(Courtesy of Kaplen JCC) JCC University at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades is now taking enrollment for its three-session winter term, where people can connect, find new interests, and stay involved in current developments that shape our world. Top professors and experts will present on topics that include science, literature, film, politics, psychology, art and more, creating platforms that allow people to listen, learn, and get answers, while meeting people and making new friends.
January 30
JCC U Special Event with Former US Congressman Steve Israel
Congressman Steve Israel was the U.S. Representative for New York’s third congressional district from 2001 to 2017. He left Capitol Hill, as he says “unindicted and undefeated” to pursue his writing career and currently heads the Cornell University Institute of Politics and Global Affairs. He’s kicking off JCC U’s winter term to talk politics, lobbying and his latest novel Big Guns, a satire of the firearms industry.
MSNBC Legal Analyst Unpacks the Legal Issues in the News
Lawyer, producer and on air analyst Lisa Green will break down the mountain of legal questions that pile up by the day. With a president that has an appetite for legal combat, this administration has a host of legal battles to navigate. The sheer volume of litigation is unprecedented. No point in naming them here, because they change by the minute!
February 13
Medical Ethics: What Would You Do?
Dr. Jacob Appel, physician, attorney, bioethicist, and attending psychiatrist at Mount Sinai will present some of the most challenging and unsettling ethics controversies of our time. As a society, we often see things in black and white terms; these issues defy easy answers and will undoubtedly stimulate thought and discussion.
Art and Architecture of Venice: From its Early Medieval Roots to the Great Basilica of San Marco
Born in adversity in 400AD, the City of Venice has come a long way in 1700 years. Beloved art history professor Seth Gopin will explore the architecture from early medieval times to the city’s greatest structure, the basilica dedicated to St. Marks. We’ll discover both its architecture and remarkable golden mosaics. With Venice in the news, now is a good time to study the wonders of this unique city.
February 27
Winston Churchill—Britain’s Incomparable Leader
Columbia Law School lecturer Jess Velona returns to JCC U to tell the full story of Churchill’s meteoric rise to British political power, the setbacks he faced in World War I and then his prescient diagnosis of Hitler’s threat which propelled his resurgence and set the stage for his unparalleled leadership of Britain during World War II and beyond.
Drive Through Dreams—A Journey through The Heart of America’s Fast-Food Kingdom
Many of us harbor a fast food guilty pleasure. Author Adam Chandler will explore the relationship between fast food and American life over the past century. We often vilify it, yet for most of us, fast food is full of nostalgia. We will hear the industry’s history through captivating anecdotes, fascinating trivia and engaging interviews with fans, executives and workers.
JCC U will take place on Thursdays with coffee and conversation beginning at 10:30 a.m. Morning presentation runs from 10:45 a.m.-12 pm; lunch (buy or bring your own) from 12-12:45 p.m. and afternoon presentation from 12:45-2:00 p.m. Cost for three Thursdays is $95 for JCC members/$115 public; Cost for single Thursday is $36 for JCC members, $44 public. First 10 participants to register for the full JCC U series will receive Congressman Steve Israel’s book Big Guns. For more information, visit www.jccotp.org/jccu or call Kathy Graff at 201.408.1454.
