Lois Presents

Lois Presents...

My innovative, interactive programs are enjoyed by senior audiences throughout South Florida. I am passionate about teaching and wear the title of Teacher with great pride. I firmly believe that learning is a lifelong pleasure! Creating and presenting these programs is Part II of a teaching career that spans more than 40 years. It is my "un-retirement" and I love it!

Below is a list of all my programs, organized into two groupings -- The Jewish Experience in America and Pursuing the American Dream. Audiences are immersed in our nation's history and its fascinating Jewish history. Audiences enjoy thought-provoking, stimulating sessions and history definitely comes alive!

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Click on a program below to view a description of the program. To return to the list, please click the word Top.
The Jewish Experience in America...

"Steerage, Scoundrels and Shirtwaists: New York City America, Early 1900s"
"Amazing Jewish American Women:
Their Challenges, Victories and Contributions to Our Lives"
"Commitment, Courage and Compassion:
The Vital Role of Jewish Chaplains in the U.S. Military"
"From Brandeis to Kagan:
The Eight Jewish Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court and the 'Yarmulke Trial' "
A Series of 4 Programs: "From Peddlers to Moguls: America's Great Jewish Department Store Families"...

"Nobody Sells It Cheaper: Macy's and the Straus Family"
"Welcome to Filene's and the Automatic Bargain Basement"
"Luxury, Elegance and Mystique: Neiman-Marcus"
"The Customer is Always, ALWAYS, Right! The Rich Family of Atlanta and Rich's Department Store"
"Oy Vey, What a Dilemma: The Jewish Experience in America, 1880s - Early 1900s, Plus Letters to the 'Bintel Brief' "
"Peddlers, Pioneers, Courage and Chutzpah: Jewish Settlers On the American Frontier"
"Politics, Principles and Persuasion in the Oval Office: Fascinating Relationships Between Our Presidents and the Jewish Community"
Pursuing the American Dream...

"Harry Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt: Their Remarkable Lives and Legacies"
"Peeking Beneath the Robes: An Intimate Look at the U.S. Supreme Court and Landmark Cases Decided by the Court"
"We've Come a Long Way, Baby: The Struggle for Women's Rights in America"
"Resilience, the New Deal and Hope:
The Great Depression and Its Important Legacy"
"Liberty and Justice for All: The Civil Rights Movement"
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"Steerage, Scoundrels and Shirtwaists: New York City America, Early 1900s"

Witness the courage of millions of Eastern European Jews who came to the U.S. as immigrants during the early 1900s. Understand their difficult journey as they crossed the Atlantic in steerage. Experience the trauma these newly-arriving immigrants faced at Ellis Island and the many ways HIAS – the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society – came to their aid and rescue. Discover the terrible working conditions endured by immigrant women in the sweatshops in New York City's garment industry and the need for labor unions. Learn about the tragic event at the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. in March 1911 and how this tragedy changed America. And more fully appreciate the immigrants' hopes and dreams, their determination to work hard and succeed, their efforts to learn and achieve, their importance to our nation and their desire to make America's future their future.

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"Amazing Jewish American Women:
Their Challenges, Victories and Contributions to Our Lives"

Meet many extraordinary Jewish American women. Learn of their aspirations and the goals they set for themselves. Discover their courage and tenacity as they confronted barriers to their dreams. Explore their accomplishments in such fields as law and government, science and medicine, social work, philanthropy, sports, business, literature, and entertainment. See how these women turned ambitions into accomplishments and how they helped to empower other women. Most of all, appreciate the many ways these talented women have enriched our lives. Who are these amazing women? If you knew in advance, it would spoil the surprise! But you will definitely find their journeys to success intriguing.

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"Commitment, Courage and Compassion:
The Vital Role of Jewish Chaplains in the U.S. Military"

Understand the struggle to have Jewish chaplains in the U.S. Army during the Civil War and the efforts of President Abraham Lincoln to achieve that goal. Appreciate the many responsibilities of our Jewish military chaplains – our "fighting rabbis"– and the respect and close relationship that exists between them and their Christian colleagues. Re-visit America's wars and meet outstanding Jewish chaplains who have served in those wars, including Rabbis Elkan Voorsanger, Roland B. Gittlesohn, Alexander Goode, Bonnie Koppell, and Irving Elson. Enjoy the Passover seder of the U.S. Rainbow Division. Celebrate Chanukah and attend Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services with the members of the Armed Forces in some very unusual places, including Saddam Hussein's palaces. And more fully appreciate the commitment, courage and compassion of our Jewish military chaplains.

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"From Brandeis to Kagan:
The Eight Jewish Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court and the ‘Yarmulke Trial' "

Together we will explore when, why and how the U.S. Supreme Court came into existence and the importance of judicial review. We will meet the eight Jewish Justices who have served on the Court, beginning with Louis D. Brandeis, the first Jewish Justice, to Elena Kagan, our newest Justice. What very different backgrounds, personal attributes, qualifications and judicial philosophies do these Jewish Justices bring to the Supreme Court? What words of wisdom do they offer us? And what exactly was the "Yarmulke Trial" and how did this unusual case end up in the Supreme Court? Join us as we search out answers to these questions and more.

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"Nobody Sells It Cheaper: Macy's and the Straus Family"

Meet Lazarus and Sara Straus and their three sons, Nathan, Isidor and Oscar. Find out why the Straus family left Germany in the 1850s to seek their fortune in the United States. Learn how the Strauses acquired the business founded by Captain Roland H. Macy and how their business grew to become the world's largest store. Discover the interesting origin of the term "department store."Understand the unique retailing strategies that made Macy's famous and join the battle of the "silk war"at Macy's. And fully appreciate the generous philanthropy of the Straus family and the many ways they improved the lives of people in New York City, in Palestine, and around the world.

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"Welcome to Filene's and the Automatic Bargain Basement"

We're off to Boston. To Filene's, of course! We will meet the store's founder, William Filene, his sons Edward and Lincoln, and retailing dynamo Louis Kirstein. What merchandising methods guided the store's success from the very beginning? In what ways were the Filene brothers so different, yet such capable businessmen? What was Edward's secret ambition? How did Edward envision Filene's as a "laboratory" to try out his "scientific" business ideas? What was the philosophy behind "Filene's Automatic Bargain Basement" and why did the basement store draw a stampede of customers each morning? Join us as we find answers to these questions and more as we meet the Filene family and shop at their famous Boston store.

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"Luxury, Elegance and Mystique: Neiman-Marcus"

The year is 1907. Our destination: Dallas, Texas, where we will meet the founders of Neiman-Marcus – Herbert Marcus and Carrie and Al Neiman. What outstanding talents did this threesome bring to the family business? What unique retailing philosophy was the foundation for their very successful store? What special and creative events did Herbert and son Stanley Marcus plan for the store's loyal and wealthy customers? How did the Coca Cola Co. almost fit into the picture? What important advice did the U.S. Postal Service give to Neiman-Marcus? And luxury, elegance and mystique? Definitely! Let's go shopping!

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"The Customer is Always, ALWAYS, Right! The Rich Family of Atlanta and Rich's Department Store"

Reliable. Honest. Compassionate. Yes, that definitely describes Rich's Department Store. Join us as we vicariously visit Atlanta during the latter 1800s and early 1900s. Meet founder Morris Rich and his brothers. Shop in the Rich family's elegant store and experience for yourself the store's unusual and very generous return policy. Understand why Rich's became an Atlanta institution. Learn how the Rich family came to the rescue of teachers, farmers and soldiers. Meet some of the famous people who came to Rich's, like Billie Burke and Gloria Swanson. (Remember them?) And enjoy delightful anecdotes about the family, the customers and the store itself.

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"Oy Vey, What a Dilemma: The Jewish Experience in America, 1880s - Early 1900s, Plus Letters to the 'Bintel Brief' "

Together we will explore the hopes, problems and dilemmas of the Jewish immigrants who settled in the tenements of New York City's Lower East Side. Listen to letters these immigrants wrote to the ‘Bintel Brief' column – the ‘Dear Abby' of its day – in the Jewish Daily Forward newspaper. What wise advice would you offer these immigrants and what advice did the Editor offer them? We will close with an opportunity to share some of our own poignant family experiences related to this time period.

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"Peddlers, Pioneers, Courage and Chutzpah:
Jewish Settlers On the American Frontier"

Join us as we journey westward during the 1800s with the Jewish pioneers who settled on the American frontier. Meet Jewish immigrant peddlers, entrepreneurs, homesteaders and gold miners. Learn about the challenges, opportunities and dangers that awaited them. Examine the Jewish communities that developed in new frontier towns like Cincinnati, St. Louis, Deadwood and San Francisco. Discover how these Jewish pioneers shaped the frontier and left important legacies for future generations. We will close with humorous and interesting anecdotes and "humdingers."

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"Politics, Principles and Persuasion in the Oval Office: Fascinating Relationships Between Our Presidents and the Jewish Community"

Meet many of our Presidents. More fully understand their accomplishments and the difficult decisions that confronted them. Learn about their often-surprising involvement with the Jewish community and meet some of their influential Jewish friends. We will look closely at Pres. Barack Obama and the qualifications and attributes he brings to the presidency, as well as the challenges he faces. We will close with humorous and poignant anecdotes about many of our Presidents.

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"Harry Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt: Their Remarkable Lives and Legacies"

Explore the lives of Pres. Truman and Mrs. Roosevelt and how these two extraordinary people shaped 20th century America. Examine their very different beginnings, the challenges they faced, the people and events that shaped their lives, and their remarkable accomplishments. Learn about their unusual friendship through the letters they wrote to each other after Truman became President. Understand the impact of Mrs. Roosevelt and Pres. Truman on our nation and the world and their important legacies. We will conclude with interesting anecdotes about these very special people and enjoy their words of wisdom.

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"Peeking Beneath the Robes: An Intimate Look at the U.S. Supreme Court and Landmark Cases Decided by the Court"

More fully understand the beginnings of the U.S. Supreme Court. Examine landmark cases decided by the Court, involving such issues as segregation, women's rights, elections, and presidential power, and the impact of these decisions on our nation. We will look at the current justices and their conservative or liberal leanings. We will consider the issue of term limits and discuss the Supreme Court's future under the Obama administration. We will conclude with interesting and unusual traditions of the Supreme Court.

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"We've Come a Long Way, Baby:
The Struggle for Women's Rights in America"

Together we will explore the fight for women's equality and the right to vote during the 1800s and early 1900s. We will role-play that struggle by holding a mock women's rights rally, complete with impromptu speeches, a rally that might have taken place in New York City in the mid-1850s. We will look at the role of women in the rise of labor unions and examine the tremendous progress made by women during the 20th century. We will conclude with a discussion of the opportunities for women today, in the 21st century, and the challenges that women still face.

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"Resilience, the New Deal and Hope:
The Great Depression and Its Important Legacy"

What took the "roar" out of the 'Roaring Twenties' and led to the Great Depression of the 1930s? Was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal legislation really a new deal for the American people? How did the looming prospect of war during the late 1930s impact our nation? How and when did the U.S. economy recover? Join us as we explore the Great Depression, the resilience of the American people as our nation coped with hard times, and the important legacy of the Depression and FDR's New Deal.

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"Liberty and Justice for All: The Civil Rights Movement"

Together we will examine the century-long effort to end segregation and discrimination that became the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s. We will examine the struggle by Black Americans to gain full equality and learn how boycotts, marches, sit-ins and freedom riders became important tools in this struggle. Find out what spurred many Jewish men and women to get involved and join this struggle. We will close with a discussion of the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement for Blacks and for all Americans.

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