A look at many rebellions and revolutions in Poland between the partitions and the Treaty of Versailles. It includes quite a cast of characters including Napoleon.

In the last year, two books written by South Bend authors have been published. The first is ARA by Mark Hubbard about the life of the legendary Notre Dame football coach. The second is Mr. Churchill in the White House by Robert Schmuhl, retired ND professor, about the British Prime Minister's visits there during two presidencies. The course will discuss each book for five weeks.

We will watch and discuss movies with jazz/blues soundtracks, plots, or actors. Plus a few surprises! Suggestions are encouraged. Class is 9 weeks, as I may be out of town during the semester. Depending on the length of the movie, the class may not last the allotted time.

This semester will present the Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation (first semester.) We will discuss the Council of Trent (1545-1563.) We will consider the historical theological & political context if this monumental Council. We will examine the popes who were leaders of the Catholic Church at the time of the Council. We will also discuss the cardinals & bishops who were involved in the Council. Also we will consider the reforms which the Council made in the the areas such as seminary training, the sacraments & Eucharist. We will also talk about the new religious orders & the men & women that took up the cause of reform & the spread of Catholicism to the New World.

The first of two semesters devoted to understanding the travail of the United States since the Great Depression. We will be most focused on the way ideas, events and personalities come together to forge eras of politcal dominance and provoke critiques. New Deal liberalism, mainstream conservatism, and the emergence of radical alternatives such as populism and identity politics will be examined. The fall '25 semester will take the story from the 1930s to the 1980s, and a subsequent class will pick the story up there. Readings will be distributed electronically; there is no required text.

This will be a single session class October 8th, about the South Bend Watch Company. We will discuss the need for high quality watches, a little about how they work, the company's origins, many of the people involved, products, location, ultimate demise and aftermath. For anyone who has an old pocket watch and would like to bring it to the class, I will remain afterward to provide any information I can about the watch.

This five-week course, beginning October 16, explores Robert Schmuhl’s recent book, Mr. Churchill in the White House: The Untold Story of a Prime Minister and Two Presidents. Schmuhl, an Emeritus Professor at Notre Dame, examines Winston Churchill’s unique relationship with Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman during World War II and its impact on history.

Participants will read approximately 60 pages per week, with guiding questions for discussion provided in advance of each session. The course will conclude with a special opportunity to meet and engage with Professor Schmuhl, who is scheduled to attend the final class.

The class title is: "Understanding Modern Israel: the people, and its struggle for survival and peace". The presenters are Bob Feferman, Community Relations Director for the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley and Omer Karavani, Israeli Emissary to the Jewish Federation. The first three sessions will be conducted by Omer Karavani. He will present, "My Israeli Story", that tells the story of Israel through his personal story and that of his family. The 2nd session will be an overview of the Jews of the Middle East, and the 3rd session will be on "Israel the Melting Pot?" The fourth and fifth sessions will be presented by Bob Feferman titled, "Israel: A Struggle for Survival and Peace".  Classes will meet: October 16th, 23rd, 30th and November 6th and the 20th.