The Must List
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EVENT Boston Jewish Film Festival
This creative 32-film lineup features shorts, and even the Israeli version of The Office. The centerpiece is Deaf Jam, the story of Aneta Brodski, a deaf Israeli teen in Queens who performs sign-language verse at poetry slams. Most films, $12; three-film pass, $30; 11/2–11/12.
COMEDY Bo Burnham
Five years ago, Bo Burnham recorded “My Whole Family Thinks I’m Gay” in his bedroom. Now the Hamilton comedian fills theaters with fans of his merrily offensive melodies. He’ll play the Wilbur on Thanksgiving weekend. $24.50–$29.50, 11/26.
FINE ART “Unbound” at Pem
With 400,000 volumes, the Peabody Essex Museum has one of the country’s finest rare-book collections. This PEM exhibit curates the best of the best, including original transcripts from the Salem witch trials. $15, 11/12/2011–11/26/2012.
BOOK Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Barack Obama may be the latest chapter in African-American history, but that’s just one in 500 years of triumph and tragedy. In Life Upon These Shores: Looking at African American History 1513–2008, Gates weaves his insights through 880 images to create a comprehensive visual saga of race in America. $50, Out 11/22.