Classes / Courses / Lectures, Fall 2014

Art

Craft Workshop

Enjoy a leisurely morning immersed in the meditative art of making a craft project. A list of materials needed for your projects will be handed out in class. Be inspired! See what a piece of cardboard can become.
Instructor: Vincent Blazewicz
Vincent Blazewicz is a parent, grandparent, cancer survivor, investigator and hospice volunteer who enjoys humor and music.

Creative Acrylic Painting

Learn to paint with acrylic or improve your current technique. Bring to first class - 2 medium bristle brushes, tube of black and white acrylic paint and a canvas. Complete supply list to be distributed at first class. All levels welcome.
Instructor: Arlene Rouse
Arlene Rouse studied art early, at MOMA's children's classes and then at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art. She continues to teach and exhibit. She is also a retired social worker with the NYC Dept. of Education.

Gallery 3160 Presents "Sew Many Ideas" by Maryann McEvoy

Curator: Madeleine Appell
Open Reception: Meet the Artist
Madeleine Appell is the author of two books on quilting and needle arts, and is the former principal of the High School of Art and Design. She currently teaches at Kingsborough Community College.

Museum Walks and Talks - Docent Led Guided Tours

(Details to be announced at "Sign—up" meeting)
Coordinator: Linda Silverman
Linda Silverman is an avid museum-goer. She was a program director at NYC College of Technology/CUNY in Adult and Continuing Education, and collaborative academic programs for over 20 years.

Drama

Actor's Workshop

This is basically a course of drama techniques and monologues. Our aim is to give participants confidence when appearing before the public. We will have fun and enjoy class comradely, preparing for a presentation in May.
Instructor: Esther Jaffe
Esther Jaffe has performed in the US and Australia. She has done a stint at the Actor's Studio, been part of an acting troupe and done a cabaret act. She has appeared on TV, in commercials and in a movie.

Film

Alfred Hitchcock and His Films

We review some of Producer-Director Alfred Hitchcock's films, examining themes, plots, bloopers and his fascination with trains, planes, knives and blondes. Class members will participate in dialogue readings.
Instructor: Leo Gerber
Leo Gerber is a movie buff, lectures on American History, Film Facts and Fiction, Popular Songs and Singers, and The History of Vampires. He enjoys researching and presenting background material for his classes.

Irish-American Influence in Hollywood

The class will focus on John Wayne, John Ford, John Huston and James Cagney and how their I rish American heritage influenced Hollywood through their acting and directing.
Instructor: Bernard Schwartz
Bernard Schwartz is a retired NYC public school teacher. He taught for 41 ½ years.

And the Oscar Goes To...

A look at Oscar history, nominations, winners, losers and presentations. We also read about Hollywood's worst movies, actors and actresses.
Instructor: Leo Gerber
Leo Gerber is a movie buff, lectures on American History, Film Facts and Fiction, Popular Songs and Singers, and The History of Vampires. He enjoys researching and presenting background material for his classes.

Films Set in NYC - Part 2, The 60's (Con't) and 70's

Each week we will view a selected feature film (drama, romance, comedy, action) set in NYC from 1968 – 1976.
Instructor: Sol Makon
Sol Makon is a film and music aficionado. He has extensive knowledge in these subjects, much of it attained by taking college courses in these fields. He also has a large media collection at his disposal.

Hollywood's America - U.S. History Through Its Films

We will view feature films reflecting American political, economic and social life. A discussion will follow each screening.
Instructor: Dr. Rosalie Reich
Dr. Rosalie Reich has had a long career as a Professor of English in the CUNY system.

"World War II: Movies and Music"

Speaker: Joseph Dorinson
Joseph Dorinson is a Professor of History at Long Island University and has lectured on humor and culture for the IRPE since 1990.

Foreign Language

Elementary French

This is a French language course for beginners. Learn the basics – the foundations of grammar, verbs, pronunciations, etc.
Instructor: Jean M. Prophyl
Jean M. Prophyl taught French at Jean Mary Guilloux School and the Prophyl's Academy.

Hebrew, Upper Intermediate

The emphasis in this course will be on everyday conversation, magazines and Hebrew newspapers.
Instructor: Mariam Goldhaber
Miriam Goldhaber received her Hebrew education at Flatbush Yeshiva High School, Jewish Theological Seminary and spent a year in Israel at the Institute for Youth Leaders from Abroad.

Spanish, Intermediate and Beyond

This course is designed for solid consistent practice in conversation, reading and writing. Self-expression and comprehension are our goals.
Instructor: Edward Drayton
Ed Drayton's passion for Spanish began when he won the Spanish medal at his Jr. High School graduation. He graduated from Brooklyn College, and went on to become a NYC public school teacher.

Games

*Mah Jongg for Beginners and Intermediates

This class will introduce the beginner player to the official standard hands and rules of the National Mah Jongg League. Players will learn the names of tiles, general rules of the game, special situation rules and strategy. Players who attended this class in the fall of 2013 are encouraged to attend to practice and improve their skills. The official 2014 card is required at the first class. It can be bought online at nationalmahjonggleague.org or by contacting the League at 212.246.3052 or 250 W 57th Street, NY, NY 10107. *Pre-registration is required. Class limited to 12.
Instructor: Irene Nachinoff
Irene Nachinoff is a retired NYC school teacher who now devotes her skills to the teaching of the popular game of Mah Jongg.

Social Bridge

For those with knowledge of bridge, come and enjoy supervised play in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Instructor: Ira Barnett
Ira Barnett has been supervising our Bridge class since 2008.

Health

A Joyful Journey to Miles of Smiles, Health and Wellness

Learn the ideal way to manage anger, fear and sadness. Practice PEP (Positive Energy Power) Aerobics. Safe and simple self- help strategies, that positively energize your brain and body, will empower you to survive and thrive in a 24/7 stress-filled world.
Instructor: Edith Namm
Edith Namm is a Counselor, Certified Specialized Graphoanalyst and author of 8 books on stress management. Her mission is to share ideal, safe, simple strategies that empower one to live a healthy, satisfying productive life.

Seminar - "Dealing with Breavement and Loss"

Speaker: Diana Masri
Diana Masri, MSW, is a social worker in Brooklyn, NY.

Holistic Approaches to Healing

Designed to enlighten and empower the student to take charge of his/her health related decision making – non-toxic modalities will be explored that can improve the quality of life. Hand out materials will be provided.
Instructor: Dr. Jerome Charyn
Dr. Charyn has been a faculty member for 14 years. He is a former administrator/consultant/educator with 45 years of healthcare experience. He holds BBA, MBA, MS and Ph.D degrees and several Board certifications.

Mindfullness - A Place to Be

Take a moment to slow down, breathe, and simply be. You will notice a rich world of thoughts, feelings and sensory experiences that will keep your mind, brain, and body supple and your heart soft. Learn to listen to yourself by meditating, moving, using words and by being mindful. Bring your sense of curiosity and come play on a path of self-discovery.
Instructor: Peggy Horwitz
Peggy Horwitz, LCSW is a psychoanalyst working with individuals, couples and families. She teaches mindfulness practices to individuals in business, health and service-oriented organizations. She currently practices in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Nutritional Enlightenment

We will discuss the benefits of organic food, your basic diet and B-12 deficiency. We will explore causes and cures for inflammation and how to protect your kidneys, liver and eyes and discuss insights into aging and beating the winter blues.
Instructor: Helen Reiss
Helen Reiss is a registered dietitian. She taught high school biology and was a Medical Technologist in a clinical laboratory.

History

America's "Founding Fathers"

The term "Founding Fathers" is an umbrella term that has traditionally been used to suggest the key American leaders in Colonial America, before the American Revolution. This class will present America's "Founding" leaders – both male and female, and examine the legacies they brought to the formation of a new republic and beyond.
Instructor: Walter Higgins
Walter F. Higgins was a news writer at CBS News and the owner of an advertising agency. He has taught courses on the Constitution and U.S. government at Brooklyn College and NYU.

Brooklyn History

Street and neighborhood names; Victorian Flatbush; Resorts of "Old Brooklyn;" the Jews of Brooklyn; the 5 "counties;" Brighton line subway from 1878 - 2014.
Instructor: Ron Schweiger
Ron Schweiger is a retired school teacher who was appointed "The Official Borough Historian" by former Borough President, Marty Markowitz. He has 30 years of experience on aspects of Brooklyn History.

The Brooklyn Dodgers and Other Baseball Teams via Historic Radio Broadcasts

We will listen to Baseball Radio – games that were broadcasted from the 1930's to the 1970's.
Instructor: Richard Cahn
Richard Cahn has been a lifetime baseball fan since he was taken by his mother to a Dodger game at Ebbets Field in 1949.

Chinese Culture and History

This course explores the early beliefs and practices of China and how they have carried through to modern times. We will also look at their influences in East Asia in general.
Instructor: Winifred Chin
Winifred Chin is an adjunct assistant professor of East Asian cultures at NYU and author of Paper Son and Interchange.

Hollywood's America - U.S. History Through Its Films

We will view feature films reflecting American political, economic and social life. A discussion will follow each screening.
Instructor: Dr. Rosalie Reich
Dr. Rosalie Reich has had a long career as a Professor of English in the CUNY system.

Significant Presidential Elections in U.S. History

We will continue examining the history of important presidential elections including their political and economic backgrounds, the candidates, the campaigns and election results and consequences. This term we will cover FDR's 4th term victory; and Harry Truman's improbable win in 1948 and its affirmation of both his "New Deal" and Cold War policies.
Instructor: Stephen Appell, Esq.
Stephen Appell is an attorney who specialized in labor law. A graduate of Cornell and Rutgers Law School, he is an avid student and teacher of historical subjects.

"World War II: Movies and Music"

Speaker: Joseph Dorinson
Joseph Dorinson is a Professor of History at Long Island University and has lectured on humor and culture for the IRPE since 1990.

Humanities

Affirmative Action and the Supreme Court

Affirmative Action, as a policy, began in the 1960's and right from its inception it has been controversial. The Supreme Court has played a major role in defining when affirmative actions can be implemented. This course will examine major decisions from the Supreme Court, both in terms of policy and more recent decisions regarding (delete: who has the power to decide) who has the right to decide these policies.
Instructor: Joy Schulman
Joy Schulman has participated in, and studied the Civil Rights movement for decades, as an activist, and student of history and law.

Analyzing Social Issues

We are bombarded with articles on society. This course will give students the skills needed to read these articles more critically. What assumptions are being made and what questions need to be asked. We will also look at political polls to better understand how they are done. What are the sampling techniques they use? Why are these polls generally accurate?
Instructor: Dr. Susan Prager
Dr. Susan Prager taught sociology at Brooklyn College. Her interests include retirement (currently doing a longitudinal study on retirement) and the family (currently editing her article on family and work among rabbis and cantors).

"Married Women Who Love Women"

The discovery. To tell or not to tell. The reality of marriage.
Speaker: Carren Strock
Carren Strock is a member of the Author's Guild & American Society of Journalists. She teaches writing classes and photo composition at various universities.

Old Folk Magick for Everyday Living

Learn old folk magic tricks to help you with problems - money, love, friendship, work, and social contacts. Learn when and how to burn candles – colors, timing, and moon phases. Worksheets and information will be given from the first class. Learn to empower yourself to be everything you can be and have fun while manifesting your wishes.
Instructor: Miss Kity (aka Kathleen Serao)
Kathleen Serao aka Miss Kity, has been a psychic Tarot consultant for over 30 years. She is the owner and creator of misskitysmagickalkitchen.com and thewackywitchcupcakefactory.com.

Teaching Tolerance

As adults, we can teach the younger generation the importance of tolerance. In order to do this, we must seek out and understand all forms of hate and bigotry.
Instructor: Joyce Provenzale
Joyce Provenzale was a NYC school teacher for 27 years majoring in French and Philosophy.

What is Your Future?

Each member of the class will have analysis of their future by interpretation and reading of the Tarot cards.
Instructor: Bernard Schwartz
Bernard Schwartz is a retired NYC public school teacher. He taught for 41 ½ years.

Literature

The American Experience in Fiction

Explore how the American Experience is presented in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener and Benito Cereno, Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, James' Portrait of a Lady, and Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
Instructor: Prof. Lilia Melani
Lilia Melani is an English Professor at Brooklyn College.

Philip Roth Through Four Decades

Philip Roth is an American literary giant.We will revisit The Ghost Writer in our first class. We will also be reading The Counterlife, American Pastoral and Exit Ghost. We will refer to Claudia Roth Pierpont's Roth Unbound throughout the course, in which she explores Roth's life through his art. *Please read or re-read The Ghost Writer for the first class.
Instructor: Joan Ostacher
Joan Ostacher taught English in public school for almost 30 years. She continued to share her love of reading and writing at BMCC (CUNY) for several years. Joan is a graduate of Brooklyn College.

The Short Story: American and International

Like any art form, the short story holds a key to the life of its time and the life reflected therein. There are within this shared universe, reverberations of the complexities of both life and fiction.
Instructor: Dr. Rosalie Reich
Dr. Rosalie Reich has had a long career as a Professor of English in the CUNY system.

"A Writer's Journey" - Writing a Book

Speaker: Carren Strock
Carren Strock is a member of the Author's Guild & American Society of Journalists. She teaches writing classes and photo composition at various universities.

Mathematics and Science

Lecture - "Properties of Whole Numbers"

How do we know that, while the sum of two odd numbers is even, the product of two odd numbers is odd?
Speaker: Fred Friedland
Fried Friedland teaches Mathematics at Baruch College. He has given lectures at the IRPE since 1990.

Reading The New York Science Times

Great things are happening in the world of science today. Read and bring the Tuesday, NY Times Science Section to class for our informative discussions about the latest breakthroughs.
Instructor: Dr. Leslie Jacobson
Leslie Jacobson has been a long-time Professor in the department of Health and Nutrition Sciences. She is a "founding mother" of IRPE and a major supporter of our organization since its beginning.

Music

American? Music - Jews, Blacks and Italians Create America's Music

If the U.S. is basically a White Anglo-Saxon society, how is it that one of its essential contributions to world culture, American music, has been dominated by three "outsider groups" – Blacks, Jews and Italians? This course will consider their contributions and inter-actions. We will listen to lots of great music.
Instructor: Gene Reiser
Gene Reiser has a lifelong passion for folk, protest and Broadway music. He is a former labor relations manager for CUNY.

Folk Songs - A Sing-A-Long

If you enjoyed the folk songs of the 1960's and 70's (John Denver, Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, Pete Seeger, etc.) then you will enjoy singing along with Al Wise as he accompanies you with his guitar.
Instructor: Al Wise
Al Wise taught at Sheepshead Bay High School for 30 years. He does volunteer work for nursing homes, the Make-a-Wish Foundation and Hospice of NY.

Opera and People that Made Music

The life and times of Valintino, Cristofori, Gershwin, Caruso, Pavarotti, Lorenzo DaPonti (Jewish Librettist for Mozart's 3 operas) and Verdi, will be discussed.
Instructor: Aldo Mancusi
Aldo Mancusi is the Founder and Curator of the Enrico Caruso Museum for over 25 years. He has been a faculty member at the IRPE since 2011.

"World War II: Movies and Music"

Speaker: Joseph Dorinson
Joseph Dorinson is a Professor of History at Long Island University and has lectured on humor and culture for the IRPE since 1990.

Physical Fitness

Tai Chi - A Moving Meditation

Enjoy the flow and connect to your mind and body in a new way in this safe, interesting form of exercise. Tai Chi is a series of slowly flowing movements with many health benefits. Practicing tai chi calms the mind while improving balance, strength, flexibility and focus.
Instructor: Hillary Merman
Hillary Merman, LCSW, CMA, is an experienced movement therapist and psychotherapist who has been practicing and teaching tai chi for many years in Park Slope and Windsor Terrace.

Yoga and Body Movement Awareness

This course will consist of a series of postures and breathing exercises combined with relaxation techniques and exercises.
Instructor: Cynthia Arenson
Cynthia Arenson is a graduate of Brooklyn College and a Masters in Exercise Physiology at Queens College. She taught yoga for 30 years at a resort in the Catskills and in a community center.

Poetry and Writing

Thinking and Writing Outside the Box

Do concerns with political correctness and propriety interfere with your responses to the muse? Are you blessed with the courage to take the risks associated with thinking outside the box? Try it, and you just might amaze yourself.
Instructor: Louise Jaffe
Louise Jaffe is the author of many published poems and short stories. She is Professor Emerita of English at Kingsborough Community College.

Special Lectures and Performances

Seminar - "Dealing with Breavement and Loss"

Speaker: Diana Masri
Diana Masri, MSW, is a social worker in Brooklyn, NY.

Gallery 3160 Presents "Sew Many Ideas" by Maryann McEvoy

Curator: Madeleine Appell
Open Reception: Meet the Artist

Intellectual Life Series

The following three lectures constitute the Intellectual Life Series

Coordinator: Madeleine Appell
Madeleine Appell is the author of two books on quilting and needle arts, and is the former principal of the High School of Art and Design. She currently teaches at Kingsborough Community College.

• "The Journey of a Collector" - tea cups, depression glass, vintage linens... Joyce Crupi
• "Israeli Folk Dancing: It's More than Just Hora" - Laura Givner
• "Wills: Who Gets What and How to Do It" - Leonard Grau

"Married Women Who Love Women"

The discovery. To tell or not to tell. The reality of marriage.
Speaker: Carren Strock
Carren Strock is a member of the Author's Guild & American Society of Journalists. She teaches writing classes and photo composition at various universities.

Museum Walks and Talks - Docent Led Guided Tours

(Details to be announced at "Sign—up" meeting)
Coordinator: Linda Silverman
Linda Silverman is an avid museum-goer. She was a program director at NYC College of Technology/CUNY in Adult and Continuing Education, and collaborative academic programs for over 20 years.

"Properties of Whole Numbers"

How do we know that, while the sum of two odd numbers is even, the product of two odd numbers is odd?
Speaker: Alfred Friedland
Alfred Friedland teaches Mathematics at Baruch College. He has given lectures at the IRPE since 1990.

Special Slide Show and Short Film - "Sicily"

Presented by: Prof. Kenneth Axen
Kenneth Axen is an Adjunct Full Professor at Brooklyn College. His training in photojournalism and documentary filmmaking enables him to make slide shows and short films of his travels in Africa, India and Southeast Asia.

"World War II: Movies and Music"

Speaker: Joseph Dorinson
Joseph Dorinson is a Professor of History at Long Island University and has lectured on humor and culture for the IRPE since 1990.

"A Writer's Journey"- Writing a Book

Speaker: Carren Strock
Carren Strock is a member of the Author's Guild & American Society of Journalists. She teaches writing classes and photo composition at various universities.