Lectures. Talks. Ideas.
Dear Friends,
With our final fall courses kicking off in the next two weeks, we are getting very excited for “The Joy of Food,” on Friday mornings starting November 7th, and “How Paris Changed the World,” on Wednesday afternoons starting November 12th.
If you’d like to learn more about these courses, please check out our course outlines, which have just been updated with the lecturers’ suggestions for further reading and research on the topics they’ll be covering. You can see the Joy of Food syllabus HERE and the Paris syllabus HERE.
If you took part in our recently completed Architecture and Modern Art courses, you can expect a separate email from me in the coming days with the slides for the final lectures in those programs.
And finally: a quick update on our author event with John Irving on December 1st. Tickets are selling fast and we encourage you to sign up soon to secure a place before the event sells out. Please click HERE to obtain your tickets, and learn more about Queen Esther, the wonderful new novel that he will be discussing.
As always, you can contact our trusty Help Desk ([email protected]) if you need assistance with registration, and please scroll below for more fun programs from our MNjcc partners and other friends in the city.
Here’s to more learning adventures! Fingers crossed for the Blue Jays!
Will Di Novi
Host and Organizer
The Speakers Annex
The Speakers Annex is proud to be presented in partnership with
OUR NEXT TWO FALL COURSES!
Fridays, November 7-December 12
10:30 AM-12 PM
MNjcc Members: $99
Non-Members: $119
| The Joy of Food: Six Delicious Dishes That Explain the Modern World
Speakers Annex favourite Dr. Laura Carlson leads this delightful survey of the history of six foods that have become staples of the modern table.
From bagels and lox and its lip-smacking journey into the heart (and stomachs!) of the Jewish diaspora to the migration of ice cream from the royal courts of Europe into your freezer at home, Laura will explore the rich histories of these iconic dishes and what they each reveal about the exchange of culture, ideas and delicious food that has shaped our modern world.
Click HERE for the full course schedule and descriptions of each of the six sessions.
Click HERE for a video greeting from Laura Carlson, previewing the series. |
Wednesdays, November 12-December 17
1:00 PM-2:30 PM
MNjcc Members: $99
Non-Members: $119
| How Paris Changed the World
Acclaimed writer and TV host Lisa Pasold takes us on an immersive journey through the history of Paris, exploring the city’s outsized impact on many aspects of urban life that we’ve come to cherish.
Drawing on exciting new material that we didn’t cover in her popular recent courses on Paris’s cultural landmarks and cafe society, she’ll guide us through the revolutions in art, fashion, food and politics that emerged from the City of Light, transforming our idea of the modern city.
Click HERE for the full course schedule and descriptions of each of the six sessions.
Click HERE for a video greeting from Lisa Pasold, previewing the series. |
AN EXCITING AUTHOR EVENT!
 December 1, 2025
7:30 PM
Isabel Bader Theatre | John Irving on
Queen EstherJoin us for a memorable evening with internationally acclaimed author, John Irving, as he presents his sixteenth novel, Queen Esther – a powerful return to the world of his beloved classic The Cider House Rules.
Spanning from Vienna in 1905 to Jerusalem in 1981, Queen Esther traces Esther Nacht’s extraordinary journey: from her early orphanhood and the care of Dr. Wilbur Larch, to her enduring bond with the philanthropic Winslow family, to her own reckoning with history, faith, and identity.
With characteristic depth, humour, and humanity, Irving crafts a story that confronts anti-Semitism while celebrating the enduring strength of love and loyalty. |
SOME COOL EVENTS FROM OUR PARTNERS
| Theatre Critic Lynn Slotkin Returns with a New Series!
“We have public libraries, why not public theatres?” championed legendary impresario Joseph Papp, who through his Free Shakespeare in the Park and Public Theatre brought more theatre to more people than any other producer in history. Papp nurtured innovative playwrights, discovered soon-to-be famous actors, and pioneered colour-blind, interracial, and gender-swapped casting. Join Lynn Slotkin Mondays November 24-December 8 at the Miles Nadal JCC, on Zoom simulcast, or register to receive the recordings!
Questions? Email [email protected].
Register HERE. |
| Book Launch Commemorates Holocaust Education Week
David Kaufman discusses The Posthumous Landscape: Remnants of Jewish Life in Eastern Europe. Learn about the stories behind remnants of former Jewish neighbourhoods, synagogues and cemeteries that survived the Nazi and Soviet eras, and Holocaust sites in Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia. Following the illustrated presentation, there will be book sales and signings. Presented in partnership with the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards. Thursday November 6, 1:00-2:30pm. Join us in person at the Miles Nadal JCC, on Zoom simulcast, or register to receive the recording.
Questions? Email [email protected].
Register HERE.
|
| Visit and Enjoy the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto
The Arts & Letters Club is a social club for people active or interested in literature and the arts. Located in its historic Toronto building at 14 Elm Street, the Club hosts literary talks, stage productions, musical performances, painting sessions and more. The Club’s lounge and bar is open to visitors every Friday from 4 pm to 7 pm. Beginning in September, the Club will be offering the Speakers Annex community an opportunity to sample its fun events.
If you are interested in learning more, please email Martin Jones at [email protected]. For more information on the Club, please visit www.artsandlettersclub.ca. |
THE SPEAKERS ANNEX READING GUIDE!
In June, I asked some of our favourite Speakers Annex contributors to share a few books that we all might enjoy over the summer months. The summer months are now (sadly) over but if you’re ever looking for something fun to read you can see the full list HERE.
And if you’ve read anything lately that totally knocked your socks off, please email me at [email protected]. I’d love to add it to the list for others to enjoy!
HELPFUL LINKS AND MORE!
For registration assistance, please contact the MNjcc customer support team at 416-924-6211 x0 or email [email protected]. You can also refer to this detailed, step-by-step registration guide.
Email me about our fall programs, or anything else on your mind, at [email protected]. I always love to hear from you!
Consult this FAQ Help Sheet for answers to common questions about our events.
Thank you so much again!
