Triplex Screens 'A Real Pain'

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Triplex Cinema announced a special screening of the critically acclaimed film "A Real Pain," which includes a discussion about the film with Hevreh Synagogue Senior Rabbi Jodie Gordon.

The discussion and screening will take place at 7:30 pm on Dec. 12 and tickets can be purchased at thetriplex.org.

Written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, "A Real Pain" tells the story of mismatched Jewish cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) who reunite for a guided tour through Poland to honor their beloved and recently deceased grandmother. 

According to a press release:

Released in November 2024 to great critical acclaim, "A Real Pain" has been a hit with audiences everywhere and is predicted to be a leading contender as awards season gets underway. In a starred review in the New York Times, Manohla Dargis wrote: "Jesse Eisenberg races straight into life's stubborn untidiness in ‘A Real Pain,' a finely tuned, melancholic and at times startlingly funny exploration of loss and belonging." Writing in Variety Magazine, Owen Gleiberman wrote: "Culkin, for all his crack timing, is not giving a ‘comedy' performance. He's doing a sensational piece of acting as a compulsive wiseacre addicted to the ways of one-upmanship…. [T]he movie, which Eisenberg has scripted with an ear for the music of ideas and contrasting voices, presents the story of these two cousins – how they interact, what they mean to each other, how their past intersects with the present – in a way that's so supple you can touch their reality."

Senior Rabbi Jodie Gordon came to Hevreh in Great Barrington in 2014. A graduate of The University of Wisconsin and Brandeis University, Rabbi Gordon has long ties to the Berkshires through her time at URJ Eisner Camp.  Rabbi Gordon is an active part of the community as a board member of Construct Inc. and is also involved in other local organizations.

Nicki Wilson, President of the Triplex Board of Directors, said: "Our community has already had an amazingly enthusiastic response to ‘A Real Pain,' and we cannot wait to hear what Rabbi Gordon says about this moving, beautiful and timely film."

Lee Breaks Ground on Public Safety Building

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:26AM / Saturday, April 25, 2026

Lee Town Administrator Chris Brittain says the community voted to invest in its future by approving the new $37 million complex. 

LEE, Mass. — Ground was ceremonially broken on the town's new public safety building, something officials see as a gift to the community and future generations. 

When finished, Lee will have a 37,000 square-foot combined public safety facility on Railroad Street where the Airoldi and Department of Public Works buildings once stood. Construction will cost around $24 million, and is planned to be completed in August 2027.

"This is the town of Lee being proactive. This is the town of Lee being thoughtful and considerate and practical and assertive, and this project is not just for us. This project is a gift," Select Board member Bob Jones said. 

"This is a gift to our children, our grandchildren."

State and local officials, including U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, gathered at the site on Friday, clad in hard hats and yellow vests, and shoveled some dirt to kick off the build. 

Town Administrator Chris Brittain explained that officials have planned and reviewed the need for a modern facility for the public safety departments for years, and that the project marks a new chapter, replacing 19th-century infrastructure with a "state-of-the-art" complex.

"The project is not just about concrete and steel, it's a commitment to the safety of our families, the efficiency of our first responders, and the future of our community," he said. 

He said he was grateful to the town's Police, Fire, and Building departments for their dedication while operating out of outdated facilities, and to the Department of Public Works, for coordinating site preparation and relocating its services.