Fall 2012 @ OASIS Abq

Great Courses @ OASIS:  You know about OASIS, right?  Abq Jew has featured OASIS Albuquerque on several occasions, and lists OASIS Abq courses of Jewish interest on his Learn/FiftyPlus page.

OASIS (as stated on the organization's website) is

... a unique educational program for adults age 50-plus who want to learn, grow and explore new ideas. We promote successful aging through lifelong learning, health programs and volunteer engagement.

OASIS Albuquerque has just announced their Fall 2012 line-up of classes.

Registration is now open.

As usual, Executive Director Michael Nutkiewicz has made sure there are plenty of courses of Jewish interest.  This session's courses and instructors include:

         Women, Sexuality & the Old Testament
         Tue 18 Sep 2012 Rosh HaShanah Day 2! @ 10:30 am - #75

Instructor:  Hilary Lipka

What It Is:  How is women's sexuality treated in the Old Testament, and what can it tell us about women's sexual lives in ancient Israel? We will explore this question by considering biblical texts that address women's premarital and marital sexual behavior. We will discuss what these texts reveal about ancient Israelite expectations of women and how much sexual freedom women may have had at various stages of their lives. 

Beth Cohen & Goddess of Arno Balkan Band

Fri 12 Oct 2012 @ 10:30 am - #65

 Instructor:  Beth Cohen

 What It Is:  This musical tour of the Balkans presents an overview of traditional music from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia, and the music of the Rom (Gypsy) people. Beth will share photos, video footage, and recordings from her travels as well as professional materials. Music will be shared in an historical/cultural perspective as well as with live demonstrations on traditional instruments by Beth and members of Goddess of Arno. 

Aesthetic Empathy: Friedl Dicker-Brandeis in Terezin
Thu 18 Oct 2012 @ 1:00 pm - #5

 Instructor:  Linney Wix

 What It Is:  This presentation documents the unique life of artist-teacher Friedl Dicker-Brandeis. She studied at the Bauhaus school of design, and adapted its approach to teaching children. Core to her teaching was "aesthetic empathy," a practice of caring for children by caring for their art and for them as artists. She was deported to Terezin, the Nazi's "model" ghetto. During her imprisonment, she taught secret art classes to children in the camp. 

Religious Diversity in America
Mon 29 Oct 2012 @ 1:00 pm - #36

 Instructor:  George Ovitt

 What It Is:  Recent events have conspired to create the impression that the US is not a nation uniquely tolerant of a great range of religious convictions. From the Virginia Declaration of Rights -- defending religious belief from government interference -- to Robert Bellah's description of America's "civil religion," the nation has encouraged religious diversity as a key component of the republican ideal. This talk will outline American religious history and the threats posed to it in today's society.

  
    The Presidency of Harry S Truman
    Wed 07 & 17 Nov 2012 @ 10:30 am - #37

 Instructor:  Noel Pugach

 What It Is:  Harry S. Truman, the thirty-third President, has become one of our most highly regarded chief executives. How did he become president, and what were his major successes and failures in domestic and foreign affairs? Truman guided the country through the strains of postwar economic conversion, labor strife and civil rights, the dropping of the atomic bomb, the Cold War, the establishment of the State of Israel, and the Korean War. 

   
    Osteoperosis: Definition, Diagnosis & Prevention
    Mon 12 Nov 2012 @ 1:00 pm - #31

 Instructor:  Keith Harvie

 What It Is:  Osteoporosis is a disease which leads to the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time. This presentation is designed to inform and educate people about the risks of developing osteoporosis. We will focus on ways to help prevent osteoporosis and improve your quality of life with exercise, vitamins, medication, and diet.

Shakespeare's Greatest Sonnets
Thu 15 Nov 2012 @ 10:30 am - #49

 Instructor:  Norma Libman

 What It Is:  When asked to describe himself, William Shakespeare said he was a poet - and with good reason. Not only is much of the dialogue in his plays excellent poetry, but he also produced at least 154 sonnets and two narrative poems. We will look at some of his best sonnets and see what they may - or may not - be able to tell us about the man himself and how he viewed his world.  

The Wit & Wisdom of Tom Lehrer
Thu 29 Nov 2012 @ 1:00 pm - #59

 Instructor:  Jane Ellen

 What It Is:  Singer-songwriter Tom Lehrer (1928- ) gained a national following in the 1950s and 60s as a piano-playing political satirist, poking fun at politicians, academia, Cold War paranoia, organized religion, and anything else that tickled his fancy. In odd non-musical moments he found time to teach at MIT, work as a researcher in Los Alamos, NM, and he supposedly invented the "jello shot." His musical career was brief but influential and his songs continue to be quoted today. 

Adam, Eve & the Garden of Eden: the Misunderstood Myth
Thu 13 Dec 2012 @ 10:30 am - #79

 Instructor:  Paul J Citrin

 What It Is:  Genesis 2 and 3 are influential texts that have shaped Jewish and Christian thinking for centuries. We will explore differences in both secular and religious interpretations, and examine how they relate to people's value systems. 

Establishment & Free Exercise: The Religion Clauses of the First Amendment
Thu 13 Dec 2012 @ 1:00 pm - #23

 Instructor:  Andrew Schultz

 What It Is:  This presentation is an overview of both the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. We will touch on the historical and theoretical underpinnings of the "religious clauses," and will look at several contemporary First Amendment issues.