The Main Line

The Main Line
Programs in Memory of Joseph H. Levine

Orit Dolgushev
Program Manager, Main Line

484-534-0674
Email Orit
odolgushev@goldenslipper.org

Lifelong Learning at Golden Slipper Gems on the Main Line!

At Golden Slipper Gems on the Main Line, located at Adath Israel Synagogue in Merion, participants enjoy a robust lifelong learning program and cultural trips that naturally inspire socialization.

Current Lifelong Learning Offerings

June 2023 Program!

NYC BROADWAY DAY TRIP!

Museum Tours!

REGISTER FOR SPRING CLASSES BELOW!

June In Person & Zoom - Class Registration

EKPHRASTIC CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

Zoom! 3 Tuesdays June 13 – 27, 10 AM – 11 AM – $29

Click to Register for Ekphrastic Creative Writing Workshop

Instructor: Sara Wenger, MS, MFA, Adjunct Instructor, Arcadia University

‘Ekphrastic’ comes from the Greek word ‘description’. Ekphrastic writing invites participants to describe what they see in a piece of artwork. Through a series of writing prompts, participants will share their emotional and aesthetic responses to specific pieces of art. NO PRIOR WRITING EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY. Participants should be prepared to write short responses to various works of art. This is a fun way to talk about art and write for fun.

AN OCEAN OF AIR AND 4.5 BILLION YEARS OF WEATHER

Zoom! 3 Tuesdays June 13 – 27, 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM – $29

Click to Register for An Ocean of Air

Instructor: Mike Kaczmarczik, Senior Cooperative Education Advisor, Drexel U

This three-part series will give a new perspective on daily weather, the history of our planet and some of the most extreme atmospheric events that occur. We’ll begin taking a swim through an ocean of air – our atmosphere. Discovering not only what is in the air we breathe, but what extraterrestrial forces drive its motion. Next, we will take a trip back in time, to the origin of Earth and the birth of our atmosphere. Making a few stops on our journey to present
day, we will examine past climates and how they inform our changing climate today. Our final discussion will focus on awe inspiring natural phenomenon driven by the weather. From supercell thunderstorms that spawn tornadoes to tropical cyclones and atmospheric rivers.

ONE BOOK ONE JEWISH COMMUNITY:
WHO BY FIRE: LEONARD COHEN IN THE SINAI

In Person & Zoom! 3 Wednesdays June 7 – 21, 10 AM – 11 AM – $29

Click to Register for One Book One Jewish Community

Instructor: Rabbi Eric Yanoff, Adath Israel Synagogue on the Main Line

Who By Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai is this year’s One Book One Jewish Community for Philadelphia. At such a fraught time, it may offer a hopeful picture of how, in the crucible of the Yom Kippur War, one musician (himself at a critical moment in his life and career) responded to a moment of fear and concern in Israel’s history. Rabbi Eric Yanoff joins us once again this year, to reflect on lessons for today that we may draw from the book and to learn the history from forty years ago with a new chronicle by Israeli journalist Matti Friedman.

WHY WE SHOULD READ BANNED BOOKS

In Person & Zoom! 3 Wednesdays June 14 – 28, 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM – $29

Click to Register for Why We Should Read Banned Books

Instructor: Ellen Trachtenberg, Owner of Narberth Book Shop

During the past several years, there has been a steady increase in the number of books being banned by schools and libraries in different regions of the U.S. What themes do these books have in common? What is accomplished by preventing access to certain titles? Booksellers, teachers, librarians and advocacy groups agree that blanket bans are not an appropriate response to topics that some find controversial. Indeed, after a book has been banned, the demand for it seems to grow. In these sessions, we will discuss several books at the top of the most frequently banned list.

JEWISH MUSIC IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN
SOCIETY: DIVERSITY & UNPRECEDENTED
EXPERIMENTATION

Zoom! 3 Thursdays June 15 -29, 10 AM – 11 AM – $29

Click to Register for Jewish Music

Instructor: Pavel Roytman, Cantor, Conductor, Klezmer Music Performer

As far back as the 16th-century, Jewish music has adapted and transformed to changing musical interests and tastes. Today is no different, the emergence of technology has accelerated the process of change and triggered innovations in Jewish music. Over this course we will look at music created in experimental congregations, concert venues and youth groups. We will also explore new forms of media such as YouTube, showing the dynamic and evolving development of Jewish music.

POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Zoom! 3 Thursdays June 15 – 29 , 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM – $29

Click to Register for Political Affairs

June 15 – Instructor: Dr. Matt Kerbel, Interim Associate Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Professor, Department of Political Science, Villanova University

Dr. Kerbel will focus his talk on the peak of the debt ceiling crisis if no solution is found before then. He will include discussions on indictments of the organizers of the attempted coup, the 2024 presidential cycle and President Biden decision on running for re-election. Dr. Kerbel will also comment on the Republican field starting to take shape.

June 22 – Instructor: Charlie Day, M.A., Member Of The Speakers Bureau of Fair Districts PA

This class will focus on how a state legislature such as Pennsylvania’s can impact both state and federal government. We will discuss recent unfair electoral and legislative outcomes in PA and how little control the electorate has which leads to these results.

June 29 – Instructor: Buntzie Ellis Churchill, Speaker, President World Affairs Council of Philadelphia 1983 – 2006

Is America still a military superpower? Yes, but… China is our greatest economic competitor. Currently, the world’s two largest economies are at disagreement over issues ranging from trade, technology, national security, and Taiwan. Under its current leadership, China’s goal is to surpass the U.S. and be the global leader. How is it doing? With its investments in the military, China appears to be bracing for confrontation while we appear to be somewhat disinterested and not well prepared, even for our own defense.

NYC Day Trip, Museum Trips

  • Price: $245.00
    Wednesday, July 5 2023. Price includes: Round trip transportation, Orchestra seats, and gratuities. Bus leaves from Adath Israel at 9 am sharp. Estimated return at 7 pm. ***does not include lunch***
  • Price: $25.00
    Thursday, June 8, 11AM - 1PM. We will tour the inside facility as well as the outside garden. The tour will be followed by a tea-tasting program with an explanation of tea culture in Japan and interactive tea making lesson. Participants will be given an in depth look at matcha culture, its history and how the tea is made. After that we will get to make a bowl of matcha and replicate an informal tea ceremony. Lansdowne Dr. & Horticultural Dr. Philadelphia, PA 19131
  • Price: $25.00
    Monday, June 19, 11AM - 12:30PM. We will visit this special museum owned by J. Justin & Gwen Ragsdale, who will accompany us on this tour. The museum contains slavery artifacts that the Ragsdale family has been collecting from their ancestors’ history, as well as the slavery time period and the Jim Crow era in America. 5501 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19144
  • Price: $75.00
    Monday, June 26, 11AM - 2:30PM. We will visit the ongoing collection of impressionism and post impressionism paintings. We will discuss the unique ways Albert Barnes believed that art should be displayed in a room and how his collection expanded during his lifetime, giving Dr. Barnes an opportunity to become n art educator. Following our visit, we will enjoy lunch at the adjacent restaurant. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19130
  • $0.00
  • By registering for In Person programs: I(we) have been vaccinated for Covid-19. I (we) will not attend the program if I (we) have tested positive for COVID-19, are awaiting test results, or have symptoms of COVID-19. I (we) will not attend the program if I (we) have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. I will contact Orit Dolgushev if I test positive for COVID-19 within 10 days of attending a program.

Book Club - Zoom
  • June 28, 3 PM

Join us for our discussion of the book Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu.

Register for the Book Club  Here!

  • July 26, 3 PM

Join us for our discussion of the book The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Register for the Book Club  Here!

  • August 23, 3 PM

Join us for our discussion of the book Hello Beautiful, by Ann Napolitano.

Register for the Book Club  Here!

 

Membership Information Form

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Location & Directions

Adath Israel

Enter the parking lot off of Old Lancaster Road and park as soon as you enter the lot. Enter the front door of the synagogue and you will be at Frankel Hall where courses are held.

Policies

Cancellation

When appropriate, Golden Slipper Gems will issue a credit, not a refund.

Attendance

A course series generally runs between 4 and 8 weeks depending on the site and holiday schedule. Please note that each individual course is sold only on a course basis, Golden Slipper Gems does not sell individual classes. Courses are not pro-rated if you join the course late or you miss a class for any reason.

Guests

For out of town guests you may purchase one class for $5.  Guest passes cannot be purchased in lieu of course registration.

Credit

Credit will not be given after the first day of classes except in the event of illness or injury. Written documentation from a physician or nurse-practitioner is required.