DECEMBER 8• 2022 | 61

Israel.
“Rabbi Yedwab talked about getting 
people to come back to Temple during his 
High Holiday sermon. I enjoyed spend-
ing the weekend in-person at Temple. 
I’m doing what the rabbi said. You were 
required to stay home during COVID, but 
now it’s time to come back and be with 
people. Going to the movies is my reli-
gion,” Goldstein laughs.
Growing up in Potomac, Maryland, 
Goldstein says that he was always fascinat-
ed by the movies, and he thanks his Jewish 
mother for that.
“She would drop me off at a movie the-
ater, knowing that I would be safe, and 
she’d go shopping,” Goldstein laughs. “I 
loved it — I still love it.
“Movie theaters have survived every-
thing that has threatened to destroy 
them. First it was television. Then it 
was Betamax, cable TV, VHS, DVD, 

Blu-ray and now streaming,” says EVP 
Programming, Marketing, and Special 
Events Ruth Daniels. “The Maple is a gem. 
People like our unique programming. We 
take great care when booking this theater.
“Ticket to Paradise with Julia Roberts 
and George Clooney was the most fun that 
I’ve had at the movies since Top Gun. Why 
would you want to spend $20 on a stream-
ing service to watch it at home, when you 
could see Clooney and Roberts in all their 
glory on the big movie screen in Sony 
Digital 4K with Dolby Surround sound?”
Goldstein couldn’t agree more.
“COVID and tech companies have 
changed people’s habits — to stay at home 
on the couch with the remote in isolation. 
Going to the movies and sharing an expe-
rience with people is a wonderful thing. 
Escaping to the movies is good for your 
mental health. If I’m watching a comedy, I 
don’t want to watch it by myself. I want to 

be in a room with people where it’s more 
emotional,” Goldstein says.

A REFRESHED VENUE
Post-COVID, Goldstein, Daniels and their 
partners have been working tirelessly to 
bring audiences back to The Maple. Just 
two weeks ago, The Maple completed its 
most recent remodel. The restaurant that 
had been operated by Como’s Pizzeria 
is gone and replaced by a fresh, inviting 
space called The Lounge. 
 The Lounge offers a full-service bar, 
Great Lakes coffee and tea, and appetizers 
that are freshly prepared in The Maple 
kitchen and cooked to order. Menu items, 
including flatbreads, chicken tenders, fried 
pickles, edamame, veggie egg rolls and 
The Maple’s award-winning popcorn, can 
all be enjoyed in The Lounge or at your 
seats. 
Live music will be featured in The 
Lounge on most Friday and Saturday eve-
nings from 5:30-8:30 p.m. with a variety of 
jazz duos and trios. The Lounge hours will 
parallel the theater’s, opening around 11 
a.m. daily and closing about 9 p.m. And, 
The Maple is introducing a new app to 
make ticket ordering seamless.
“Before COVID, we made it worse. 
We took away what made The Maple so 
special — that community feel. We made 
financial decisions that, when you strictly 

continued on page 62

ABOVE: Enjoy live music in The Lounge on 
most weekends. LEFT: The Maple offers full-
bar service, appetizers and concessions.

Lauren and 
Jon Goldstein

PHOTOGRAPHER MARTY ABRIN

