Winter / Spring 2017 @ OASIS Abq

Great Courses @ OASIS:  Abq Jew is pleased to inform you that

OASIS Albuquerque has just announced

their Winter / Spring 2017 line-up of classes!

Registration opens on
Wednesday January 4

but you can Wish List your selections now.

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

To promote healthy aging through a three-fold approach: lifelong learning, healthy living
and social engagement. 

OASIS Albuquerque Executive Director Kathleen Raskob continues (as always) to work enthusiastically to bring you new and interesting class offerings, and continues to make sure there are plenty of courses of Jewish interest. This session's courses and instructors include but are by no means limited to:

The Foundations of Modern Zionism & State of Israel
Wed 1 Feb & 8 Feb 2017 @ 10:30 am - #56
Instructor: Noel Pugach
What It Is: In 2017, there are a number of notable anniversaries in the history of modern Zionism and the re-creation of a Jewish state. The first class focuses on the First Zionist Congress in 1897 called by Theodore Herzl, the father of modern Zionism. Then examine Great Britain's Balfour Declaration issued in 1917, which gave international recognition for the restoration of a Jewish homeland in an area called Palestine. Place these events in their historical context and examine their consequences.

Not Your Fiddler on the Roof: The Religious Thought of Hasidism
Mon 6 Feb 2017 @ 10:30 am - #101
Instructor: Michael Nutkiewicz 
What It Is: Eastern European Jewry before the Holocaust is often romanticized as folksy, pious, and powerless. The 18th century, however, saw the rise of Hasidism - a religious movement that swept the imagination of a large segment of Jewish society. Initially branded as heretical by rabbinic authorities, it was finally accepted as part of Judaism. Hasidism, however, offered a unique approach that blended traditional Jewish concepts, mysticism, and psychology. This fascinating movement still exists.

Celebrating Trees & Protecting the Environment Through a Model Seder
Thu 9 Feb 2017 @ 10:30 am - #103
Instructor: Paul Citrin
What It Is: Ancient rabbis established the 15th of the month of Shevat (corresponding this year to February 11) as the New Year of the Trees. For two millennia, due to a strong Jewish feeling for the environment, trees have been planted during this time. About 500 years ago, the mystics of Safed, Israel developed a seder, or liturgical meal, to express the human relationship to the earth. A model seder with its liturgy and discussion of environmental values will be presented with samples of dried fruits and nuts used in the celebration. Limited enrollment.

Shakespeare in Love?
Thu 2 Mar 2017 @ 10:30 am - #69
Instructor: Norma Libman
What It Is: With whom? - and other secrets of the great writer's life. No, we won't be able to answer all the questions about this man, but in this class we will learn a lot about Shakespeare's view of himself and the world in which he lived. We do this by looking at some of his key sonnets, in which he revealed much about who he was.

Truly American: Aaron Copland
Thu 2 Mar 2017 @ 1:00 pm - #80
Instructor: Jane Ellen
What It Is: Hailed as "The Dean of American Composers," Aaron Copland (1900-90) was one of the driving forces in creating a definitive American sound in concert music. As an author, Copland wrote books presenting classical music in such a way as to appeal to musicians and non-musicians alike; as an educator, he was devoted to helping develop young talent. But then, as Igor Stravinsky once remarked, "Why call Copland a great American composer? He's a great composer!"

Bob Dylan: Homer, Ginsburg, or Jeremiah
Mon 27 Mar 2017 @ 10:30 am - #70
Instructor: Lib O'Brien
What It Is: "Why can't I be conventional" Bob Dylan sang, in response to the announcement of his Nobel Prize, showing that once again, Bob Dylan will be Bob Dylan without labels. Much of the following controversy is over the definition of literature. Through discussion we will try to define Dylan's place in both the arts and culture. As well as listening to many of his songs, we may even sing a few.

Spies in Los Alamos During World War II
Thu 30 Mar 2017 @ 10:30 am - #130
Instructor: Richard Melzer
What It Is: The project to develop the world's first atomic bomb was to be the most secure operation of World War II. It was not. This presentation describes how security at Los Alamos was supposed to work but soon failed, leading to easy access for three spies: David Greenglass, Klaus Fuchs, and Ted Hall, and their Communist handlers. Using autobiographies, oral histories, and previously classified information, Richard Melzer tells this absorbing story, complete with anecdotes and ironic humor.

The Ethics & Morality of the Death Penalty
Thu 6 Apr 2017 @ 10:30 am - #108
Instructor: Harry Rosenfeld
What It Is: There are those in leadership in the state of New Mexico that are pushing for the reinstitution of the death penalty. Harry Rosenfeld examines some classical Jewish and other religious texts to help clarify the moral and ethical implications of the reinstitution of the death penalty.