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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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JCC Greater Boston

JCC Greater Boston is the primary destination for Jewish engagement, a hub of learning and celebration, and a connector to Jewish life. Whether it's in an early learning classroom, on the fields of one of many camps, or on stage at a public lecture, the JCC is a place where individuals and families encounter Jewish ideas and values. Serving more than 50,000 people in the Greater Boston area, the JCC offers innovative programs for children, youth, and adults.

http://www.bostonjcc.org/Home.aspx

In Person

Unlocking the Key to Happiness: It's Never Too Late!

7:00pm Wed, Nov 13, 2024

Dr. Robert Waldinger reveals the answers to the question: What makes for a happy and fulfilling life? His TED Talk about the Harvard Study, “What Makes a Good Life,” has been viewed more than 47 million times and is one of the ten most-watched TED talks ever. Join JCC Greater Boston as Dr. Waldinger shares important lessons on how to build a fulfilling, long life.

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Food and Wellness

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
October 7 One Year Later: The War’s Far Reaching Impact

Thu, Sep 26, 2024

It has been nearly one year since the attacks on October 7th, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. That day, and the war that ensued, has led to an explosion in antisemitism worldwide and terrible suffering on both sides of the war. Our Hot Buttons Cool Conversations panel of American, Israeli and Palestinian experts will explore the war’s impact in Israel and its political reverberations in this country, including the war’s influence on our looming elections and how the election results could influence the conflict in Israel, Gaza and the rest of the world.

Forum Network

Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
Israel and Gaza: Finding a Way Forward

Wed, Mar 27, 2024

As we approach six months since the horrendous massacre on October 7, there is no end in sight for the conflict in Gaza. With an incalculable human cost, our Hot Buttons Cool Conversations panel examines if there is another way forward. We look ahead to the time when Israelis, Palestinians and the rest of the world must wrestle with the future Gaza and its relationship with Israel. We examine Israel’s alternative paths and what role the U.S. has to play in managing the crisis.

Forum Network

Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
David Brooks with How To Know A Person

Wed, Jan 17, 2024

Join JCC Greater Boston for a compelling evening of conversation with one of the nation's leading writers and political commentators, as part of our Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons Cool Conversations discussion series.

David Brooks is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times, a writer for the Atlantic and a regular on the PBS Newshour. He is also the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mountain and The Road to Character.

David Brooks discusses his latest book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen. He offers a practical, heartfelt guide to the art of truly knowing another person in order to foster deeper connections in every aspect of our lives. Getting to know and understand others is particularly relevant given the current state of our country and the world.

Forum Network

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
The War on Ukraine: Can Putin be Stopped?

Thu, May 18, 2023

It's been more than a year since Russia launched its devastating invasion of Ukraine. The conflict has challenged the world order and fueled geopolitical and economic uncertainty around the world. We examine the U.S. role in the War in Ukraine, providing more than $30 billion in military aid since the conflict began, but stopping short of deploying American forces. Panel of experts discusses how to continue to support Ukraine without inching closer to a direct U.S.-Russian confrontation and if we are at risk of World War III. Photo credit : Envato

Forum Network

Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
Parent Trap: Are We Raising Wimps or Warriors?

Wed, Jan 25, 2023

For decades, parents have been bombarded by messages imploring them to do more for their children. There has been a cultural shift expecting parents to do everything from playing to problem solving. In this effort to protect their children, many parents have actually stripped them of their coping capabilities. In our latest Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations discussion series we ask, how can those who mean only the best for their kids end up hampering their development? We will look at cultural differences and varying parenting styles to examine if doing less is actually helping more.

Forum Network

Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
Michael Twitty on Dishes on Food, Faith & Koshersoul

Wed, Sep 21, 2022

The Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations Discussion Series gets off to an exciting start. Michael Twitty is the James Beard award-winning author and culinary historian of The Cooking Gene and the recently released Koshersoul: The Faith & Food Identity of an African American Jew. He has baked challah with Jewish cooking maestro Joan Nathan and guided Padma Lakshmi of "Top Chef" fame on southern cooking. As a Black, Jewish, gay man, Twitty embodies many identities. Food is where he brings his whole self. Michael Twitty is in conversation with Robin Washington, an acclaimed veteran journalist and The Forward's Editor-at-Large.

Forum Network

Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations, Food and Wellness

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
Hot Buttons - An Unprecedented Court

Thu, Mar 31, 2022

We examine the nation’s top court and its power to determine the direction of a host of hot button issues. With the court's actions to leave an abortion law in place last fall, we look to what the public should expect in laws on privacy and reproductive rights this spring. As the court signals its willingness to reconsider precedents, we will look at what other laws may be up for grabs. Our expert panel will examine how the current court see issues like gay marriage, gun rights, and religion from various perspectives. Panelists: Gary Lawson, Boston University Law Professor Melissa Murray, New York University Law Professor Jed Handelsman Shugerman, Fordham Law School Professor Moderator: Michael J. Gerhardt, Burton Craige Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence IMAGE CREDITS: [The U.S. Supreme Court” by Geoff Livingston. Image cropped and blurred. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.](https://www.flickr.com/photos/9397412@N06/32889246102) [“A protester against the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside the Warren E. Burger Federal Building in St. Paul, Minnesota” by Lorie Shaull. Image cropped. CC BY-SA 2.0.](https://www.flickr.com/photos/11020019@N04/29600407857) "A protester against the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh outside the Warren E. Burger Federal Building in St. Paul, Minnesota" by Lorie Shaull. CC BY-SA 2.0.

Forum Network

Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
Book Bans, CRT and a Country Divided in the Classroom

Tue, Jan 25, 2022

From book banning to teaching of critical race theory, educators and parents across the county are clashing over what can and can’t be taught in the classroom. Teachers are caught in the middle of some of the biggest flash points in this country’s culture wars. We examine the role of school boards and some state laws that are fueling the latest culture wars. Tom Edsall, Professor of Political Journalism at Columbia University and New York Times Opinion Writer, moderates a discussion with Adam Harris, Staff Writer at the Atlantic, Nicholas Tampio, Professor of Political Science at Fordham University, and Rebecca Jacobsen, Professor of Education Policy at Michigan State University.

Forum Network

Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston
Hot Buttons/Cool Conversations: Covid Culture Wars

Thu, Oct 14, 2021

President Biden’s aggressive plan to boost vaccination levels in this country comes as millions of Americans refuse to protect themselves against the deadly virus. Those opposing vaccines and masks mandates fall along partisan lines, making the issue more about politics than public health. Mask wearing and vaccines have emerged as a new front in America’s culture wars. David Graham, staff writer at The Atlantic, leads a discussion examining how these public health measures have become a hot button political calling card. Joining him are Art Caplan, Professor of Bioethics at NYU Langone Medical Center; Lawrence Gostin, Professor in Global Health Law at Georgetown; and Carmel Shachar, Executive Director of the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology & Bioethics at Harvard Law School.

Forum Network

Partner:

JCC Greater Boston