September 9 - Welcome Back Party and Orientation! Meet new members, catch up with returning members, hear from board members about the upcoming year, and then our youngsters will be serenaded in a WMG Kids Concert by beloved musician John Henry England! CD selling event
September 16 -Dr. Tawfik Hamid is an Islamic thinker, reformer and one-time Islamic extremist from Egypt, who spent time with Ayman Al-Zawahiri, who later became the second in command of Al-Queda. Some 25 years ago, he recognized the threat of Radical Islam and the need for a reformation based upon modern peaceful interpretations of classical Islamic core texts. He has appeared on shows spanning the spectrum from CNN to Fox News, articles featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Daily News, and the Jerusalem Post and has received the Speaker of the Truth award. Dr. Hamid has a medical degree in internal medicine, in addition to a Master’s degree in cognitive psychology and educational techniques. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and President of the Global Movement Against Radical Islam
. His book,Inside Jihad, will be available after the lecture. Book signing event
September 23- Over 60 years ago, Pakistan was formed by visionaries, idealists, pragmatists, scholars, business people, tradesmen, farmers and poets full of hope. Yet today, we hear about a country on the brink of disintegration. But this is not what Columbia University-educated, mother, writer and Pakistani American Salma Hasan Ali saw in Kashmir, Islamabad, villages in Punjab and the metropolis of Karachi. Accompanied by a former Taliban-turned-teacher, visiting with local villagers living in poverty and sitting amongst young girls wanting nothing more than to go to school, she saw Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson in action as well as the optimism that her grandfather had talked about. The photo journaling of this journey was deftly executed by Shahidul Alam, the Director of Drik Photo Agency and board member of the National Geographic Society whose works have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (NY), the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris and the Photographer’s Gallery in London.
September 30 - Meet Jeff Meade, historian and museum educator, from the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum. Before heading up public and student tours, as well all volunteer activities, for the museum, he worked at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and National Museum of Natural History as well as an interpretive guide for the National Park Service. Jeff’s goal for all visitors to the museum is to turn them into postal historians and avid stamp collectors during a one hour visit! He’ll spend an hour with us providing an introduction to the Smithsonian and how they build their collection, and he’ll tell us why he believes, of all the Smithsonian Museums, the National Postal Museum really delivers the “Aha!” moment to visitors.
October 7 -Shortly after completing a residency in pediatrics at Northwestern University, Dr. Sue Swedowas named Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine at the university. The following year, she moved to Washington, became a senior staff fellow in the Child Psychiatry Branch/NIMH and then became Head of the Section on Behavioral Pediatrics and Chief of the Pediatrics and Developmental Neuropsychiatry Branch in 1998. Dr. Swedo recently received the Joel Elkes International Research Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.Her clinical trials and laboratory study childhood-onset obsessive compulsive disorder and related challenges, including Autism spectrum disorders, Tourette syndrome and Sydenham chorea.
October 14 - Julie Sussman and Stephanie Glakas-Tenet are the national bestselling authors of the Dare to Repair(Do-It-Herself Guides!) series featured on the New York Times, Washington Post, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon bestseller lists. They have appeared on Good Morning America, Today Show, CBS Morning Show, ABC World News Now, FOX News, FOX and Friends, The View, PBS National Pledge Show, 700 Club, John Walsh Show, Living it Up with Ali and Jack, Talk2DIY Network, and Retirement Living TV. They are the national spokeswomen for Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Program partnership, and in partnership with BP Fuel, have helped women stay safe on the road by teaching them basic car care. Yessssssss!!!!!!!!!!
October 21 - Dr. Carolivia Herron is a Jewish African American, a founding member of Jews of African Descent, and she spent a postdoctoral research year at Brandeis University investigating the subject of African American Jews. Many of her writings refer to the intersections between Judaic and African cultures. Dr. Herron has spent most of her professorial career at Harvard University as a professor (African American Studies, Comparative Literature, Divinity School, School of Education, Electronic Education) and has also held professorial or visiting scholar appointments at Mount Holyoke College, Cal State University/Chico, Brandeis University, Hebrew College, Carlton College, the Marien N’Guabi University of Congo, Brazzaville & more. She will talk about her controversial book,Nappy Hair, as well as multimedia programs produced by her company. Book signing event
October 28 - No one loves telling stories more than Debbie Mintz Brodsky. The three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer has more than 15 years of experience and has interviewed hundreds of people, including such notables as Senator John McCain, Bob Dole, Tiger Woods, and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. Today, Debbie’s own production company, DMB Pictures, preserves memories. She specializes in capturing life stories on DVD to preserve family history or celebrate a milestone event. By using videotaped interview footage, along with personal photos, home movies and music, she creates a movie of someone’s life that the family can enjoy for years to come. Debbie will provide pointers on how you can preserve family memories, too.
November 4 - Wine Tasting and Book Exchange
Join us as we sample delectable wines with complementary pairings, and don’t forget to bring books to trade! Remaining books will be donated on your behalf.
November 11 - Nell Minow leads a double life. Known to many as “Movie Mom,” she regularly reviews films and offers guidelines for family viewing. Her website is part of Beliefnet: blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/. In her other life, she’s an attorney who is the editor and co-founder of The Corporate Library, where she battles for sound corporate governance and the rights of shareholders. Ms. Minow was named one of the “20 Most Influential People” in her field by Directorship magazine and was dubbed “The Queen of Good Corporate Governance" by Business Week Online.
November 18 - Get up close and personal with the Montgomery County Board of Education President, Shirley Brandman. She is also chair of the Committee on Special Populations and a member of the Policy Committee. Shirley began her professional career as an attorney representing children in abuse and neglect cases and later founded Cornell Law School’s first Child Advocacy Clinic. After her two sons were born, she returned to school to become a teacher for children with learning disabilities. She has previously served as an elected local and county PTA leader and was appointed by the county executive as a parent representative to the Montgomery County Commission for Children and Youth and appointed by the governor to serve on the statewide Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board. As a graduate of Yale College, Yale Law School and The American University (MA in special education/learning disabilities), she is a phenomenal advocate for our children.
November 25 -At 32, Gillian Clark abandoned a career in marketing to enroll in culinary school and fulfill her dream of becoming a chef. A divorce from her alcoholic husband followed, and Clark, chopping carrots for minimum wage, was left to raise their two young daughters on her own. She compares being a chef to motherhood, and describes all of the young cooks she helped to train as her ‘children’. Reflecting her ongoing struggle to balance work and family, her book, Out of the Frying Pan, includes her eldest daughter's favorite Cornflake-Coated Pork Chops and the Pink Medicine Placebo administered to her youngest after a greasy Braised Cube Steak caused her to slip off the monkey bars. Gillian now runs her own restaurant, The General Store, is a commentator for All Things Considered, and featured on the Food Network. Hear her story about comfort food and commitment to success. Book signing event
December 2 -Got stress? Listen to the mind-body connections between stress, illness, spirituality, love and health. Dr. Esther M. Sternberg is internationally recognized for her discoveries in brain-immune interactions and the effects of the brain's stress response on health. A dynamic speaker, recognized by her peers as a spokesperson for the field, she translates complex scientific subjects in a highly accessible manner, with a combination of academic credibility, passion for science and compassion as a physician. In addition to numerous scientific publications, she has authored the popular book The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health & Emotions and Healing Spaces: The Science of Place & Well-Being”. She’s been ‘shadowed’ by PBS for months; don’t miss the documentary of her findings: The Science of Healing which airs in late November! Book signing event
December 9 - Phyllis Caldwellleads the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, the only public foundation in the area focused solely on improving the lives of women and girls. The WAWF provides innovative opportunities for women to have a greater impact on the issues they care about by pooling their resources, resulting in annual investments of over $1 million. Phyliss is a member of Washington 100, a network of individuals collectively investing the money to fuel the WAWF’s work. She will tell us more about the foundation’s local initiatives, its growing influence on woman and philanthropy around the country and why she made the transition from banker to grantmaker.
December 16 - Here's a blueprint for building lasting, meaningful relationships, improving health, increasing creativity, and boosting productivity. Aren't you curious to know more? Todd B. Kashdan, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. Dead cats: that's the image many people conjure up when you mention curiosity….an image perpetuated by a dusty old proverb that has long represented the extent of our understanding of the term. In his book, Curious?, Dr. Kashdan offers a profound new message missing from so many books on happiness: the greatest opportunities for joy, purpose, and personal growth don't, in fact, happen when we're searching for happiness. He uses science, story and practical exercises to show you how to become what he calls a curious explorer—a person who's comfortable with risk and challenge and who functions optimally in an unstable, unpredictable world. Book signing event
December 23- Ever heard of ‘trance mediumship’? Ever seen a certified psychic in person? Dr. Barbara Stevens is a certified hypnotist, past life regression specialist, registered psychic medium, psychic healer and creator of an advanced course entitled Trance Mediumship. She assists people with non-contact therapeutic touch, meditation, pain control and enhanced performance through hypnosis. Barbara has been featured on numerous radio and television talk shows, teaches intuitive development, healing work, nutritional/holistic health counseling, incorporates her belief and knowledge of the meta physical into her everyday life and will share her secrets with us!
December 30- Winter Break! Get ready for more scintillating speakers on January 6th!
