Welcome to Live & Learn
Bethesda's Winter catalog with classes for January, February and
March. As we continue to observe the Covid-19 restrictions, all
of our classes will be presented online using the Zoom video
conferencing platform. Our Winter 2021 Catalog with all of
our January, February and March classes is now available online
and has been uploaded to our website or you can also access the
catalog by clicking here. We will not be mailing the Winter
catalog. Class Changes: Class 1597, The Dancing Geniuses - Part
II, scheduled for Tuesday Feb 2nd from 10:30 AM to Noon, has been
changed to 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Class Registration The first step is to click
the Class link below for each of the classes
that you want to attend or click Register to go the RezClick registration
page and sign up for classes. Once you have registered for
classes you will receive an acknowledgment email from RezClick. One day prior to each class that you have signed up for you
will receive an email with the link to join the Zoom
webinar. You can join the webinar with your
PC/Mac/Tablet/Smartphone. If you
have any questions about signing up for classes please send them
to info@liveandlearnbethesda.org
or call 301-740-6150 |
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The Many Pasts of Pompeii and Herculaneum | When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in the
year 79 A.D., it inadvertently preserved the most extensive and
intact ruins anywhere in the ancient world. This lecture will use
the material remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum to paint a lively
portrait of daily urban life in the ancient Roman world. At the
same time, we will also take a look at the fascinating history of
the earliest digs at these sites during the 18th century, when
they were regarded as a private quarry of Roman antiquities for a
Bourbon king. Justin Jacobs,
PhD, Professor and Historian, Author Wednesday 10:30
AM to 12:00
PM Jan 27 1
Session $15
Class 1594
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Biden’s First 100 Days | This discussion will center
around President Joe Biden’s domestic and foreign inheritance
from the Trump administration and the challenge this presents for
the Biden administration. The discussion will include the
personnel, the policies, and the process that President Biden
will create in order to advance the national interests of the
United States. The special situation that includes the
pandemic, the problems of social and economic inequality, and the
climate crisis will be addressed. The obstacles in terms of
Republican opposition in the Congress and the economic limits as
a result of serious deficit spending will also be assessed. Melvin
Goodman, Retired CIA and State Department Analyst, Author Thursday 10:30
AM to 12:00
PM Jan 28 1
Session $20
Class 1596
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The Dancing Geniuses - Part II | The choreographer evolved in the
musical to not only just create dance but to oversee it all and
become a director. These creative geniuses became major forces of
the Broadway musical. From Balanchine and De Mille to Fosse and
Bennet, to name a few, the impact of dance on the musical became
an important part of story-telling. Join with Resident Broadway
Musical expert Steven Friedman for this two part class as he
shares the impact that the great dancing impresarios had on the
Musical from the reinvention of dance and story-telling in West
Side Story and A Chorus Line, among many great masterworks. Steve
Friedman, Trained Classical Tenor, Broadway Musical Lecturer Tuesday 1:00
PM to 2:30 PM (This is a time
change) Feb 2 1
Session $15
Class 1597
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India's Jewish Culture and the Art of Siona
Benjamin | India's
Jewish community is diverse, coming from different places at
different times, and settling in different locations across the
vast subcontinent. Most of its members have in turn left in the
last 70 years, settling in Israel, the US and elsewhere. Among
these is the renowned Indian Jewish artist, Siona Benjamin, whose
work reflects disparate religious and cultural influences on her
own life and her desire to use her art as a multicultural
instrument of world-wide rapprochement. This talk will introduce
unique aspects of Indian Jewish culture and Benjamin's unique
art. Ms. Benjamin will make a guest appearance at the end of the
talk. Dr. Ori
Soltes, Professor of Theology, Philosophy and Art History, Author Siona
Benjamin, Artist Wednesday 1:00 PM to 3:00
PM Feb
3 1
Session $20 Class 1598 |
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Rome the Eternal City | The ancient Romans referred to
their city as the “caput mundi”, or the “capital of the world”.
Stretching as far west as the Atlantic Ocean, as far south as the
Sahara, north to modern-day Scotland, and east to the Euphrates
River, the Roman Empire encompassed nearly half of the known
world. The ancient monuments of Rome still stand as testimony to
the former power of the city. We shall examine these monuments
firsthand and stand in the shadow of one of the most
extraordinary ensembles of monumental architecture in history. Rocky
Ruggiero, PhD, Professor of Art and Architectural History Part II Thursday 3:00
PM to 4:30
PM Feb
4 1
Session $20
Class 1599
Part III Thursday 3:00
PM to 4:30
PM Mar
11 1
Session $20
Class 1614
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From Berle to Letterman: A History of TV Comedy | From the
earliest days of television, making people laugh was one the central
goals of TV programmers. Successful radio formats like the sitcom
and the comedy/variety show moved to television in the late
1940s, joined a few years later by the medium’s own innovation,
the late night comedy talk show. For the next seven decades,
these three formats dominated the airwaves, led by brilliant
comedians such as Sid Caesar, Jackie Gleason, Johnny Carson,
Carol Burnett, Gilda Radner, and Jerry Seinfeld. This
presentation will survey the extraordinary landscape of American
TV comedy, examining how comedy changed from the vaudeville
shtick of Milton Berle and the slapstick artistry of Lucille Ball
to the social satire of Saturday Night Live and the
self-reflexive absurdities of David Letterman and The Simpsons. Brian
Rose, Professor of Film and TV History Tuesday 1:00
PM to 2:30
PM Feb
9 1
Session $15 Class 1600
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Thingvellir: The Viking Colonization of Iceland | Spread
out over a scenic rift valley riddled with unique geologic
features, Thingvellir National Park marks the site of the first
open-air parliament in Iceland and serves as the historical
backdrop for the transformation of seafaring Vikings into some of
the most isolated and hardy farmers in the world. This lecture
will provide an overview of the Viking migrations, their
strategies for survival on an impoverished and volatile island,
and the innovative political institutions they developed to
prevent large-scale violence on Iceland. Justin
Jacobs, PhD, Professor and Historian, Author Wednesday 10:30 AM to 12:00
PM Feb
10 1
Session $15 Class 1601
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Ella Fitzgerald -- First Lady of Song | Today,
Ella Fitzgerald is commonly considered the greatest female
vocalist in the history of jazz. That wasn't always the
case. She became a teen star when she hit it big with the Chick
Webb Orchestra in 1938 with "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." Yet,
she faded from the limelight, only to hit it big once again in
the mid-1950's with her legendary Songbook recordings. From then
on, Ella was always at the forefront of jazz royalty. Musician
Seth Kibel will present recordings and video clips, and live
performances from the instructor will make this class as lively
as the music itself. Seth
Kibel, Musician and Composer Wednesday 1:00
PM to 2:30
PM Feb
10 1
Session $15 Class 1602
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Charlemagne: Father of Europe | Charles
the Great, “Charlemagne,” king of the Franks and the first
emperor of the Romans in the West after a hiatus of three
centuries, was the greatest and most successful of the barbarian
rulers who rose to power after the Fall of the Roman Empire. In a
reign marked by constant warfare, he created an empire that
encompassed what is today France, Germany, northern Italy, and
Catalonia. To secure God’s favor, Charlemagne promoted a
program of Christian moral and spiritual reform that involved the
revival of art, learning, and religion. Although the purpose
of this Carolingian Renaissance was to purify the practice of
religion in his kingdom, its greatest contribution to Western
Civilization was the preservation of the legacy of the Classical
World into the Middle Ages and modern times. In the Middle
Ages, Charlemagne was a figure of legend. In the second half
of the twentieth century he became the symbol of a united Europe.
In this lecture, Dr. Abels explores both the man and the myth of
Charlemagne, the “Father of Europe.” Dr.
Richard Abels, Professor of History Thursday 1:00
PM to 2:30
PM Feb
11 1
Session $15 Class 1603
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The Destruction of Slavery in the Civil War | Abraham
Lincoln had been elected to the presidency in 1860 on a platform
of stopping the spread of slavery into free territories in the
northwest, not attacking slavery where it already existed. But,
as University of Maryland historian Richard Bell demonstrates,
enslaved people slowly and surely pushed the president and his
commanders in the field to embrace emancipation as a war aim.
When the Civil War began African Americans wasted no time fleeing
their enslavers and rushing to the Union lines. Once there, many
enlisted in Lincoln’s army and fought slavery while wearing Union
blue. Despite harassment and racism in the ranks, they flocked to
the Union lines casting themselves as liberators and turning the
world upside down. As a result of their efforts, the great
struggle would end with the destruction of American slavery and
the passage of the 13th Amendment. Richard
Bell, PhD, Professor of History, Author Tuesday 10:30
AM to 12:00
PM Feb
16 1
Session $15 Class 1604
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The Birth of Ashkenaz | The Jews
were originally a Semitic tribe living in Judea, later called
Palestine. How, why and when did they come to northern and
eastern Europe? How did their special customs, which came to be
called Yiddishkeit, develop? Join author Andrée Aelion Brooks
in this lecture and discussion about Jewish history. Andrée
Aelion Brooks, Author, Journalist, Lecturer Wednesday 10:30
AM to 12:00
PM Feb
17 1
Session $15
Class 1605
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Cybersecurity & Cyberwar: What it Means for
You | In view of the growing reliance
on computer systems; the inherent vulnerability of these systems;
the global nature of these systems; and the anonymity that the
internet provides bad actors, it is essential that we understand
what is meant by Cyber Security and Cyber War. On the internet
foreign-states and their intelligence services can impose
significant harm on computers anywhere in the world with low
probability of immediate detection. The massive Russian hacking
of U.S. systems in 2020 was an example of the serious cyber
threat that is omnipresent and may be impossible to defend. This
lecture will try to demystify the subject and provide essential
information in order to call attention to the risk to our
national and personal security from cyber-hacking. Finally, we
will examine the likelihood of international agreements to create
rules for the use of cyber actions by nation-states in order to
reduce the risk of cyber-war. Melvin
Goodman, Retired CIA and State Department Analyst, Author Thursday 10:30
AM to 12:00
PM Feb
18 1
Session $20 Class 1606
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Israel’s Coat of Many Colors | From its earliest years as a
state, absorbing Jewish survivors and refugees from post-War
Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and beyond, to the present
moment when Jews from around the world continue to make their
homes in Israel, the nation has formed a patchwork of languages,
customs, races, and religious traditions. But maintaining
one of the most ethnically diverse populations in one of the
world’s smallest countries isn’t always a simple feat. This
lecture addresses two related themes: the history of immigration
to Israel, and the ethnic, religious, and racial implications of
maintaining a multicultural society in an environment with many
other challenges. On the best of days, it’s a combination of
jachnun (Yemenite pastry) and kugel (European sweet noodle
casserole) for Shabbat morning meals. On other days, it’s a
whole world of tastes, trapped in a pressure
cooker. Breakfast, anyone? Lauren
Strauss, PhD, Professor of Modern Jewish History and Culture Tuesday 1:00
PM to 2:30
PM Feb
23 1
Session $15 Class 1607
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The Secrets of the Brooklyn Bridge & Brooklyn
Bridge Park | Discover
the history behind the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge Park
and explore their many hidden secrets! Like did you know that
there is a cold war era bunker inside the Brooklyn Bridge? Or
that it was the site of the nation's first White House? Our
unique Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge Park webinar will give
you a whole new appreciation for those two iconic NYC landmarks. Justin
Rivers, Historian, Lecturer Wednesday 10:30
AM to 12:00
PM Feb
24 1
Session $20
Class 1620
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President Biden and the International Arena | This discussion will center on
the difficult and unpredictable international situation that
confronts the Biden administration, particularly the worsening
relations with both Russia and China as well as the regional
challenges that exist as a result of the usual turmoil in the
Middle East. The Middle East discussion will revolve around
U.S. relations with Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. The talk
will also assess the various roles for the major instruments of
U.S. policy such as the role of diplomacy vs. the role of
military power. The U.S. reliance on the preponderance of
military power has not been successful so there needs to be a
better understanding of the policy of arms control and
disarmament. The importance of an enlightened trade policy
will be highlighted as well. Melvin
Goodman, Retired CIA and State Department Analyst, Author Thursday 10:30
AM to 12:00
PM Feb
25 1
Session $20 Class 1608
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