Join us to explore your favorite subjects while meeting new people in your community!
- In-Person: Classes are held in person on Sundays at The Loyola School, 980 Park Ave., New York, NY 10028.
- Virtual: Classes are held via Zoom on Mondays and Wednesdays. Dial-in, audio-only options are available for most virtual courses.
The course registration fee of $250 includes all in-person and virtual classes listed below.
The spring semester runs from March 8 - May 31, 2026.
*No Classes on April 1-8, & May 3, May 24-25, 2026*
Sunday In-Person Classes
The Opera Companion
Instructor: Jane Marsh
10:00am – 11:55am
Join internationally acclaimed opera diva Jane Marsh as she presents Opera Companion lectures in the JASA NextAct Spring 2026 season. These lectures will showcase operas from the Met’s Opera Season and beyond, with focus on items of poetry and literature emulated through musical composition. You do not have to have musical training to enjoy these presentations.
Art In the City
Instructor: Pam Koehler
10:00am – 11:00am
New York City boasts an impressive array of museums, galleries, architecture, historic houses, and public art. Discover the latest exhibitions and explore both familiar and lesser-known treasures from different parts of the city.
The Cinematic Century: A Celebration of Filmmaking Genius
Instructor: Max Alvarez
10:30am – 12:00pm
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, a filmmaker and frequent Smithsonian Institution visiting scholar, for this electrifying semester honoring the art, craft, and brilliance of our great cinematic 20th century. Max’s 90-minute sessions include rare archival materials and bountiful film selections destined to mesmerize and enthrall cinéphiles. Program subject to change.
What Just Happened? The News Today!
Instructor: Bill Hughes
11:00am – 12:00pm
Overwhelmed by the fast and furious pace of news and current events? Join veteran journalist and self-diagnosed news junkie Bill Hughes and your fellow JASA attendees to help break it down and make sense of it all as best we can. While this class examines the major breaking news stories of the week, we also strive to emphasize the quirky, positive, and under-reported stories from around the world. Guest speakers will include political reporters, authors, news photographers, and documentary filmmakers.
Afternoon Mah Jongg: Free Play
Instructor: Amanda Brown
12:00pm – 2:00pm
Join us for a fun and stimulating game of American Mah Jongg. In this course for beginners and experienced players, Amanda Brown will guide you through the fundamentals of the game if needed, 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. By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to join a game with ease and enthusiasm. Experienced players are able to engage in free play with other challenging players. Students are welcomed to bring lunch while playing. Let’s crack the tiles and get playing! **Please note that cards are not included with registration**
Refer to the registration page for Mah Jongg only.
Food for Thought: Winston Churchill and FDR (5 sessions)
Instructor: Doug Brin
12:10pm - 1:10pm
Two of the 20th century's most iconic political luminaries who changed the trajectory of world politics and its respective governments. Titans of the world stage, each of their own right, that injected new energy and hope into the world at pivotal moments in world history. Doug Brin will discuss these legendary figures in the context of their lives being reevaluated. Students are encouraged to bring lunch and enjoy Doug’s entertaining stories of their great moments in history.
The Nature of Language: How We Communicate and Why
Instructor: Alexander Pichugin
1:15pm – 2:45pm
What exactly is language? Do humans truly have a unique form of communication – or do animals and modern technologies have “languages” of their own? This course invites participants to explore these and many other fascinating questions. We will look at where languages come from, how they function, how they change over time, and what they reveal about human societies. Along the way, we will meet influential thinkers such as Ferdinand de Saussure, B.F. Skinner, and Noam Chomsky, whose ideas have shaped modern understanding of language structure, behavior, and universal principles.
Designed for curious learners from all backgrounds, the course takes an accessible interdisciplinary approach, drawing on history, culture, and linguistics. No prior knowledge is required – just an interest in how humans communicate.
Dancing Through the Ages
Instructor: Lars Rosager
1:15pm – 2:45pm
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, economics, fashion, politics, and technology. We will explore different dance genres, including indigenous dance, folk dance, court dance, ballet, modern, tap, jazz, and Broadway dance. This course also includes (optional) movement on our feet relating to the topics discussed in that day’s class.
Monday Virtual Classes
The U.S. Supreme Court: Law and Politics Collide
Instructor: Leora Harpaz
10:00am – 11:15am
This course will examine the Supreme Court’s recent actions in areas of political significance. During the 2025-26 Supreme Court Term, those cases include subjects including transgender rights, tariffs, the scope of presidential power over independent administrative agencies, & possibly birthright citizenship. Other important cases before the Court involve redistricting, election financing, and gun rights. In addition to cases on the Court’s regular docket, the Court has decided many cases that came to the Court as emergency applications - these cases will also be discussed, as will any major cases added to the docket during the 2026-27 Term.
New York Short Stories
Instructor: Jennifer Gilchrist
11:30am – 12:45pm
New York is a city of millions of stories of hope, dreams, romance, fear, anger, despair, 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 character study, bildungsroman, irony, romance, blighted romance, suspense, family drama, friend drama, social realism, and fable by diverse New Yorkers such as Lore Segal, Imbolo Mbue, Lisa Ko, Jennifer Egan, John Cheever, Lydia Davis, William Denby, Aurora Huiza, Jessie Redmond Faucet, and Jonathan Safran Foer.
Shakespeare: “Much Ado About Nothing”
Instructor: Leo Schaff
1:00pm – 2:15pm
Shakespeare’s timeless dark comedy set in beautiful Messina, Italy, is a classic that continues to entertain audiences the world over. Count Claudio falls head over heels in love with Hero, the daughter of his host. Hero's cousin Beatrice and Benedict (soldier) are each duped into believing the other is in love with them. Claudio is deceived by a misleading plot and denounces Hero as unfit before they marry. She faints and is believed dead, but recovers to be proved innocent by a chance discovery. Benedict wins Beatrice’s affection by defending her cousin’s honour, and to his surprise, Claudio is reunited with Hero, whom he believed dead. Students have the opportunity to read and discuss in detail different plot structures while enjoying beautiful language from the world’s greatest dramatist.
Creative Writing Workshop
Instructor: Leo Schaff
2:30pm – 3:30pm
This course calls on writers of all stripes, persuasions, and experiences. Memoirs, poetry, short stories, song lyrics, and letters to the editor are all welcome. Find inspiration through art, music, current events, or simply hearing each other’s work. Writers are helped through writing prompts to help guide topics, if needed. When it comes to writing, everything is on the table.
Poetics of Relation
Instructor: Chloe Zimmerman
3:45pm - 5:00pm
Our explorations in this interdisciplinary poetry workshop will center around correspondence and interconnection. We'll tend to 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 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 and meditations. Together, we will ask: who and what are we in conversation with in each of our own lives? How might this take shape in poetic form?
Wednesday Virtual Classes
Theater in Practice: “Death of A Salesman”
Instructor: Joe George
10:00am – 11:15am
A modern-day classic brought to life with deep analysis and a shared reading experience, Death of A Salesman, tells the story of Willy Loman and his struggle to find his place in a changing world. Arthur Miller’s tragic tale, deeply rooted in American values, struggles to maintain relevance and prosper as new ideas and methods take hold in a capitalist society. Arthur Miller stated, “I believe the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as kings were.” From Orestes to Hamlet, Medea, to Macbeth, the underlying struggle is that of the individual attempting to gain his “rightful” position in society.
Living Well: The 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.
The Broadway Musical: Let the Show Begin!
Instructor: Kim Breden
1:00pm – 2:15pm
This 10-session Zoom class will examine and celebrate some of Broadway's best-loved musicals, starting with the 1920s up to the 1960s. Through the use of live performance videos, sound recordings, still photographs, and historical lectures, participants will enjoy a deeper look into the synopses, original cast members, performance details, as well as information about the composers and lyricists of these musical treasures. This class will also offer the opportunity to listen to an array of showtune favorites and perhaps join in a sing-along.
Leisure: The Basis of Culture
Instructor: Greg Canada
2:30pm – 3:45pm
One of the most important philosophy titles published in the twentieth century, Josef Pieper's “Leisure, The Basis of Culture” is more significant, even more crucial, today than it was when it first appeared more than fifty years ago. Pieper argues that true leisure is the foundation of culture, defining it not as idleness but as an inward state of calm and celebration essential for human flourishing. He contrasts this with the modern "total work" mentality, which he believes has devalued leisure and created a culture focused solely on productivity. In this course, we will carefully explore the nature of Pieper’s arguments and learn why he advocates reclaiming leisure as a spiritual and intellectual attitude that allows for contemplation and worship, which he sees as the source of true culture.
Get A Clue: Crossword Construction
Instructor: Natan Last
4:00pm – 5:15pm
Learn the principles of crossword puzzle construction 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. More than twenty puzzles have been featured in the Times thus far! Will Shortz has hailed this class as “one of a kind.”