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Join us for a vibrant depiction of singer and dancer Josephine Baker and the African American musicians of interwar Paris. We’ll explore the enclave of gifted multiracial performers who altered the course of European music, art and style. After Germany invaded France, Baker valiantly spied on the Axis for the Allies, aided refugees and entertained the troops. Newly available videoclips, music and stories celebrate the innovative music, dance and cabarets of Paris, 1925-50.

During the last four decades Dave Radlauer has been telling tales of early Jazz, Blues and Swing on the radio, garnering six broadcast awards and authoring 200 articles for online and print publications. For Stanford Libraries, he’s written interpretive online text and donated a large collection of unique music and photos. He teaches lifelong learning courses at UCLA, UC Berkeley, San Francisco State and Dominican University.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

In 1989, historian Elizabeth White received a mysterious manuscript. It told how Jewish mathematician Janina Mehlberg survived the Holocaust in German-occupied Lublin Poland by posing as "the Countess Suchodolska," a Polish Christian relief worker. Through face-to-face negotiations with Nazi officials and clandestine work for the resistance, she provided life-saving aid to non-Jewish Polish victims of Nazi persecution in Lublin and to prisoners at Majdanek concentration camp, where 63,000 Jews were gassed or shot to death. To corroborate this astonishing story, White and fellow Holocaust historian Joanna Sliwa conducted research in nine countries. They discovered that Mehlberg accomplished far more than she claimed. This talk will highlight what we can learn from Mehlberg's story about Holocaust history, ethnic relations in extreme situations, and humanity in times of crisis.

Dr. Elizabeth “Barry” White recently retired from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, where she served as historian and as Research Director for the USHMM’s Center for the Prevention of Genocide.


Dr. Joanna Sliwa is a historian at the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) in New York, where she also administers academic programs.


The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

The hotel industry in America began with rustic New England country inns and taverns, progressed to grand hotels with the growth of major American cities as spurred on by the railroads, and has culminated in the sophisticated boutique hotels of today. As America grew in population and prominence, the need for accommodations for travelers spurred the expansion of the hospitality industry while advancing the popular architectural styles of the time. This lecture will address the development of the industry, through discussion of architectural and interior styles and the unique regional and cultural influences from various regions throughout the United States.

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world. She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

In the ongoing saga between Palestine and Israel, the Palestinians are one of the key players. However, many in the Western world know very little about them. Where did they come from? How do they practice their religion? What inspires them or encourages them? What do they hope for? This course will open up the history, culture, and opinions of the Palestinians, attempting to better understand their experiences and struggles. Ultimately, this course’s goal is to give one a more informed understanding of the dynamic between Israel and Palestine, and to aid in the path to peace.

Jason Hensley, PhD (Holocaust and Genocide Studies), Dmin (Biblical Studies), teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a higher-education ambassador for the Council on Foreign Relations, and the award-winning author of 12 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary. Connect with him at jasonhensley.net.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

Choreography by Ohad Naharin

“There’s no other company that dances quite like this.” Haaretz (Israel)

“MOMO… is breathtaking. It has clarity, precision and economy, simplicity and depth, a secret.” Globes (Israel)

A titan of contemporary dance and creator of the Gaga movement language Ohad Naharin brings his powerhouse Tel Aviv-based company back to Santa Barbara with MOMO. Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet’s Landfall and Philip Glass’ Metamorphosis provide the slow-simmering musical backdrop to this daring new work. MOMO has two souls, with separate yet conjoined narratives running alongside one another, hypnotic and intense. Through it all, a shared passion of deep sorrow and beauty unfolds on stage.

“[Yuja Wang’s] combination of technical ease, colouristic range and sheer power has always been remarkable.” Financial Times

“Breathtakingly brilliant pianist…” Gramophone on Víkingur Ólafsson

Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson join forces for an unforgettable night of four-handed keyboard mastery. Lauded for her charismatic artistry, emotional honesty and captivating stage presence, Wang is a regular with the world’s top symphony orchestras and was named Musical America’s Artist of the Year in 2017. An acclaimed visionary interpreter of such monuments of the piano repertoire as J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Ólafsson has received Opus Klassik’s Solo Recording Instrumental of the Year twice since his debut with Deutsche Grammophon in 2017.

English, like all other languages, changes over time and varies according to place and social setting. The way a person sounds—such as with the “southern drawl” or dropping their “r”s—immediately conjures up a sense of the place where they come from. But the way we speak is influenced by many factors: not only our geographical roots, but our social and educational background, our working environment, our friends, our own sense of identity, and even our political views all affect how we sound.

In this lecture, we will examine English dialects and accents around the world, and how they changed over time. We will wonder what Shakespeare really sounded like, and how we can know that. We will observe how English speakers can manipulate the way they speak to emphasize their identity. We will contemplate how Bostonians and New Yorkers, posh and working-class Londoners, Scots and Irishmen, Canadians and Australians speak.

Led by an expert on linguistics and history this lecture will open your eyes - and your ears! - to the great diversity of Englishes around the world.

Asya Pereltsvaig received a degree in English and History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD in Linguistics from McGill University. She taught at Yale, Cornell, and Stanford universities, and has been teaching in lifelong education programs since 2010. Her expertise is in language, culture, and history, and the relationship between them. Asya has published five scholarly books with Cambridge University Press. Asya is a popular instructor for several lifelong learning institutes around the country.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

Christianity is a religion. Nevertheless, with the development of nationalism in the last few centuries, in some circles, Christianity has developed into both a religion and a political movement. This movement is known as Christian nationalism; it seeks to bring Christianity into government, and to lead nations using Christian principles, Christian ideas, and sometimes, is largely supported by a Christian imperialist way of thinking. This set of two lectures will dive deep into the origins of this Christian nationalism, and then also consider how Christian nationalism affects life in the United States today.

Jason Hensley, PhD (Holocaust and Genocide Studies), Dmin (Biblical Studies), teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a higher-education ambassador for the Council on Foreign Relations, and the award-winning author of 12 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary. Connect with him at jasonhensley.net.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

Camerata Pacifica, the international chamber music collective renowned for its musical versatility and bold programming, launches the New Year with the first of two programs on the Camerata Pacifica Baroque series curated by acclaimed flutist Emi Ferguson. Anchored by Bach’s iconic Two-Part Inventions, the intimate and illuminating program, featuring Ferguson on traverso and celebrated classical and jazz keyboardist Dan Tepfer on amplified clavichord, promises both familiarity and surprise, creating a fascinating dialogue between Baroque traditions and contemporary improvisation.

The performances, spotlighting two of the quietest Baroque instruments – traverso and clavichord – are presented at four Southern California venues: Sunday, January 12, 3:00 pm, at Thousand Oaks’ Janet and Ray Scherr Forum; Tuesday, January 14, 7:30 pm, The Huntington in San Marino; Thursday, January 16, 8:00 pm, Zipper Hall in Downtown Los Angeles; and Friday, January 17, 2025, 7:00 pm, at Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West.

Dan Tepfer is celebrated for his innovative performances with artists including Renée Fleming and Lee Konitz and for his award-winning recordings and appearances on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. For this performance, Tepfer is drawing from his acclaimed 2023 solo album J.S. Bach / Dan Tepfer, Inventions / Reinventions on StorySound Records.

For tickets ($75 at The Huntington, Music Academy of the West, and Zipper Hall; $91, including fees, at Janet and Ray Scherr Forum) and information, visit www.cameratapacifica.org.