Lectures For Lifelong Learners!

This presentation explores the long-term impact of the American colonists’ decision to declare independence from Britain in 1776. The U.S. Declaration of Independence and the philosophical commentaries that shaped it, why the colonists declared independence, and how those viewpoints have impacted historical and contemporary political debates, will also be discussed.

This presentation will focus on the circumstances leading up to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Zivotovsky v. Kerry (2015). This case examined the role that U.S. presidents play shaping and representing national interests when conducting foreign policy toward Israel. This session will also consider how the U.S. Constitution and federal laws have been cited to justify and challenge the president’s role conducting U.S. foreign policy toward Israel.

The U.S. Declaration of Independence has served as a model for the establishment of many democracies including Israel in 1948. This presentation will examine the reasons why Israel declared independence as well as President Truman’s response to Israel’s decision to declare independence. Other aspects of Israel’s political independence including an analysis of Israel’s flag and national anthem (Hatikvah) will be discussed.

What are the flashpoints in U.S. history that have motivated women to pursue the principles and promises outlined in the U.S. Declaration of Independence? Using primary sources, political commentary, visual material and statistics, this session will examine how women have pursued economic, social and political equality, and the results of those efforts. This session will also focus attention on the barriers that women have faced in their efforts to experience the promises of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

This presentation will examine the powers and processes that shape U.S. Supreme Court decision making. Why did the framers of the U.S. Constitution believe that a federal court system was needed, and how does the U.S. Supreme Court compare to other federal courts? This presentation will also focus on historical and contemporary controversies surrounding landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

A central debate surrounding ratification of the U.S. Constitution was whether a list of guaranteed rights should be included in the document. This presentation will focus on those debates shaping whether adding a list of guaranteed to the proposed U.S. Constitution would help or hinder constitutional ratification. Contemporary discussions about the rights included in the Bill of Rights will also be addressed.

How has the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted protections included in the U.S. Bill of Rights focusing on Jews and Jewish issues? This presentation will focus on several First Amendment Supreme Court cases concerning how Jews have utilized their right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression to combat religious discrimination.

Jewish women have played central roles in Jewish life since the early days of the Torah (Jewish Bible). This presentation will focus on four well-known Jewish women whose efforts have shaped Jewish, American and Israeli history. These women include Miriam, Moses’ sister, who saved her younger brother from certain death in Egypt, Golda Meir, who was instrumental in the establishment of the State of Israel and would later became the only woman to serve as Israel’s prime minister, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first (and only) Jewish woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court and Henrietta Szold, who founded Hadassah. These Jewish women’s legacies continue to inspire generations by their example.

This presentation focuses on how President Theodore Roosevelt and President Franklin Roosevelt responded to Jews and the issues that they faced during the early and mid-twentieth century. Specific attention will be given to President Theodore Roosevelt’s response to 19th century pogroms in Russia and President Franklin Roosevelt’s response to the Holocaust in Europe.

What are the conditions that will support a Jewish person being elected president? This presentation will address how the U.S. Constitution and various aspects of political participation and public opinion impact opportunities for Jews to seek and secure the presidency. Once these conditions are presented, case studies and statistics providing context to better answer this question will be shared.

What are the three key barriers that Jewish women face in their efforts to seek and secure elected and appointed office? These barriers, individually and together, limit Jewish women’s opportunities. An examination of Jewish women’s electoral experience, including the conditions that have supported their success, will be shared. This presentation will conclude by focusing on the impact that Jewish women have had on policymaking as elected and appointed public officials.

How did Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish person serving on the U.S. Supreme Court, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first Jewish woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, challenge religious and political barriers? This presentation will focus on Brandeis’ and Ginsburg’s family backgrounds and their legal careers before being nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court. Landmark cases that each presented to the U.S. Supreme Court, cases on which they ruled, and the nomination and confirmation processes facing each justice will also be discussed.

What are the key legal and constitutional factors that influence elections and voting in the United States and Florida? An examination of federal legislative and constitutional requirements that shape voter turnout will inform why voter turnout is higher among members of some groups compared with others. Comparing the laws and constitutions of the United States and Florida will provide insight as to how electoral participation in Florida compares with other states.

This session will focus on key citizenship-focused Supreme Court debates and contemporary citizenship issues giving specific attention to constitutional and legal requirements related to citizenship. It was not until 1868 that citizenship was defined by the 14th Amendment although contemporary debate has emerged about its interpretation.

Representation questions have been raised since American colonists declared independence in 1776. These questions have focused, in part, on how legislative districts are drawn. This session will include a focus on Supreme Court and state legislative debates about redistricting (gerrymandering) and discuss how proposals for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. establishing statehood will impact legislative districting and representation in Congress.

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution denies to the federal government the power to impose “cruel and unusual punishments”. Eighth Amendment challenges have been largely organized around whether capital punishment is “cruel and unusual”. This session will focus on how the U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the circumstances under which the death penalty is considered acceptable and the impact of those judicial decisions on the application of the death penalty. Political considerations, such as public opinion toward the death penalty and how the death penalty has shaped elections campaigns, will also be addressed.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is best known for his civil rights activism. This presentation will focus on the last 15 years of Dr. King’s life by providing an overview of the issues that Dr. King chose to confront and the range of non-violent protest methods that Dr. King employed. The outcomes of those civil rights efforts will also be discussed.

Congress designated March as Women’s History Month in 1987. This presentation presents an overview of the evolution of Women’s History Month and the ways that this annual celebration honors women’s historical contributions, achievements, and impact, and to celebrate this milestone.

The U.S. Constitution gives war powers to Congress and the president, and there is often conflict between them when responding to international conflicts. Specific attention will be paid to how presidents have used their constitutional and legislative war powers to work with and to work around Congress along with Congress’ response. The long-term consequences of this aspect of the presidential-congressional relationship will also be addressed.

Holocaust education has been required in Florida’s public schools for over 30 years although the implementation of that requirement has faced many challenges. What do Florida statutes require that students be taught about the Holocaust, and what are the barriers to teaching K-12 students about the Holocaust? Changes to the Holocaust education requirements that took effect in 2023 will also be discussed.

What motivated the Holocaust education movement in the United States and how are Holocaust education mandates experienced across the country? This session will provide an overview of Holocaust education across the United States as well as what various states require. The presentation will also include the factors that impact whether a state will mandate Holocaust education and the implications of these factors such as diverse perspectives on the context in which teaching the Holocaust is mandated.