Lunch & Learn Series

Bring a bag lunch and learn during these informative talks on popular topics of history, culture, science and the arts. Lunch & Learn programs are offered both LIVE at the Cape May Lutheran Church Hall, 509 Pittsburgh Ave., Cape May, and by ZOOM. You may bring your lunch and beverage but no food or drink is provided. The hall is accessible and free parking is available. No registration is needed if you plan to attend in person.

2023 schedule and lecture topics listed below.

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Yes, nice Victorian women DID use that 4-letter word: MATH Continued…

September 6th: 12 pm

Just when you thought, after Part One, there was nothing left to be said about Victorian female mathematicians and their mostly unknown, and sometimes scandalous, lives along comes Part Two. Join Donna Szemcsak and learn more about Victorian women that DID use that 4-letter word: MATH.

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Norway’s Greatest Composer: Edvard Grieg

September 20th: 12 pm

Romantic music. Folk music. Edvard Grieg is well known in classical music for combining the two with spectacular results. Dr. Brenda Leonard talks about his life and introduces us to some of his greatest works.

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Predators in Peril

October 4th: 12 pm

Are sharks really the scary creatures they are sometimes portrayed as in the media, or are they naturally reclusive animals that are an important part of the food chain, both as predator and sometimes as prey?  Did you know that millions are killed each year for their meat, oil, fins, and more? Our guest speaker is Bill Band, a retired Chesapeake Bay boat pilot and diver.

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Storytelling and You

October 18th: 12 pm

Have you ever considered yourself a storyteller? Or do you wonder if you really have the skills to be one? Frank Garcia brings us an interactive event as he shares the basics of storytelling and helps us explore our own stories.

Past Lectures

Finding Amelia Earhart

Presented by Mark Allen

08/16/23

History of Boardwalks

Presented by Mary Stewart

08/02/23

What is DooWop?

Presented by Mike Urbanski

07/19/23

It’s a Grand Old Flag

Presented by Mary Stewart

06/08/23

The History of Theater

Presented by Roy Steinberg of Cape May Stage

05/17/23

More About Music: Composers of the 2023 Cape May Music Festival 

Presented by Dr. Brenda Leonard

05/03/23

Marvels and Missteps: Medicine During the Victorian Era

Presented by Ben Ridings

04/19/23

A History of Libraries in the United States

Presented by Cape May County Libraries’ Outreach Librarian, Audrey Dingler

04/05/23

The Impact of Immigration on America 

Presented by Ted Bryan

03/15/23

Yes, nice Victorian women DID use that 4-letter word: MATH

Presented by Dr. Donna Szemcsak

03/01/23

Why Does Modern Art Look So Weird? 

Presented by Dr. John Curtis

02/15/23

The Maritime History of Cape May

Presented by Mal & Dottie Knapp

02/01/23

The Stories behind the Mother Goose Rhymes

Presented by Maryetta Dorricott of the Endicott Reardon Family Museum

01/18/23

A History of New Year’s Resolutions 

Presented by Mary Stewart

01/04/23

A History of Christmas Carols

Presented by Brenda Leonard

12/21/22

Nonprofits: They’re Not all the Same!

Presented by Jody Alessandrine

12/07/22

A Closer Look at Veterans Day

Presented by Mike Urbanski

11/16/22

“The Lenape Nation and the Virtues of the Seven Grandfathers”

Presented by eri Hislop, also named Xeli Otaesak Pilsit Xkw, of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania

11/02/22

“Discovering Cape May’s Role in the Underground Railroad”

Presented by Theodore Bryan

10/19/22

Victorian Email: And Other Communications in the Late 1800s

Presenter: Ben Ridings, Cape May MAC Curator

10/05/22

Two Women, Two Worlds

Presented by Mary Stewart

09/21/22

“Six Centuries of Cello “

Presented by cellist Brenda Leonard

 09/07/22

“Vintage Tweets: Suffrage Era Postcards”

Presented by Carol Crossed

08/17/22

“What does a Symphony Conductor Do Besides Wave a Baton? “

Presented by Jed Gaylin of Bay Atlantic Symphony

 08/03/22

“Impressionist Art: How Do You Paint Light?”

Presented by John Curtis

 07/20/22

“History of Independence Day”

Presented by Mary Stewart

07/06/22

“Tool of the Trade”

Presented by Ben Riding

 06/16/22

“Let’s Play Ball: A Century of Baseball History.”

Presented by Mary Stewart

05/18/22

History of Gardens from Eden to Present

Part 1

Presented by Elan Zingman-Leith

04/20/22

Emerald Cape May

Presented by Ben Ridging

03/16/22

Love Cape May Style

Presented by Elan Zingman-Leith

02/16/22

Shocking Secrets of Victorian Christmas

Presented by Elan Zingman-Leith

12/15/21

A History of Thanksgiving in America

Presented by Mary Stewart

11/17/21

Guardian at the Point – Life as a Cape May Keeper

Presented by Ben Ridings

10/20/21

History of Bicycling

Presented by Tom Carroll

9/22/21

A Feeling of Community

Presented by CCA, Hope Gaines and Rachel Dolhanczyk

6/16/21

The Roaring Twenties

Presented by Mary Stewart

5/19/21

The Great Fire of 1878

Presented by Ben Ridings

4/12/21

The First Ladies Part 2

Presented by Mary Stewart

3/17/21

The Doo Wop Experience

Presented by Mike Urbanski

2/12/21

The Presidents in Cape May

Presented by Ben Ridings

1/21/21

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS: Decking the Hall

Presented by Mary Stewart

12/16/20

YULETIDE AUTHORS: How Charles Dickens & Washington Irving Transformed Christmas

Presented by Ben Ridings

12/9/20

OTHER EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS