NEWS

WANT TO TAKE MORE SPRING COURSES?

We have several spring courses that don't begin until April. There's still room in most of them. Pick the one(s) you want, make sure your membership is current, then go to the registration page and log in. If you've already registered for a course, look and see if there are others that may fit into your schedule. Some will be in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Temple Shalom in West Newton, and others will be held on Zoom on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Also, mark your calendars for our wonderful LUNCH@LLAIC programs at Temple Shalom that continue throughout the spring semester every Tuesday afternoon. See the article below for details.

Our course schedule and full course descriptions are available on our website. Click here for the course listings, click here for the Schedule-at-a-Glance, and click here for the full Course Catalog.

HELP TEMPLE SHALOM TO HELP PEOPLE

Here’s an opportunity to do something good and downsize a bit! Temple Shalom, LLAIC’s home for in-person classes and LUNCH@LLAIC sessions, has a bin in the lobby for like-new bed and bath items such as blankets, sheets, sheet sets, pillowcases, and towels. Welcome Home, a Newton-based home goods pantry which provides individuals and families experiencing hardship with basic household items they need to live in dignity, is collecting the donations. Look for the Welcome Home bin in the temple lobby during the month of March.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Available to members at no additional charge

LUNCH@LLAIC

THIRD SESSION TUESDAY, MARCH 18

@ 1 P.M.

THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE

FACILITATED BY ALICE FREEDMAN

Have you ever wondered where chocolate comes from and when it was introduced to society? This video will take you back thousands of years to learn about the history of chocolate from its roots as an ancient Mesoamerican beverage to an intercontinental dessert. You’ll learn how a yellow, football-shaped tropical fruit transforms into high-end dark chocolate, and what “Mexican Hot Chocolate” has in common with what Montezuma drank. Plus, get the answers to what’s better, milk or dark; why does Hershey’s have its own theme park; who created the first chocolate bar; and why do we love chocolate so much? There’s also a treat in store for all who participate in the discussion! 

LUNCH@LLAIC will continue to offer Curiosity University videos with discussion facilitated by a volunteer member. Drop in before class, after class, or just for the program You may bring your own lunch (we provide designer water and hot beverages) or order pizza by emailing Jennifer Young by 11 a.m., and paying $3 per slice for one slice or $5 for two when you pick it up.

Click here for descriptions of all the spring programs. If you have any questions or are interested in facilitating future discussions, contact Alice Freedman.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 @ 1:30-2:30 VIA ZOOM

PRESENTED BY RICHARD AND MARY MANSFIELD

Emotional Intelligence refers to a set of skills and traits that enable people to manage their feelings and motivation and to perceive and effectively manage emotions in others. In his best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman describes these skills and demonstrates how important they are for effectiveness at work, in personal relationships and in life in general. Richard and Mary will describe some of the key emotional intelligence skills and lead a discussion of how they can be used in the workplace and in personal relationships.

Ciick here before noon on Tuesday, March 18, to request a Zoom invitation. You'll receive it that day.

DID YOU JOIN LLAIC AFTER JULY 2024?

IF SO, THIS INVITATION IS FOR YOU

WE ARE PLANNING A NEW-MEMBER COFFEE

 

When?   Monday, March 24 at 10-11 a.m.

Where?  Temple Shalom, 175 Temple St, West Newton

Here is a chance to meet other new members, chat about LLAIC, and become acquainted with our new home. We need to know how many are coming, so please RSVP!

RSVP by March 21 to membership@llaic.com.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT LLAIC?

GETTING TO KNOW US

TUESDAY, MARCH 25 AND FRIDAY, MARCH 28

Join us and bring your friends for the Getting to Know Us session we will be having on March 25th from 12-1 at Temple Shalom, and afterwards for pizza and LUNCH@LLAIC programming. You will hear about our vibrant offerings, our activities, and the courses available for the second half of the semester.

Can’t make it on March 25? Join us for a Zoom presentation on March 28 from 10-11am.

Please RSVP by March 23 for the in-person session and by March 27 for our Zoom Session to membership@llaic.org.

PLEASE JOIN LLAIC LOVES ART

AND THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM

ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 @ 1:30

Our ongoing series with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, This is Art. This is America: Art and Artists from the Collection of SAAM, will present session 3: “History, Culture, Identity II.” 

We will explore works by American Indian artists. Come ready for discussion during this conversational program, ably led by Eileen Doughty. Eileen is making a return appearance after first joining us in October, 2024 and now once again in March. She has been a docent since 2017 and is also a fiber artist, someone who uses fabric, yarn or other natural fibers to weave, knit, crochet or sew textile art. Her professional career was in digital cartography which is the use of computer technology, graphics and image processing to make maps.

Click here before noon on Tuesday, March 25, to request a Zoom invitation. You'll receive it that day.

GETTING TO KNOW US

Join us and bring your friends for the Getting to Know Us session we will be having on March 25th from 12-1 at Temple Shalom, and afterwards for pizza and LUNCH@LLAIC programming. You will hear about our vibrant offerings, our activities, and the courses available for the second half of the semester.

Can’t make it on March 25? Join us for a Zoom presentation on March 28 from 10-11am.

Please RSVP by March 23 for the in-person session and by March 27 for our Zoom Session to membership@llaic.org.

METROPOLITAN WATERWORKS MUSEUM

CHESTNUT HILL

FRIDAY, APRIL 4 @ 1:00 P.M.

BRUNCH AT CAFE LANDWER, CLEVELAND CIRCLE

11 A.M.

Have you ever driven by and been intrigued by the beautiful historical building facing the Chestnut Hill Reservoir? Well, that is the Waterworks Museum, considered by many to be a hidden gem in the Boston area. The Waterworks Museum is dedicated to an historical interpretation on the themes of engines and engineering, architecture, social history, and public health.

We will have a 45-minute private tour and learn how and why Chestnut Hill was identified as the ideal location for a new reservoir and pumping station in 1888. During the tour we will view the pumping engines that were needed to keep up with Boston’s rapid growth and subsequent water needs. 

Before the tour we hope you will join us for brunch at 11 a.m. at Cafe Landwer at Cleveland Circle, a 1/2 mile drive from the museum. It is known for its diverse and delicious menu, including Israeli cuisine.

Both the museum and restaurant are handicap accessible. We encourage carpooling to the museum and/or restaurant. There is parking at both locations. To sign up, please mail or email the attached registration form to Ileen Conn at the address on the form.

ANNOUNCING LLAIC'S FIRST DINNER THEATER TRIP OF THE SPRING!

THE GREAT REVEAL AT THE LYRIC STAGE

SATURDAY, APRIL 5 @ 3 P.M.

We have reserved a limited number of center orchestra seats for the Lyric Stage in Boston for the Saturday April 5^th matinee performance of The Great Reveal, “a dramedy exploring the ways a diverse group of people who love each other navigate family dynamics and gender identity.”

Tickets are $20 each and available only for current LLAIC members. If you would like to join the dinner theater group, download and complete thIs registration form and mail it with your $20 check to Andrea Teacher (address on registration form) as soon as possible. If you have any questions, you can reach Andrea at: dreajjkk@gmail.com.

Information regarding dinner (or lunch) plans will be available shortly.

AFFINITY GROUP MEETINGS

Available to members at no additional charge

LLAIC LIT-LOVERS

ETHAN FROME BY EDITH WHARTON

LED BY MARGARET DERGALIS

FRIDAY, APRIL 11 @ 10:30

The classic novel of despair, forbidden emotions, and sexual undercurrents set against the austere New England countryside. In one of American fiction's finest and most intense narratives, Edith Wharton moves an ill-starred trio toward their tragic destinies. Different in both tone and theme from Wharton's other works, Ethan Frome has become perhaps her most enduring and most widely read book.

Watch this space for the link to click on before noon on Thursday, April 10, to request a Zoom invitation that day. If you can, log on a quarter of an hour earlier to socialize.

SPANISH CONVERSATION GROUP

¡Bienvenidos a La Tertulia!

MONDAY, MARCH 17 @ 1:00

Our format consists of reading and discussing articles from various Spanish language media sources of general high interest. There is no homework although everyone is invited to submit articles they might find for our agendas.

The hosts for the group are Miriam Grodberg and Larry Krakauer. Contact Miriam to request an invitation or with any questions.

CURRENT EVENTS

LED BY JERRY JACOBS

FRIDAY, MARCH 21 @ 10:00-11:15



Join our knowledgeable, outspoken group as it expertly analyzes the latest news under Jerry's skillful guidance. Stay tuned.

Click here before noon on Thursday, March 20, to request a Zoom invitation. You'll get it that day. Newcomers are welcome. 

MOVIE MAVENS

FAREWELL MR. HAFFMANN

FRIDAY, MARCH 21 @ 2:00-3:00

Farewell Mister Haffmann takes place against the backdrop of the Holocaust, but is really a psychological study that could happen in any era. Joseph Haffmann (Daniel Auteuil) is a master jeweler living in Paris in 1941. Since all Jews must leave, he offers his employee, Francois Mercier (Gilles Lellouche), the chance to take over his store. What will follow are many moral ambiguities.

Per Rotten Tomatoes: “[This] psychological thriller dramatizes a morally complex and compelling Faustian narrative that touches on the power dynamics underlying class and gender inequality, antisemitism and, most central, the brutality of the Nazi regime.”

This film is available on Amazon, YouTube, and Apple TV. Please refer to the Just Watch app for more options.

Click here before noon on Thursday, March 20, to request a Zoom invitation. It will be sent out that day.