JASA NextAct Fall 2026 Courses
Join us to explore your favorite subjects while meeting new people in your community!
No Class Dates: November 1, 2026 & November 23-29, 2026
Course Schedule
10:00am - 11:50am The Opera Companion (Instructor Jane Marsh)
10:00am - 11:00am Art in the City (Instructor Pamela Koehler)
10:30am - 12:00pm NYC Architecture - 5 Weeks ONLY: September 27, 2026 - October 25, 2026 (Instructor Miri Joelson)
10:30am - 12:00pm Dancing Through the Ages - 5 Weeks ONLY: November 8, 2026 - December 13, 2026 (Instructor Lars Rosager)
11:15am - 12:15pm What Just Happened? The News Today (Instructor Bill Hughes)
12:30pm - 3:15pm The World of American Mah Jongg (Instructor Amanda Brown)
12:30pm - 1:30pm Food for Thought: Historic Departures - 9 Weeks ONLY: October 4, 2026 - December 13, 2026 (Instructor Doug Brin)
1:45pm - 3:15pm A Celebration of Filmmaking Genius (Instructor Max Alvarez)
10:00am - 11:15am The U.S. Supreme Court: Law and Politics Collide (Instructor Leora Harpaz
11:30am - 12:45pm New York Short Stories (Instructor Jennifer Gilchrist)
1:00pm - 2:15pm Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice (Instructor Leo Schaff)
2:30pm - 3:45pm To Know or Not to Know: An Introduction to Epistemology (Instructor Greg Canada)
4:00pm - 5:15pm The Story of Yiddish: Language, Culture and Humor (Instructor Alexander Pichugin)
10:00am - 11:15am Theater in Practice: The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard (Instructor Joe George)
11:30am - 12:15pm Living Well: Body and Mind (Instructor Jennifer Monness)
12:30pm - 1:45pm Writing in Relation (Instructor Chloe Zimmerman)
2:00pm - 3:15pm Musicals From Page to Stage (Instructor Kim Breden)
3:30pm - 4:45pm Understanding Buddhism and Happiness (Instructor Josh Shapiro)
4:00pm - 5:15pm Get a Clue: Crossword Construction (Instructor Natan Last)
Sunday In-Person Courses
September 27, 2026 - December 13, 2026
All in-person courses will be at Loyola School, 580 Park Ave (at the corner of 83rd Street), New York, NY 10028
The Opera Companion
Instructor: Jane Marsh
10:00am - 11:50am - Room 201
Join internationally renowned opera singer, Jane Marsh, for an in-depth JASA Opera Companion Course. The fall semester will offer a style assortment of well-known composers, the likes of Rossini, Mozart, Verdi, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and Puccini, among others, showcasing a tour of these composers’ lesser-known operas. The course will draw from literary drama, novels, plays, poems, and politics, offering diverse and entertaining fun depicted through performances. In addition, three opera masterclasses will be presented during the semester. Singers and accompanists will workshop arias live in person while being coached by Jane Marsh. There is no need to be a musician. Just bring your interest and enthusiasm. Come one, come all!
Art In the City
Instructor: Pamela Koehler
10:00am - 11:00am - Room 203
We’ll look at works in many mediums: paintings, prints, frescoes, sculpture, installation, and architecture. The principle guiding the choice of works is the variety and richness of responses they can invite, eliciting observations as diverse as the viewers’ experiences and sensibilities. Specifically, this course will look at Artist Making Art, Portraits and Self Portraits, artists breaking rules and conventions, abstract art and its many forms, and how artists use space and what it can represent.
NYC Architecture (5 Weeks ONLY: September 27, 2026 - October 25, 2026)
Instructor: Miri Joelson
10:30am - 12:00pm - Room 202
Buildings talk, and this course offers a way to understand their language. NYC’s buildings are more than just the backdrop to our daily lives. The city is a living museum, and each session of this course provides new ways to understand the environment we live in, tracing its transformation from Native American dwellings at the beginning of the 17th century to the global metropolis of architectural innovation it is in the 21st century.
The course will use multiple angles to analyze and explain the development of the city's architecture, including: The effect of historical political events on architectural building styles, Historical Street patterns and the blueprint effect of important zoning resolutions, as well as the development of materials and building technologies. Detailed slide presentations will be provided to enrich class sessions and provide visual analysis of buildings to identify various architectural styles. No prior architectural background is required.
Dancing Through The Ages (5 Weeks ONLY: November 8, 2026 - December 13, 2026)
Instructor: Lars Rosager
10:30am - 12:00pm - Room 202
This course focuses on acquiring a general knowledge of dance history from its beginnings to contemporary times. Participants are encouraged to think critically about social and cultural factors affecting stylistic developments in dance history, such as geography, politics, economics, fashion, etc. Examples of subjects to be included are Indigenous dance, the ancient Greeks, folk dance, Renaissance court dance, Ragtime dances, classical ballet, Broadway dance, and Jazz.
What Just Happened? The News Today
Instructor: Bill Hughes
11:15am - 12:15pm - Room 203
This course will feature a weekly analysis of the major and not-so-major news stories of the week with a veteran journalist. The analysis will derive from a multitude of news sources from all political perspectives, sprinkled with some of the funnier observations by late-night commentators. This course will also delve into the disparities and motivations behind news coverage in print, radio, TV, and online sources. Special guests will be invited during the semester to engage in one-off discussions on current social and political happenings.
The World of American Mah Jongg
Instructor: Amanda Brown
12:30pm - 3:15pm - Room 203
Join us for a fun and engaging introduction to American Mah Jongg in this 10-week course designed for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Each session begins with 45 minutes of private time for beginners. Amanda Brown will guide you through the fundamentals of the game, including tile recognition, game setup, understanding the National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) card, and basic strategies. Through hands-on, guided play, you’ll gradually build your confidence and knowledge while enjoying the social and lively spirit of Mah Jongg. Intermediate and advanced players begin at 1:15pm for up to 2 hours of free play. By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to join a game with ease and enthusiasm. Let’s crack the tiles and get playing!
- 12:30pm - 1:15pm - Beginner lessons
- 1:15pm - 3:15pm - Guided play, all levels
Food For Thought: Historic Departures (9 Weeks ONLY: October 4, 2026 - December 13, 2026)
Instructor: Doug Brin
12:30pm - 1:30pm - Room 201
Long-time history instructor, Doug Brin, brings a gossipy, fun-fact-filled program called Departures. It entails people, places, and things that have exited during our lifetime: everything from Boris Karlov to Andy Warhol, from the Automat to Penn Station, from men's fedoras to women's girdles. Enjoy a snack or lunch of your choice while enjoying Doug’s highly entertaining fun fact lecture that is sure to give you a history lesson you won’t forget and even more laughs!
A Celebration of Filmmaking Genius
Instructor: Max Alvarez
1:45pm - 3:15pm - Room 202
Sometimes cinematic miracles occur in the form of movie stars or directors. Sometimes the miracles result from the craftspeople behind the scenes whose towering achievements are often taken for granted by moviegoers. Astonishing results can also occur when disparate artistic disciplines join forces in front of film cameras or when an artistic movement is in full force. Join film historian Max Alvarez for this riveting semester honoring the cinematic art, craft, and brilliance of the past century. Max’s 90-minute sessions include rare archival materials and bountiful film selections destined to mesmerize and enthrall cinéphiles. Program subject to change.
Monday Virtual Courses
September 28, 2026 - December 7, 2026
The U.S. Supreme Court: Law and Politics Collide
Instructor: Leora Harpaz
10:00am - 11:15am
This course will examine the way the Supreme Court has interpreted the core constitutional concept of equality of treatment protected by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. It will explore the varying ways the Court treats discrimination based on race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, wealth, residency, and other characteristics used by the government to impose differences in treatment. While the course will focus on equal protection, when there are important developments in other areas of the law that reach the U.S. Supreme Court, time will be allocated to the discussion of those recent developments.
New York Short Stories
Instructor: Jennifer Gilchrist
11:30am - 12:45pm
New York is a city of millions of stories of hope, dreams, fear, anger, despair, romance, luck, creativity, humor, and resilience. What better setting for the literary short story? With an emphasis on perspective and internal logic, we read and analyze short works of comedy, irony, spy thrills, character study, romance, family drama, friend drama, and social realism by writers such as Nicole Krauss, John Weir, Lauren Wilkenson, Jesús Colón, Alice McDermott, Nadine Gordimer, Bette Pesetsky, Alfred Chester, Hernan Diaz, and James Baldwin.
Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice
Instructor: Leo Schaff
1:00pm - 2:15pm
Join a group of enthusiastic Shakespeare lovers and novices to explore one of the Bard’s classic plays that continues to thrill modern audiences. If a deal is a deal, then should we honor our agreement? Here we find merchants Antonio and Shylock representing two different worldviews. The Merchant of Venice explores themes of identity, race, wealth, love, jealousy, friendship, loyalty, and justice. Every word of the play will be read and discussed in class. A timely play that continues to be relevant in today’s world.
To Know Or Not To Know: An Introduction to Epistemology
Instructor: Greg Canada
2:30pm - 3:45pm
What constitutes knowledge? Do we acquire it primarily through rational intuition, empirical observation, or a combination of both? Can skepticism be defeated? If our senses and cognitive faculties are fallible, can we ever achieve knowledge of an external world? Is truth objective or relative? How do major philosophical essays challenge the popular notion that truth is merely a cultural or personal construct?
This 10-week course offers an accessible yet rigorous introduction to epistemology —the philosophical study of knowledge. Moving chronologically from Plato’s foundational work to contemporary academic debates, we will critically analyze major essays in the field to examine how the boundaries of human knowledge have been defined, challenged, and defended over time.
The Story of Yiddish: Language, Culture and Humor
Instructor: Alexander Pichugin
4:00pm - 5:15pm
Where did expressions like chutzpah, schlep, mensch, and kvetch come from? Why has Yiddish produced so much memorable humor, music, and literature? And why are people around the world learning it today? In this entertaining ten-lecture course, we'll uncover the extraordinary history of Yiddish. More than just a language, Yiddish is the story of a civilization. Spoken for nearly a thousand years by millions of Jews across Europe and around the world, Yiddish
gave rise to a rich culture of literature, music, theater, humor, and everyday wisdom.
This engaging 10-lecture course explores the remarkable journey of Yiddish from its medieval origins to its vibrant revival today. Along the way, we will discover fascinating history, memorable personalities, beloved songs, famous writers, colorful expressions, and the surprising influence of Yiddish on modern English and popular culture. Through stories, photographs, maps, music, and film clips, students will gain a deeper appreciation of one of the world’s most resilient and influential cultural traditions. No prior knowledge of Yiddish or Jewish history is required.
Wednesday Virtual Courses
September 30, 2026 - December 9, 2026
Theater In Practice: The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard
Instructor: Joe George
10:00am - 11:15am
Tom Stoppard was one of the leading British playwrights starting out in the swinging 60’s. In this course, we will read and discuss one of his great masterpieces, The Real Thing, in class. This Tony Award-winning play, which debuted in 1982, tells the story of a couple whose marriage is falling apart. Themes of love, loyalty, what is reality, and what is art take hold. A play within a play using witty language to explore the mystery of love and living a meaningful life highlights the drama. No supplemental material will be needed.
Living Well: Body and Mind
Instructor: Jennifer Monness
11:30am - 12:15pm
This workshop will explore a variety of wellness practices tailored specifically for older adults. We'll delve into the importance of physical activity, mindful movement, nutrition, stress management techniques, and social connection for overall well-being. Participants will learn practical tips and strategies to incorporate these practices into their daily lives, enhancing their quality of life and fostering a sense of vitality.
Writing In Relation
Instructor: Chloe Zimmerman
12:30pm - 1:45pm
Our explorations in this writing workshop will center around the ways we are always in relation—to loved ones, ancestors, heroes, strangers, places and landscapes, and all the beings we live alongside—and that we are never really creating alone. We will consider poetry and other writing on and off the page, looking at the writing, art, film, performance, sonic experiments and collaborations of others. Inspired by this work, we will explore our own inclinations through weekly writing prompts that engage with images, objects, books, memories, places and people important to us.
Musicals From Page To Stage
Instructor: Kim Breden
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Many musicals bring beloved literature to life on stage. These shows capture the essence and imagination of stories that were originally told in print. Through the use of performance videos, sound recordings, still photographs, and historical lectures, this class will offer the opportunity to compare and contrast the original penned works with the mounted productions of musical theatre. Some examples include: Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener, Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood, The Once and Future King by T.H. White.
Understanding Buddhism and Happiness
Instructor: Josh Shapiro
3:30pm - 4:45pm
This class will introduce participants to provocative Buddhist ideas about suffering and the release from suffering. We will explore strategies for how to quiet the mind and how to generate lasting knowledge about the nature of dissatisfaction. We will also encounter Buddhist stories that dramatize the journey to awakening. In the second half of the course, we will explore the tantalizing idea that there is always already an awakened quality within every experience. In addition, to themes of overcoming obstacles to achieve happiness. All supplemental reading materials will be provided.
Get A Clue: Crossword Construction
Instructor: Natan Last
4:00pm - 5:15pm
Have you ever thought about creating your own crossword puzzle? If you love crossword puzzles or are curious about how they are constructed, join Natan Last and a group of other like-minded puzzlers to make it happen. Learn the principles of crossword puzzle construction in a community through basic history, determining a theme, making a usable grid, and creating the fill. A group puzzle will be submitted to the New York Times. Will Shortz has hailed this class as “one of a kind.” We are proud to have published over 20 puzzles in the New York Times to date.