Invest time in learning something new! Our enriching, engaging lectures feature the best educators, authors, and thought leaders from around the Bay Area and across the nation.
An enriching and engaging lecture series presenting the best local authors, artists, and educators. Spend the afternoon learning something new! Join us on 1st and 3rd Mondays from 2:00-3:00 pm in the Board Room.
Upcoming Lectures:
Monday, December 16: Bérénice 1934–44: An Actress in Occupied France
The winner of nine literary awards in France, this poignant novel is about a young Jewish woman’s struggle to fulfill her career aspirations, while concealing her Jewishness in war-torn France. She becomes the leading actress in the Comédie-Francaise when the Nazis occupy France. Bérénice must choose between her passion for the stage and her allegiance to freedom and her Jewish heritage. Come hear this theatrical presentation with actress Danielle Levin, who will do readings from the book. Zack Rogow and Renée Morel, who translated the book into English, will provide additional background about Jewish life in Paris at that time. The author, Isabelle Stibbe, will join us via teleconference from Paris.
Monday, January 6: Seeds of Resistance
The Fight to Save Our Food Supply: Hear the terrifying and persuasive story of how three multinational companies that made their money producing chemicals—think Bayer-Monsanto and DowDuPont—have managed to gain control of the world’s supply of seeds and now threaten not just the livelihood of millions of farmers but also the Earth’s food supply. Mark Schapiro is an award-winning environmental journalist and the author of two critically acclaimed books on environmental issues. He is a Lecturer at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and was formerly Senior Correspondent at the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Monday, February 3: Recipe for Success
Lizzie Kander’s The Settlement Cookbook became one of the most successful fundraising cookbooks in history. Proceeds from sales of the 34 editions helped build Milwaukee’s first settlement house, first playground, and the JCC of Milwaukee. Kander was the first president of the Milwaukee Settlement, a position she would hold for eighteen years. She became known as “the Jane Addams of Milwaukee” for her good works in the community. Join Dr. Bob Kann, Professor of Education and author, as he shares tales about Lizzie, her cookbook, and life. Learn about cooking practices and the cutting edge cooking gadgets from the early 1900’s.
