Woody Allen managed to show off his wide social network at the screening and after-party for his new romantic comedy “Melinda and Melinda.” Of course, the stars of the film were there: Amanda Peet, Will Ferrell, Radha Mitchell, Chloe Sevigny, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. But also clinking glasses at Pastis were Jon Bon Jovi, Julian Schnabel, and Helen Gurley Brown. Perhaps Mr. Allen’s co-hosts, Donna Karan, Interview magazine’s Ingrid Sischy, and Fox Searchlight’s Peter Rice helped out in the guest-list department. Meanwhile, Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick drew a uniformly hip crowd at the kickoff party for GenArt’s 10th annual film festival, held at Emporio Armani on Fifth Avenue.

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More than 2,500 people gathered at the Hilton New York Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the Schottenstein Edition of the Babylonian Talmud – a 15-year project that cost $21 million. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment. By finishing this, so many people are able to learn it now,” Esther Dickman said, adding, “Our set is in the living room, proudly on display.”

The Schottenstein edition is the first complete English translation of the Babylonian Talmud published in more than 50 years. Hundreds of scholars worked on the 73 volumes, which include notes and commentary running on the bottom of the pages. More than one million copies are in print and a complete edition resides at the Library of Congress.

The publisher of the Schottenstein Edition is Artscroll, a division of Mesorah Publications at Brooklyn. Artscroll’s Mesorah Heritage Foundation provided the funding, with the bulk coming from the late Jerome Schottenstein, who made his fortune with an Ohio-based department store chain.

Jerome Schottenstein’s son, Jay Schottenstein, sat on the dais with his four sons before being called to the podium. “We realize there is no honor higher than having one’s name associated with the Talmud,” Mr. Schottenstein said.

One of the foundation’s trustees and the chairman of the event, James Tisch, also gave remarks, for which he put on a black hat, customary apparel for many of the Orthodox Jews assembled. “As they say, when in Spain, do as the Spaniards,” Mr. Tisch joked.

A roll call of donors was read during the dinner. Merryl Tisch didn’t let the moment pass when her own name wasn’t read along with her husband’s. Sitting at a table just a few feet from her husband (who was on the dais), she pointed a finger at him and whispered, “James and Merryl!”

Fortunately, other speakers acknowledged women’s contributions. “In the audience are the ladies who are equally a part of this great moment,” the general editor of the series, Nosson Scherman, said.

The audience was inspired by the story of Barry Epstein of Texas, who said the English edition made it possible for him to embark on serious Jewish study. “Then it was time to decide where to send my kids to school. And I chose a Jewish day school, because I thought, if I’m studying this, my children should be, too.”

The volumes are a serious investment, but in celebration of the completion of the series, the publisher is having an “Incredible Talmud Sale” until Tuesday. Any three volumes are $99.The entire 72-volume set is $1,999 (a savings of $1,600). See www.artscroll.com for ordering information.

The next project is an English translation of the Jerusalem Talmud, written two centuries before the Babylonian Talmud.