Brooklyn Lifelong Learning Classes, Courses, and More

Tuesdays

Contemporary Reading Group

We will discuss The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue

Where: In person
When: June 2, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

Manias, Frauds, and Scams

Where: In person
When: June 2, 12:45–2 p.m.

Many of us have experienced or nearly experienced a loss from a financial mania or a financial fraud or a financial scam. These frauds or scams often occur through a confidence scheme where a loss for the victim occurs from a payment based on dishonest information. There will be a presentation of examples of these occurrences and warning signs.

Shadow Ball: The Story of the Negro Leagues in the 1930s

Where: In person
When: June 9, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

From 1930 to 1940, the Depression years leading to WWII, major league baseball was in big trouble. Several teams almost folded and attendance was down across the league. The Negro League suffered too but revived and was thriving by the end of the decade with large crowds watching some of the best players in the game. We’ll view Kens Burns’ award-winning documentary on key issues and personalities of the Negro Leagues, and we’ll discuss this important era in the history of America’s Pastime.

Introduction to Estate Planning: Wills, Trusts, and Other Directives

Where: In person
When: June 9, 12:45–2 p.m.

This class is an overview of essential estate planning tools including wills, revocable trusts, and irrevocable trusts. We will also discuss planning documents that protect us during our lifetimes, such as powers of attorney and health care directives. The class will conclude with a Q&A session, time permitting.

Mystery Reading Group

Where: In person
When: June 16, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

We will discuss The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict.

Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It

Where: In person
When: June 16, 12:45–2 p.m.

We will look at Maclean’s portrayal of a small set of characters in twentieth century Montana and question what some readers might or might not experience as intimacy with lives and places far removed from their own. Robert Redford’s film based on the novella can be a foundation or follow-up to one’s reading but will not be the focus of the class.

Classic Reading Group

Where: In person
When: June 23, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

We will discuss Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Chapter 106 through the epilogue.

The Silk Road

Where: In person
When: June 23, 12:45–2 p.m.

This legendary trade route may seem to have been too far away and too long ago to matter much anymore, but it does. The ancient 4,000-mile-long road had enormous impact all around the world and altered the course of history. Its effects still reverberate powerfully today

Broadway Comes to Brooklyn

Where: In person
When: June 30 (Gypsy), August 4 (Carousel), 12:45–4:30 p.m. (An intermission is included for both performances)

BLL is very excited to participate in a special program of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts that brings recorded live theater performances of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions to the city’s educational institutions. We begin with two performances featuring celebrated theater star Audra McDonald; on June 30, we will see the 2025 performance of Arthur Laurents/Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim’s Gypsy, starring McDonald as Rose in a cast that includes Tony Award winner Danny Burstein, Joy Woods, and Jordon Tyson. On July 28, we will watch the production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s perennial favorite, Carousel that opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on March 24, 1994, and swept the Tonys, winning all five of its nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Supporting Actress for Audra McDonald, Michael Hayden starred as Billy Bigelow, Sally Murphy as Julie Jordan, and Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Shirley Verrett as Nettie Fowler. The production also featured notable ensemble members such as Brian d’Arcy James and Taye Diggs, who made his Broadway debut as the policeman.

Collage–Pre-Registration Required–Limited seats.

Where: In person
When: July 7 and 14, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

In the first lesson, students will be introduced to the concept of collage–what it is, how it works, and how artists use it to create images. Students will then create a fruit basket collage using felt or construction paper. This project helps students practice cutting simple shapes, layering materials, and arranging objects to form a balanced composition.

In the second lesson, students will design and compose a large still-life collage featuring a vase of flowers. Students will explore observing shapes and details in still-life objects, using color and texture to create emphasis, and building a strong composition through layering. This project encourages students to look closely at natural forms and translate them into collage elements.

Religion in Three Ancient Cultures

Where: In person
When: July 7, 14, and 21, 12:45–2 p.m.

Did you ever wonder what role religion played in ancient cultures? Were their deities a comfort to them? Did they believe in an afterlife and, if so, what was it like? What were their religious services like? Or were there no services at all. Did the ancient gods demand blood sacrifices? What relationship did the ancient gods have to their worshipers? How did people from ancient cultures appease an angry god? This class will explore the religions of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

How Do We Get New Drugs to Cure Disease?

Where: In person
When: July 21, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

In this session, we’ll cover two very different approaches to finding pharmaceuticals to help with our most serious health problems. First, we’ll learn about the official procedure, an expensive, lengthy, but rigorous approach that is considered the gold standard for drug approval. Then, we’ll hear about a novel approach that uses AI to re-purpose drugs already approved for other conditions.

Wednesdays

Reading The New York Times Science Section

Great things are happening in the world of science today. Read and bring the Tuesday NY Times science section to class for our informative discussions about the latest breakthroughs.

Where: Online Zoom Classes
When: June 1–August 19, 10:30–11:30 a.m.

Current Events Discussion Group

Where: Online Zoom Classes
When: June 1–August 19, 12:30–2 p.m.

Staying abreast of current events allows you to have a better understanding of the world around you. It helps you form informed opinions and make decisions about issues that affect your life. Participants will discuss local, national, and international news. Come tell us what you think.

Thursdays

Brooklyn Neighborhood Life

Where: In person
When: June 4, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

We will watch two short award-winning documentaries created by Stoop Stories in which a younger and an older person sit on a stoop to discuss life as it is, or was, in their neighborhood. These inter-generational experiences are revelatory, thought-provoking, and delightful. We will see different sides of how street life has been part of growing up Brooklyn and how it has changed.

Ulysses S. Grant–Don’t Let Him Be Misunderstood!

Where: In person
When: June 4, 12:45–2:00 p.m.

We’re seeing his face more and more these days, as Andrew Jackson “20’s” increasingly give way to U.S. grant “50’s.” And – as luck would have it–historians are also taking another look at our 18th President and have largely revised upward their appraisals of the man and his accomplishments! Once ranked “below average,” he’s now recognized and respected for his efforts to protect African-American rights against the Ku Klux Klan, his creation of the Department of Justice, and his efforts to promote Native American citizenship. There are quite a few lessons to be learned as we shine a spotlight on him.

Being A Medieval Knight

Where: In person
When: June 11, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

Movies depict knighthood as a glorious thing–the good knights win the battles, save the kingdom, receive the hand of a fair maiden, and are lauded by the people. But what does it take to achieve the goal of knighthood? This class will examine the training and conduct of knights and ask whether they lived up to their chivalrous image.

Another Look at Robert Moses

Where: In person
When: June 11, 12:45–2 p.m.

New Yorkers love to hate Robert Moses. His image was sealed by Robert Caro’s book painting him as a one-man decider of the city’s fate, regardless of the human cost. But is that all there is to his legacy? Historian Kenneth Jackson puts Moses in the context of his time and place and helps us understand his accomplishments relative to other places. Will you be convinced? Maybe or maybe not, but we’ll enjoy talking it over.

TED Talks

Where: Online Zoom Classes
When: June 18–July 30 (except July 2), 12:45–2 p.m.

We will watch and discuss some fascinating TED Talks together in which outstanding thinkers tell about their cutting-edge work, understanding our past, make their predictions for the future and generally amaze their audiences.

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau

Where: In person
When: August 13, 12:45–2 p.m.

The Public Integrity Bureau of the Brooklyn DA’s Office handles all allegations of corruption involving NYC–based civil servants and elected officials. We are privileged to have two members of this group give a presentation on how the Bureau protects the city, its assets, and its citizens.

Tuesdays

Contemporary Book Group

Where :The February and March books will be discussed online (Zoom). The others will be in person.
When: 10:30–11:45 a.m.

• February 3: The Known World by Edward P. Jones, online (Zoom)
• March 3: Long Island by Colm Toibin, online (Zoom)
• April 14: Brotherless Night by V.V.Ganeshanathan, in person
• May 5: Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry, in person
• June 2: The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue, in person

Mystery Book Group

Where: The February book will be discussed online (Zoom). The others will be in person.

When: 10:30–11:45 a.m.

• February 10: Slow Horses by Mick Herron, online (Zoom)
• March 10: Cotton Comes to Harlem by Chester Himes, in person
• April 21: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, in person
• May 19: The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny, in person
• June 16: The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict, in person

Classic Book Group

Where: In person
When: February 24, March 31, April 28, May 26, June 23, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

We will discuss Moby Dick, the 1851 epic novel by Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael’s narrative of the maniacal quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship Pequod, for vengeance against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg on the ship’s previous voyage. Its reputation as a Great American Novel was established only in the 20th century, after the 1919 centennial of its author’s birth. William Faulkner said he wished he had written the book himself, and D. H. Lawrence called it “one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world” and “the greatest book of the sea ever written.” Its opening sentence, “Call me Ishmael”, is among world literature’s most famous.

Personal Finance: Focus On Investments

Where: In person
When: February 3, 10, 17 and 24, 12:45 – 2 p.m.

This course will begin with a discussion of some basic concepts associated with the investment process (active vs. passive investing, growth versus income investing, the importance of diversification, etc.). We will then look at the highlights of the three common asset classes: fixed income, real estate and stocks. The course finishes with a review of the different funds that are available to the individual investor: mutual, exchange traded funds, index funds, closed ended funds and real estate investment funds (REITs).

Alcohol And Health: Things We Know and Things We Don’t Know

Where: In person
When: March 3, 12:45 – 2 p.m.

We will begin with background information on ethanol (i.e. alcohol) metabolism and some of its known deleterious physiological effects. We will go on to discuss health issues related to type and amount of alcoholic beverage consumption.

Towards A History of Aging and Retirement

Where: In person
When: March 10, 12:45–2 p.m.

The class will examine recent approaches to the historical study of aging and the aged, ranging from historical demography and family history to social, cultural, and political history.  The first of these two presentations, which we heard back in October, focused on old age The talk this semester will focus on the history of retirement.

Frederick Douglass, Slavery, and Abolition In New York, 1827-1863

Where: In person
When: March 17, 12:45–2 p.m.

When Frederick Douglass landed in the free state of New York in 1838, he found himself in mortal danger of being kidnapped and sold back into slavery. Pro-slavery forces enacted the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850 and the US Supreme Court sanctioned slavery in the Dred Scott decision of 1857. Abolitionists worked in opposition to these forces. We will learn about the efforts of the most consequential anti-slavery leaders in New York including David Ruggles, Sojourner Truth, William Lloyd Garrison, Lewis Tappan, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher and especially the prophetic Frederick Douglass.

Awe: An Exploration

Where: In person
When: April 14 and 21, 12:45–2 p.m.

The feeling of awe has become a topic for study by philosophers, psychologists, neurologists and other scholars. We will explore whether the word awe refers to a feeling that all human beings experience in the same way, or to a feeling that varies by individual and/or culture. What situations elicit it? How has its meaning changed over time? How does it relate to wonder and the idea of the sublime?

The Three Acting “B’s”

Where: In person
When: April 28, 12:45–2 p.m.

The presentation features three great American actors (the three Bs) Edwin Booth, John Barrymore, and Marlon Brando. It focuses on their influence and impact on American theater. The first two Bs were hailed for their performances as Hamlet and their realistic portrayals inspired contemporary actors. Although Brando’s only Shakespeare performance was as Antony in the film version of Julius Caesar, he brought new levels of realism to both theater and film and had enormous influence on a new crop of actors. Clips of Barrymore and Brando will be shown.

Street Corner Dreams: A Novel

Where: In person
When: May 5, 12:45–2 p.m.

Florence Reiss Kraut will discuss her novel, Street Corner Dreams. When financial disaster and the Jewish and Italian Mafia threaten an immigrant family’s very existence in the turbulent years between the two World Wars, the family makes disastrous choices that change them forever. The class will discuss the historic period, the challenges faced by immigrant families and the ways Prohibition, the Great Depression, anti-semitism, poverty and the gangs impacted the immigrants.

Wednesdays

Reading The New York Times Science Section

Where: Online (Zoom)
When: February 4–May 20 (except April 1 and April 8), 10:30–11:30 a.m.

Great things are happening in the world of science today. Read and bring the Tuesday New York Times Science Section to class for our informative discussions about the latest breakthroughs.

Current Events Discussion Group

Where: Online (Zoom)
When: February 4–May 20 (except April 1 and 8), 12:30–2 p.m.

This group features discussions of local, national, and international news. Come tell us what you think.

Crocheting and Knitting Group

Where: In person
When: February 18, 25, March 11, 25, April 15, 29, May 13, 27, 10:30 a.m. –Noon

 Join us for a crocheting and knitting group for beginning and experienced levels. Those who are working on projects can bring them if they like. If you have any extra yarn and hooks or needles that you’d like to donate to the group, please bring that too. Novices with no experience who want to learn either or both skills are welcome. We hope to have a fun time together, learning and sharing skills.

International Folk Dancing

Where: In person
When: February 4–May 13 (except April 1 and April 8), 2–4 p.m.

Folk dancing is not only great exercise and lots of fun, it also involves the memory and increases cognitive agility. We will hear lots of wonderful music, learn interesting rhythms, and master unusual dance patterns. Join us on our trip around the world to Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Ukraine, Croatia, Israel, and even a stop in South Africa and the USA, too. Dances will be in a circle or a line, so you don’t need a partner.

Thursdays

Manhattan, The Dutch Colony That Shaped America

Where: Online (Zoom)
When: February 5, 12 and 19, 12:45–2 p.m.

The Dutch ruled the island of Manhattan for just 40 years, yet it sent New York and ultimately the entire United States on a trajectory that characterizes our city & nation through current times. The class will explore the Dutch contribution to the fabric of New York and the repercussions for the United States. The class will be based on the book “The Island at the Center of the World” by Russell Shorto.

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau

Where: In person
When: February 26, 12:45–2 p.m.

The Public Integrity Bureau of the Brooklyn DA’s Office handles all allegations of corruption involving NYC-based civil servants and elected officials. We are privileged to have two members of this group give a presentation on how the bureau protects the city, its assets and its citizens.

Current Events In-Person Discussion

Where: In person
When: February 26, March 26, April 30, May 21, 2:15–3:30 p.m.

Because we are inundated with information, much of it inaccurate or misleading, about important current events, this course will discuss several major events from the local, national, and international news each month. We will try to provide the context needed to understand controversies that affect your lives, our country, and the wider world.

A Machine Gun in the Hibiscus: Bermuda and The Untold Story Of Atlantic Ocean Islands in World War II

Where: In person
When: March 5, 10:30–11:45 a.m.

The campaign to control Atlantic Ocean island shipping lanes produced one of the most important Allied victories of the Second World War. This class will explore a still largely unknown dimension of this victory: the role of—and impact on—the ring of mostly small islands forming a “ring of fortifications” in the north, central, and south Atlantic. My focus will be on British colony of Bermuda, the wartime fate of which illuminates the interplay between fighting the war, connections between islands, and the local impact of base building.

 Parting The Veil: A Short Series On Life After Death

Five major world religions will be considered. The three Abrahamic religions will be discussed , followed by a discussion of Vedic (ancient Hindu) and Buddhist beliefs.

Who Will Make It to Paradise?
Some Perspectives on Universal Salvation from the History of Philosophy And Theology

Where: In person
When: March 5, 12:45–2 p.m.

This course examines the age-old question of who makes it to heaven and who is doomed to hell (or merely to non-existence). Some philosophers and theologians have suggested that everyone, perhaps everything will be saved in the end. We will examine their reasons for maintaining this provocative stance.

Life after Life after Life: How Core Concepts from the Vedic and Buddhist Traditions Shape Ideas about the Afterlife

Where: Online (Zoom)
When: March 12 and 19, 12:45–2 p.m.

Is our physical death really the end? Or is it merely the end of a specific phase of our soul’s journey? In these two lectures, we will explore, first, how the Vedic and Buddhist traditions have traditionally answered these questions, and second, what modern consciousness researchers like those at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies, or researchers who work with survivors of near death experiences (NDEs), or explorers of OBEs (out of body Experiences), have to tell us. Could one of the implications of this research be that all of us are currently participating in something tantamount to a vast cosmic simulation?

Tapping Into Our Own Voices: A Workshop Inspired by Knowing Silence

Where: In person
When: March 26, 12:45–2 p.m.

This workshop is based on the collaborative narrative approach taken by the author in her 2024 book, Knowing Silence: How Children Talk About Immigration Status in School. Building on the book’s ethnographic approach to studying immigrant children’s lives, Mangual Figueroa will lead the class in a “life map” activity in which participants will reflect on formative moments in their lives. Workshop participants will learn more about the key findings from Knowing Silence, will consider the significance of immigration in New York City today, and will share their own life stories.

“It Was I Who Did It”: Women in the American Revolution

Where: In person
When: April 16, 12:45–2 p.m.

This class will cover the roles of women in the protest before independence was declared. It will also cover the male duties women adopted once husband/father went to war. It will cover women heroes, including spies, saboteurs, couriers and “Molly Pitchers.” Finally, it will look at the impact of the war on gender roles.

England During the American Revolution

Where: In person
When: April 23, 12:45–2 p.m.

With the 4th of July coming up and the related celebrations, did you ever wonder what was happening in England during the war years? Did America’s dissent cause any problems?  Were others inspired by our actions? What was King George III doing? How did the war impact England’s economy? We’ll discuss all this and more.

The Tradition Of American Political Dissent

Where: In person
When: April 30, 12:45–2 p.m.

This session will trace the Revolutionary and Constitutional era foundations of American dissent. The class will explore how the legacy bequeathed by the Founding has shaped U.S. political culture. The session will feature examples from throughout American history and will close with thoughts on the continued relevance of the dissenting tradition today.

Cults, The Occult And Secret Societies

Where: In person
When: May 7, 14, 21, 12:45–2 p.m.

Secrets! What secrets do secret societies have? What is the importance of secrets? To whom do we tell them? These are the questions raised by cults, the occult and secret societies.

Fridays

Celebrating Black Life, Culture, Resilience And Joy
Part I: Pre-Colonial Africa

Where: Online (Zoom)
When: February 6 to April 24 (except  March 6, April 3, April 10)       10:30 a.m.-Noon

As we continue this journey together, upcoming sessions will deepen our understanding of the Black experience—from the complexity and creativity of pre-colonial African civilizations, through the violence and resistance of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, to the arrival and adaptation of enslaved Africans in the Americas, whose resilience laid the foundations for generations to come.

Mah Jongg Club and Class

Pre-registration is required. Please contact the office in advance and provide your name, phone number and whether you want to be in the players group or the learners group.

Where: In person
When: February 6–May 15 (except April 3), 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Mah Jongg is a game of skill, strategy and luck that was developed in China (though American Mah Jongg is very different from the Asian versions.)

Whether you are already a player or you would like to learn, your opportunity has arrived! We welcome all beginner and experienced players. We will have two groups: an experienced group that will play and an introductory group for learners.

For new or inexperienced players: The learners class will begin on February 20. It is not necessary to attend before then.