Book Discussion Group 2025-2026

Meets on the  3rd Wednesday of the month at 4:30 pm 

Zoom Only

You must register for the upcoming season (November onwards) in order to get email reminders

The books we discuss which are recommended by group members may be on any subject, whether fiction or non-fiction. The discussions, led by a group member, will focus on the theme, character development and quality of writing.

If you enjoy reading books of substance and discussing with peers, you will definitely enjoy this group.

November 19: Apeirogon by Colum McCann. The story of a Palestinian and a Jewish Israeli, each of whom has lost a daughter in the conflict. Discussion led by Bob Maisel.

December 17: The Aviator and the Showman by Laurie Gwen Shapiro. The story of Amelia Earhart and George Putnam and the relationship that created her legend. Discussion led by Neil Stein

January 21: Fluke by Brian Klass. A discussion of how unexpected or random events can lead to important happenings and outcomes. Discussion lead by Doug Zipes.

February 18: The Big One. By Michael Osterholm and Mark Olshaker. A description of a fictional pandemic with a discussion of how it happens and what is needed to have a positive effect on its outcome. Discussion lead by Howard Gilbert

For this meeting only the group will meet at the Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center at 4:00. In person only, No Zoom

March 18: The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance. by Rebecca Clarren. The story of Jews coming to the United States to settle land in the Dakotas. It deals with the concepts of Native American loss and the government land programs to bring European settlers to this previous native American land.  Discussion lead by Larry Goodman

Future books TBD

For more information contact Howard Gilbert

Current Issues Discussion Group

Led by Ron Mutchnik

Meets on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 1:00 PM

Zoom Only

Registration Opens 10/20/25

You must re-register for this upcoming season

Each month the group engages in an interesting, relevant and often controversial discussion.  A shared magazine article is used as a spur for the interaction.  If you enjoy stimulating conversations about current issues with a group of critical thinkers, please join us.

For additional information, contact Ron Mutchnik

Topic will be sent in the monthly reminder

Wine Club 

Register once for the season and receive a reminder for each upcoming session announcing the wine selections for that month

If you were registered for the Special Opening Event you will still need to register once for this regular season

The MCA Wine Club is dedicated to wine education and wine enjoyment. We know and accept that members will bring varying levels of wine knowledge, experience and understanding to our meetings. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Please come if you want to learn and enjoy wine with like-minded MCA members. For this season, all participants will contribute $25 at each tasting. This is to offset costs of wine and  refreshments, which will be brought by those who volunteer. Whoever brings wine or refreshments will be partly reimbursed to the extent available from the entry fees collected.

December 17th- At this meeting we will be tasting wines made from different red grape varietals -- cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot, pinot noir and malbec. Can we taste the difference, and identify which is which?

January 19th-California Cabernets

February 19th-Rhone Wines

March 16th-TBD

April 20th-TBD

Wines for upcoming meetings will be chosen at the preceding meeting.

Please contact Jim Aronson with any questions.

Registration Opens 10/21/25 

Talmud Study
Led by Sid Freund

Seven sessions starting 1/5/26 and ending 3/23/26. Always at 2:30 PM on Mondays

Talmud Study Group will focus on ancient Jewish civil laws, many of which formed the foundation of our modern laws.

 This season we will analyze the judicial principles related to cases where two different sentences are applicable. Should one or more sentences be administered?  The primary categories of punitive liability will be introduced and then we will discuss the imposition of two consequences for the same transgression. We will learn the judicial principle of only applying the more severe penalty and then compare and contrast different scenarios where this principle may or may not apply.

Note: Prior year attendance is not a requirement. All classes and provided materials are in English.

Facilitator Sid Freund has been Superintendent of Schools in New York and Connecticut. He attended eight years of Yeshiva studies in New York City, and has had a longtime interest in Hebrew texts.

Questions? Email Sid Freund at sidfreund@gmail.com

Investment Club

 Registration Opens 11/13/25

       In person and on Zoom

Equities? Fixed Income? Real Estate? Mutual Funds? Puts/calls/options?  Join your MCA friends for a monthly round table discussion to share your investment experience and expertise and to learn from others. An optional lunch at a local restaurant to continue the discussion will be considered each month.

January 12: MCA member Steve Einhorn will lead a discussion reviewing the results of the 2025 Equity Markets and analyzing the Market outlook for 2026.

Steve was Vice Chairman of Omega Advisors, a long/short equity hedge fund which he joined in 1999. Prior to that he spent over 20 years with Goldman Sachs as partner, managing director, Partner-in-Charge of the Global Investment Research Department and Co-Chairman of the Investment Policy Committee.

Following the meeting members who wish are invited to continue the discussion over lunch (pay your own way) at a local restaurant.

February 9:  Matt Sowell, Vice President of First Trust Portfolios will be leading a discussion of International investing.

March 9: Discussion to center around alternative investments including commodities, precious metals, crypto, options trading, etc.

April 13: Jeff Yun,  Managing Director at Wasmer Schroeder & Company, a Charles Schwab company, will be leading a discussion of Fixed Income investing.

We are looking for someone to lead the March discussion. If you know of someone who specializes in alternative investments and would be available, please let Gene know

For more information, contact Gene Briskman

Photography Discussion Group

The 4th Friday of Each Month 

Registration for this New Season Opens 11/24/25

The Photography Discussion Group offers members The opportunity to share their enthusiasm for photography in a casual way.

While the facilitator (Neil Stein) guides each monthly meeting, it’s the participants who encourage learning by suggesting topics and sharing their related images, knowledge, creativity and support.

Friendly discussion always energizes these very positive gatherings. Interactive and welcoming, the group also provide a comfortable social atmosphere.

Bring your best photos to share with the group.

 Implantable Cardiac Pacemakers and Defibrillators 
presented by MCA member Bob Werner

Registration opens 1/21/26

In person and on Zoom

This session will explore the  development, history, application and technology of implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators.

For questions email  Larry Goodman

MCA/WCA Joint Event

Is Falling in My Future?

Part II

I'm Down but I'm Not Out

Dr. Michael Poss (Orthopedics),  

Dr. Larry Weiss (Emergency Medicine),  

Dr. Larry Goodman (Radiology),

Jeanne Morgenstern (Physical Therapy)

You asked after last year's session that we revisit the issue of falls this season.  As we all know, the risk of falling grows as we seniors get older. What can we do to reduce our risk? What should we do if the "inevitable" happens? A panel of experts will address this widespread concern and offer helpful insights and strategies.

MCA Medical Seminars are intended to help our members become better informed through down-to-earth discussions led by experienced professionals. An active Q&A is encouraged.

MCA Medical Seminars are in-person events

COED

Registration Opens 12/18/25

Israel Update: War? Peace? Confusion?

MCA Member Steve Schreier

Israel, the Middle East and the entire world have been in a state of turmoil and confusion since Oct 7, 2023.  For the past several years Steve has presented insights, analyses and predictions about the future for Israel.

He will review his predictions and events since his last presentation in January 2025.

In addition, he will  present his thoughts into the current state of affairs between Israel and the world and predictions about what we might look for in the next period of time

Steve's personal ties to Israel are deep-rooted. He lived on a kibbutz for a year of work-study in 1962, and moved to Israel in 1970 to conduct research on his doctorate.  Since then, he has visited Israel more than 60 times.

Steve's personal ties to Israel are deep-rooted. He lived on a kibbutz for a year of work-study in 1962, and moved to Israel in 1970 to conduct research on his doctorate.

COED

Registration Opens January 2

Presidential Power:

More or Less?

MCA Member Bob Levy

Can the president lower drug prices, suspend habeas corpus, punish sanctuary cities, cancel our refugee and asylum programs, ban immigrants from selected countries, require illegal aliens to register, demand proof of citizenship, and rescind the rights of public sector workers? Are Trump's crypto connections and his receipt of an airplane from Qatar conflicts of interest? Do Trump's UK and China deals vindicate his tariff strategy? Can he serve more than two terms as president? 

Bob Levy, chairman emeritus of the Cato Institute, will discuss the limits of presidential power.

Bob Levy

Bob Levy was, for 14 years, chairman of the board of directors at the Cato Institute.  He is now chairman emeritus. Bob joined Cato as senior fellow in constitutional studies in 1997 after 25 years in business. The Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies is named in his honor. He has also served on boards of the Federalist Society, the Foundation for Government Accountability, and the Institute for Justice. Bob received his PhD in business from the American University in 1966, then founded CDA Investment Technologies, a major provider of investment information and software. At age 50, after leaving CDA in 1991, Bob went to George Mason law school, where he was chief articles editor of the law review and class valedictorian. He received his JD degree in 1994. The next two years he clerked for Judge Royce Lamberth on the US District Court and Judge Douglas Ginsburg on the US Court of Appeals, both in Washington, DC.

For many years, Bob was an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, National Review, and many other publications. He has discussed public policy on national radio and TV programs, including ABC’s Nightline, Fox’s The O’Reilly Factor, PBS’s Newshour, and NBC’s Today Show. Bob’s latest book, co-authored with William Mellor, is The Dirty Dozen: How 12 Supreme Court Cases Radically Expanded Government and Eroded Freedom. Bob served as co-counsel in District of Columbia v. Heller, the successful Supreme Court challenge to Washington, D.C.’s gun ban.

Is it as Bad as it Looks?

Can Congress Do Its Job?

Is Congress Still the People's House?

What is the Role of Congress Under the Constitution?

Why is Congress so Unpopular?

What's the Solution?

This program will explore the roots of today's dysfunction and what it may take to get back to what the founders intended. 

Check your politics at the door!  

Speaker - Terry Weiner

Terry is the retired Chauncy H. Winters Professor of Comparative Social Analysis in the Political Science Department at Union College in NY, and has presented several times at MCA over past seasons.  

COED

Your IRA and Charity Strategies  

Gary Sanders, CPA

Moderated by Michael Feldman, J.D, CFP®

Registration Opens February 12, 2025

IRAs and Charity Strategies

Note:

Financial Health is held on the second Wednesday of each month during season. Chaired by Michael Feldman, the program covers a different topic each month, with knowledgeable speakers selected by Michael.

Note: This luncheon is at Stonebridge Country Club

2100 Winding Oaks Way, Naples

Conspiracy Theories: Past, Present and in the Future

Ron Yasbin, PhD 

Registration opens 2/18/26 In person and on Zoom

 Conspiracy theories have been around since recorded history began.   Many of them were aimed at the Jewish people.  We will discuss how a number of these theories affected and are still influencing the safety, health, welfare and economics of society and minority groups.  These conspiracy theories include the spread of TB, the supposed use of human blood in rituals, world economic domination, space lasers causing wildfires, genetically modified foods and organisms, the use of arsenic to cure cancer, the dangerous side effects of vaccines, fluoridation of water, the cause of AIDS and Covid-19 and the man-made cause of Autism

For questions email David Shepard

Understanding 

Cardiology

Diagnostics 

Conventional and New

Procedures Available Today

Dr. Ronald Riner

Registration Opens 2/20/26

Cardiac care is top of mind for seniors. Dr. Ronald Riner will bring his more than 50 years of experience as a cardiologist to bear, discussing the many conventional and new procedures and diagnostic tools available today. He will also raise our awareness of the role of various types of providers and diagnostic centers in cardiac care today. 

MCA Medical Seminars are intended to help our members become better informed through down-to-earth discussions led by experienced professionals. An active Q&A is encouraged.

MCA Medical Seminars are in-person events

Registration opens January 22

Beginners Beekeeping Workshop

An Introduction to the art of Beekeeping

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

WHY SO MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE TO KEEP BEES,

HOW TO WORK SAFELY AROUND THEM,

WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT IS NEEDED,

HOW TO CHOOSE AND PREPARE AN APIARY LOCATION, AND

HOW TO KEEP THE COLONIES HEALTHY

The cost of the workshop will be $25.00 per person, this price includes a small jar of the honey that was extracted. 

Jews in Baseball

When Sandy Sat, Greenberg Didn’t Bat and More Of That

MCA Member Marshall Tanick

(Registration Opens Jan. 25)

The role of Jews in baseball - as players, managers, owners, writers, broadcasters and fans - from the 1870s to today. We'll have slides, discuss the Jewish Hall of Fame, will conclude with a Quiz and a have a prize for the winner.

Marshall Tannick

Marshall, a Minnesota native who joined MCA in early 2024, spoke to us last season about Free Agency after the Curt Flood case. He's an attorney who, for 45 years, has represented clients in matters ranging from employment law, constitutional law, education law; animal law, and land law to business disputes. He has taught at the University of Minnesota Law School, among others, and is a frequent Continuing Education lecturer. He's also a big fan of the Twins.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Evaluating Your Dentist's Treatment Recommendations 

Dr. Avie Goldstein

Registration Opens February 12

Dentistry has changed dramatically in our lifetimes, including massive innovations in diagnosis, procedures and materials. Patients who had no symptoms and no inkling of a problem are often confronted with costly treatment recommendations. They often wonder if the recommended treatment is in their best interest, or that of the dentist. 

This presentation will seek to demystify the changes patients are experiencing and provide a framework and tools to make informed decisions about treatment recommendations.

MCA member Dr. Avie Goldstein is a board certified periodontist who has practiced periodontics and implant dentistry and been a dental educator for more than 50 years.  Dr. Goldstein has taught hundreds of periodontists and thousands of dentists over the course of his career, a portion of which was spent as a clinical assistant professor of surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. He has also served as an expert witness in more than 250 dental malpractice cases over the past twelve years. 

MCA Medical Seminars are intended to help our members become better informed through down-to-earth discussions led by experienced professionals. An active Q&A is encouraged.

MCA Medical Seminars are in-person events

Using Trusts to Save on Taxes  

Andy Krause, Esq.

J.P. Bratcher, Esq.

Moderated by Michael Feldman, J.D, CFP®

Registration Opens March 12, 2025

Using Trusts to Save on Taxes

Note:

This is the final program in the 2025-26 Financial Health series, held on the second Wednesday of each month during season. Chaired by Michael Feldman, the program covered a different topic each month, with knowledgeable speakers selected by Michael. 

From Fear to Fascination: The Science and Conservation of Sharks

Maggie Winchester-Weiler, M.Sc.

Registration Opens 3/18/26

This talk will be in person only

Sharks are vital to healthy ocean ecosystems, yet they face increasing challenges from human activities. The Atlantic is no exception, with fishing pressures, habitat loss, and climate change threatening their survival. Join Maggie Winchester-Weiler, Florida Conservation Program Manager for Ocean Conservancy, for an engaging dive into the biology of sharks, the physiological impacts of catch-and-release fishing, and the critical conservation efforts needed to protect these apex predators. Together, we’ll explore what divers and ocean lovers can do to ensure a thriving future for sharks in our waters.

For questions, email Michael Sobol

Climate Change

An Inconvenient Reality!

David Marsh

(Registration Opens February 22)

Climate Change has gone from "An Inconvenient Truth," as Al Gore labeled it nearly 20 years ago to what might now be labeled an "Inconvenient Reality." Its effects are evident in fires, floods, tornadoes, heatwaves, droughts, rising sea levels, migration, and widening geographic range of disease-transmitting animals and insects. The list could go on.

Dr Marsh will discuss:

• ·       Why Gore’s “planetary emergency alarm” failed to get “universal” acceptance.
• ·       Why a “Net Zero” target  (aiming to keep average global temperatures from rising by less than 1.5^oC from pre-industrial levels by 2050) is both unrealistic and the wrong target!
• ·       How we are now on a path to irreversible climate disasters.
• ·       Why countering fake news is crucial to combating runaway climate change, massive migration, and a rise in extremist ideologies.  His thesis is entitled: “Extrapolation2100^TM, Climate Change: The Lull Before the Stormtroopers.” 

David Marsh

David received a B.S. in Pharmacy and Masters in Medicinal Chemistry at Northeastern University, and then a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Rhode Island.  David worked for over 40 years in research and development of advanced drug formulations at Baxter International, Bausch & Lomb, Alcon Pharmaceuticals and Allergan International. 

While not a climatologist by training, David has followed the science of Climate Change for over 25 years. He has made multiple presentations on the subject and written countless letters to politicians, scientific newsletters and editors - in a hope for action and a better future for our children and grandchildren.