The LSCF is proud to sponsor the Levy Lecture Series, an educational program for residents 55+ years who are passionate about learning. Additional support is provided by Avidor Evanston. The series is free, but registration is required.

Lectures through December will be presented on Zoom, a web conferencing app that’s easy to use. Register and you will be receive an email with easy-to-follow steps. Need more help? Watch this video.

for our great fall lineup starting Sept 15 via Zoom.

Tuesday, September 29 at 1pm

The State of Hate and Extremism in America

Lecia Brooks, Chief of Staff, Southern Poverty Law Center

Presented via Zoom.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is the premier U.S. organization monitoring the activities of domestic hate groups and other extremists – including the Ku Klux Klan, white nationalists, the neo-Nazi movement, antigovernment militias and others. Brooks walk us through the latest data and a discussion about whether the pandemic is helping or hindering these organizations.

Brooks provides counsel to senior leadership, assists with strategic planning and works with people from across the organization to ensure the SPLC’s success, whether it is achieving long-term goals or maintaining effective daily operations.

Tuesday, October 13 at 1pm

From Evanston to Uganda: Delivering
Health Care to the Developing World

Ken Schaefle, M.D.

Presented via Zoom.

Ken Schaefle started medical school at age 40. He left a thriving career in a comedy business and today is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine. What motivates a person to take such a risk and make such a momentous change?

As a member of Einstein’s Global Health faculty, Schaefle spends 3 to 4 months a year in Uganda teaching American medical students how to diagnose and treat patients. He is Co-Editor of a 1500-page global health textbook called Reasoning Without Resources.

Tuesday, October 27 at 1pm

From Miniskirt to Hijab: A Discussion

Jacqueline Saper

Presented via Zoom.

Jacqueline Saper’s comfortable childhood and adolescence in Iran ended in 1978 as the country convulsed with a uprisings and social clashes. In 1979, a revolution: the Shah was exiled and Ayatollah Khomeini returned. Iran was now an Islamic theocracy. We’ll hear what life was like before and after the revolution.

Jacqueline’s family belonged to a Jewish community of slightly more than 100,000 out of a population of 35 million. Her family was forced to adapt to the changes brought by the revolution. In 1987, they left Iran. They now live in Chicago.

Tuesday, November 10 at 1pm

Science and the Societal Impact of Hearing Loss

Sumit Dhar, Ph.D.

Presented via Zoom.

Sumit Dhar studies the sounds created within the inner ear, then examines their behavior under a variety of conditions. By understanding the physiology, he tries to design better diagnostics to test for hearing loss. It is essential to detect hearing loss early. He says, “The impact that the loss of hearing can have on a person’s life is nearly all-encompassing. Research even ties unaddressed hearing loss to diminished cognitive function, impaired memory, and dementia."

Don't miss this opportunity to learn about this topic from one of the world's leading experts.

Tuesday, November 17 at 1pm

The Education of John Adams

R. B. Bernstein, Lecturer in Law and Politics, City College of New York

Presented via Zoom.

R. B. Bernstein examines John Adams’s origins in colonial Massachusetts, his education, his struggle to choose a career, and his role in the American Revolution and the nation’s founding. He establishes Adams as a key figure in the evolution of American constitutionalism. He also examines Adams's conflicted ideas about slavery and race.

R. B. Bernstein has written, edited or contributed to more than 20 books on American constitutional and legal history. He teaches at the City College of New York.

Tuesday, December 8 at 1pm

Our Power as Playwrights

Gloria Bond Clunie

Presented via Zoom.

Award-winning playwright Gloria Bond Clunie will talk about her theatrical journey and explore how the basic tools of playwriting can help us all lead more powerful lives. If you love the theater, you’ll enjoy this first-hand account from a star playwright and director.

Clunie is a playwright, director, educator and a founding member of the Playwriting Ensemble at Chicago's Regional Tony Award-winning Victory Gardens Theater. She is also the founding Artistic Director of Evanston’s Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre where she has directed scores of productions.

Tuesday, December 15 at 1pm

Ode to Beethoven: The Man Behind the Music

Anette Isaacs, MA

Presented via Zoom.

Join German historian Anette Isaacs for a celebration of the legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday (December 17). We’ll look at the life and times of this tragic genius who was as famous for his fiery personality as for his divine ability to turn his personal struggles into supreme and powerful melodies.

Isaacs is an historian and public educator who has presented hundreds of programs on more than 30 different topics pertaining to her native country's history, politics, and culture.