Our speaker this month is author Joshua Becker. He writes: My Jewish-themed novel, Soul Mission, was released almost one year ago. To briefly summarize the book, the main character, Ephraim, travels to his former lifetimes to rectify wrongs from past lives, which provide lessons on how to become a better person in the present era. Although Ephraim faces perilous challenges, there is humor and hope along the way. I have been delivering in-person and online presentations which have been very well received. I cover various subjects during my presentation, including the characters' relatability to the reader, how scenes originated, what the springboards were for the basis of the book, and address the struggles and triumphs during the ten-year writing process, along with a Q&A.

This month, out speaker is Professor Craig Coenen. Dr. Craig Coenen is a professor at Mercer County Community College and is currently the interim director of the Mercer County Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Education Center. Dr. Coenen was appointed interim director of the Mercer County Holocaust, Genocide & Human Rights Education Center on July 1, 2026. He previously served as director from spring 2015 through fall 2019. After earning his Ph.D. in American history from Lehigh University in 2001, Mercer County Community College hired him as a professor in December 2002. Craig teaches all sorts of history classes at Mercer including the Holocaust and Other Genocides. In 2005, the University of Tennessee Press published Craig’s book, From Sandlots to the Super Bowl: The National Football League, 1920-1967. In addition, he has written articles, co-edited books, and given talks on topics such as James Bond, presidential elections, and the Holocaust as exhibited in Polish museums. He has led four Mercer study abroad trips to Poland to study the Holocaust and has been to Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic many other times to study World War II sites, including week-long seminars at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 2019 and 2022.

This month, out speaker is Paul Knight, speaking on "Aging with Dignity: Five Wishes for Advance Care Planning. Description: 70% of Americans nearing the end of their lives are unable to make decisions about their own healthcare. In this one-hour presentation, Paul Knight will discuss the benefits of Advance Care Planning, which involves discussing and documenting end-of-life healthcare preferences ahead of time. Everyone who attends will receive a complimentary copy of Five Wishes, a valuable tool for facilitating this process. About Five Wishes: Five Wishes is a widely respected document template created by the non-profit organization Aging with Dignity. It guides individuals in documenting their preferences for end-of-life care. Once completed, it is a legal advance directive, and also addresses comfort care, personal relationships, and messages to loved ones. Its comprehensive and compassionate approach has led some to call it “the advance directive with a heart and soul.” About the presenter: Paul Knight has many years of experience leading seminars and workshops on various topics and is certified by the non-profit organization Aging with Dignity to give talks on advance care planning and Five Wishes. He is also the facilitator of the Transition to Retirement group at the Center for Modern Aging in Princeton.

Check back for speaker details.

Check back for speaker details.