The Laura and Alvin Siegal Lifelong Learning Program at Case Western Reserve University will honor three teachers who exemplify the ideals of the program’s mission through their contributions, dedication and the critical roles they fulfill as educators.
The honorees will be recognized during “A Life Driven by Curiosity: A Benefit Celebration for Lifelong Learning,” Monday, May 4, at 7 p.m. in the Tinkham Veale University Center’s Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation Room. The guest speaker is Cleveland author Mary Doria Russell, whose most recent book, Epitaph, about the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, was released at the beginning of March.
Brian Amkraut, executive director of the Siegal Lifelong Learning Program, announced the winners of the program’s new Excellence in Teaching and Contribution to Lifelong Learning Award:
- Joseph Jacoby, a retired English teacher from the Lakewood Schools;
- Kenneth Ledford, associate professor of history and law at Case Western Reserve; and,
- Leatrice Rabinsky, a Case Western Reserve alumna who has been teaching and writing about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism since 1973.
“All of these honorees are tremendously committed to their teaching. The amount of preparation they put into their courses and presentations is enormous,” Amkraut said.
Students and colleagues alike have recognized their multiple years of engagement with the program and abilities to teach, Amkraut said.
Amkraut described the recipients’ contributions:
As a beloved instructor in the Lifelong Learning programs Off-Campus Studies courses, Jacoby has gained a well-deserved reputation as both an expert in his field of literature and a master discussion group facilitator, best demonstrated by the universally high demand from individual groups to have him as a Leader-Teacher. Jacoby’s commitment to Lifelong Learning has earned him the respect of his colleagues by convening workshops for Off-Campus Studies faculty for years and assisting the program’s management team in its overall strategy for strengthening the Off-Campus Studies program.
Ledford has taught multiple times in Senior Scholars—most recently to a standing-room only audience for his course on World War I. He has also given stand-alone lectures for the program on a wide range of topics and has advocated for the Siegal program among the CWRU faculty, by both articulating the value of lifelong learning and identifying colleagues to recruit as instructors in lifelong learning.
Rabinsky has been teaching adult education courses for more than15 consecutive years. While her work focuses primarily on the Holocaust, she also has developed courses in other areas for the Siegal community of lifelong learners. Her dedication to her students, as well as the broader area of Holocaust education, is unparalleled.
For event information or to register, contact Michelle Miller at 216.368.8745.