the fi lm is
undoubtedly self-serious, which seems
out of place given the surface-level strug-
gles of the characters. Th e fi lm’s open-
ing number promises growth beyond
growth spurt, but “13” instead delivers
an overly tidy resolution to its confl icts.

And while the fi lm adaptation pre-
sented an opportunity to update the pop
culture references from 2008, the fi lm-
makers instead make vague references to
YouTube and selfi es.

As the fi lm's confl ict resolves itself
throughout multiple songs and dances,
the culmination of the fi lm in Evan’s bar
mitzvah falls fl at. Aft er an all-too-short
Haft orah (which would make any Jewish
tween jealous of its brevity), Evan deliv-
ers a d’var Torah about everything he’s
learned from the past few months (with no
mention of his Torah portion!) to a crowd
of whooping and cheering classmates.

He makes the requisite comment to his
young, hip rabbi (Josh Peck) about a bar
mitzvah not being about a party aft er all,
but goes on to host a big bash anyway, the
depth of the lesson as shallow as many of
the characters’ development.

Th ough replete with tuneful tracks
requisite for a Broadway soundtrack, “13”
falters in its plot, and the moral of the
fi lm gets lost in the shuffl e, bop and boo-
gie of it all. JE
srogelberg@midatlanticmedia.com Courtesy of Alan Markfi eld/Netfl ix
B SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER



obituaries
World War II Veteran Eli Fatow
Dies at 97
HEATHER M. ROSS | STAFF WRITER
involving aerial flight. Fatow even met
Pope Pius XII when he and his fellow
soldiers arrived in Rome and went to
Vatican City.

Fatow was a member of the Jewish
War Veterans, an organization that
defends the rights and benefits for all
service members and veterans, fights
antisemitism and supports Israel,
according to its website.

E li Fatow, a Jewish World War II
veteran who earned five Bronze
Stars, died on Aug. 2. He was 97.

He was born in Philadelphia in 1924.

The timing meant that as he was grad-
uating from high school he wasn’t just
receiving his diploma: He was receiv-
ing his draft notice. In 1943, at just
18 years old, Fatow began 3½ years of
service in the Army Air Corps during
World War II. He was deployed in
North Africa, Sicily and Italy.

He served as a troop carrier, which
meant dropping food and supplies
from planes and helping to transport
wounded soldiers.

In 2015, Fatow spoke with the Jewish
Exponent about his experience in
World War II.

While Fatow was proud of his ser-
vice, he was humble, saying that he
“just did his job” in the Exponent arti-
cle. What Fatow was most proud of was
his family and the relationships he had
with each member.

“He just wanted to make sure we were
happy and healthy. He was not a guy
to worry about details. He was a very
optimistic guy; if we had a problem, he’d
A RESOLUTION OF ABRAMSON SENIOR CARE
Eli Fatow
Photos courtesy of Suzanne Pollak
“I was pretty much the only Jew in
my division,” Fatow said.

The Bronze Stars he received are
awarded for heroism, outstanding
achievement or meritorious service not
The Board of Trustees of Abramson Senior Care record with sorrow the
passing of their esteemed colleague and friend
Richard B. Pearl, z”l
whose commitment to Jewish causes and philanthropy benefited the
seniors served by Abramson Senior Care, and who served as an example
to the entire community.

Richard joined the Board of Trustees in 1976 and has been a steadfast
supporter of Abramson Senior Care’s mission to ensure that needy and
frail seniors throughout the community receive the crucial high-quality
services they deserve. He tirelessly gave of his time and expertise,
serving as Board Chair from 1990-1993 and on the By-Laws, Audit,
Conflict of Interest, Building for Life and Cabinet Committees. As Board
Chair, Richard oversaw the funding of an Alzheimer’s Clinical Research
Center at Philadelphia Geriatric Center, Abramson Senior Care’s
predecessor organization, and the first fundraising gala, the Rainbow
Ball. His guidance and dedication knew no bounds and we are deeply
indebted to all that he contributed to help make Abramson Senior Care a
first-class provider of healthcare for seniors.

A long-time supporter of the Annual Fund, Richard was also a patron of the
Rainbow Ball, gave generously to the Tribute and Resident Programs, New
Campus Fund and the Lisa Pearl Brewer and Stephen D. Pearl Endowment
Fund. Abramson Senior Care and our entire Jewish community were truly
fortunate to have been the beneficiary of Richard’s time, leadership, and
enduring tzedakah.

To his wife, Myna; daughter, Karen (Mitch); his grandchildren, Lucy and
Sophie; and all who mourn his passing, the Board of Trustees of Abramson
Senior Care offer this expression of profound sympathy. May they find
solace in the knowledge that his dedication, generosity and good works
will serve as a living tribute to him and will benefit future generations.

Lorraine Drobny
Board Chair
Sean Gregson
President and CEO
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 21