Lectures and Learning
Ignite your curiosity and enrich your mind with our Lectures and Learning program! Dive into fascinating topics led by experts, expand your world, unravel history, and gain fresh perspectives. Whether you’re passionate about culture, knowledge, or meaningful conversation, our programs are designed to inspire and engage. Join us and become part of a vibrant community of lifelong learners.
Lectures
Music Lectures with Clint Edwards
Through rich recordings, fascinating stories, and heartfelt nostalgia, Clint Edwards brings to life the music and legends that defined a century.
Members $10 per lecture
Public $15 per lecture
Classical Music Series
Select Mondays
Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos – February 9 at 11 am
250 years of Classical Music in America – March 2 (Rescheduled) at 11 am
As we celebrate the 250th year of the founding of America, we’ll survey the long and important role classical music has played in our history.
Select Tuesdays in March
An in-depth look at how the director/choreographer Gower Champion crafted some of the most popular musicals of the 60s, 70s, and 80s such as Bye Bye Birdie, Hello, Dolly!, and 42nd Street.
Join a vibrant new book group dedicated to celebrating and supporting Jewish authors—and experience the thrill of having the author right there with you! On the day of each session, the featured author will be present for an intimate and engaging discussion, offering behind-the-scenes insight into their work.
Enjoy a little dessert as you connect with fellow readers in a warm, welcoming community. Together, we’ll explore compelling reads across a variety of genres and be part of a meaningful literary community unlike any other. Books available for purchase in advance through Adult Life.
Select Thursdays, 1 – 2 pm
The Girls of the Glimmer Factory with Author, Jennifer Coburn
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Don’t miss this gripping tale of two former friends on different sides of Nazi oppression during WWII, and how their humanity is tested during the most difficult of circumstances.
Members $15 | Public $22
The Girls of the Glimmer Factory with Author, Jennifer Coburn
Thursday, January 29, 2026
3…2…1…We’re On The Air A Network Producer’s Inside Look at Sports, Television, Journalism, and Gender Equity with Robert Steinfeld
Thursday, February 5 at 1 pm*
Join Emmy Award-winning producer Robert Steinfeld on his path from eager, ambitious Jewish teenage journalist to ultimately realizing his dream to produce sports’ biggest events on national network television. The author is virtual. We will be live, enjoying bagels and coffee.
$15 Members • $22 Public
* Note this is a special afternoon session of Books & Bagels.
3…2…1…We’re On The Air A Network Producer’s Inside Look at Sports, Television, Journalism, and Gender Equity with Robert Steinfeld
The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto with Elizabeth Hyman
Tuesday, March 24 at 11 am
As we celebrate Bold Women in March, we’ll revisit the tale of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising during World War II. The book highlights the lives of five young, Polish Jewish women who helped lead the resistance, fight the Nazi regime and aid Jews in hiding across occupied Poland and Eastern Europe.
$15 Members • $22 Public
The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto with Elizabeth Hyman
Neighborhood Author Series
The JCC partners with local authors who will come to spotlight their works and talk about their craft and writing process.
Widowhood and Other Altered States: Coming of Age at Seventy Plus by Jackie Guttman
Thursday, February 12 at 2 pm
This book is a wry look at the absurdities of living alone for the first time as a mature adult – a coming-of-age book for people who have already aged, and their younger friends.
Free to Members • $10 Public
Widowhood and Other Altered States: Coming of Age at Seventy Plus by Jackie Guttman
Behind the Music
Insights from an Orchestra Librarian
Join veteran orchestra librarian John Perkel for an engaging, interactive discussion about the essential but little-known role of the orchestra librarian. With over 35 years of experience in major symphonies, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic, John shares fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, complex challenges, and humorous moments—all while inviting audience participation in this informal, eye-opening session.
Thursday, April 30 at 2 pm
Free to Members • $15 Public
Director
Barbara Lerche
Director of Adult Life
845-362-4400 ext. 179
Program Coordinator
Julie Schneyer
Program Coordinator
845-362-4400 ext. 531
juliesc@jccrockland.org