| Date: | May 21, 2026 at 10 am (Meeting # 721 since 02/13/1986) |
| Topic: | Princeton and the American Revolution: The 10 Crucial Days |
| Speaker: | Barry Singer, a local historian and author, is a speaker about Princeton and the American Revolutionary War. He is also a long time volunteer with the Historical Society of Princeton |
| THIS WILL BE A HYBRID MEETING (in-person at TJC & via Zoom) | |
| To join this meeting on Zoom, please click HERE | |
This is the story of the desperate hours at the end of 1776 when the American Revolution seemed lost.
Struggling through unimaginable difficulties, the Continental Army crossed the Delaware on Christmas 1776, winning three battles in 10 days, culminating in the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777.
These victories changed the course of history and enabled the birth of our free nation.
Barry Singer has been a Princeton area resident for more than 30 years.
After retiring from a long career in the financial business, he has followed his passion for Revolutionary War history by teaching at local libraries, senior centers and at Princeton University's Community Auditing Program.
Additionally, working for the past 18 years as a volunteer with the Historical Society of Princeton, Barry has also been leading walking tours of this intriguing historic town.
To learn more about Barry's activities, visit www.barrysinger.co.
| Date: | June 4, 2026 at 10 am (Meeting # 722 since 02/13/1986) |
| Topic: | When Bipartisanship Mattered: Clifford Case and the US Senate, 1955-79 |
| Speaker: | Bill Fernekes |
| THIS WILL BE A HYBRID MEETING (in-person at TJC & via Zoom) | |
| To join this meeting on Zoom, please click HERE | |
This illustrated presentation highlights the life and career of former US Senator from New Jersey, Clifford P.
Case, who served four-plus terms in the House of Representatives (1945-53) and four terms in the US Senate (1955-1979).
Known as a moderate/liberal Republican, Case was a strong supporter of civil and human rights, ethics in government, constraints on executive power and environmental protection.
Case’s work in the Senate to craft bipartisan solutions to national and international problems is emphasized, a marked contrast with the highly polarized politics currently dominating the United States Congress.
Dr. William R. Fernekes holds a B. A. in history and a N.J. social studies teaching certificate from Rutgers College.
He also received an M.A. in Latin American history and an Ed. D., in social studies education from Rutgers.
From 1974 to 1987, he worked as a social studies and Spanish teacher at Hunterdon Central Regional High School before becoming the social studies department supervisor, a post he held until his retirement in December 2010.
Since January 2011, he has taught courses in social studies education, human rights and education, global education and teacher preparation at Rider University and the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
He also served as advisor/co-advisor of the Amnesty International campus chapter at Hunterdon Central Regional High School for 25 years, and is currently a member of the national steering committee of Human Rights Educators USA, where he also hosts the monthly podcast Human Rights Education NOW!
Dr. Fernekes is presently the chair person of the Community Liaison Committee (CLC) which governs the Rutgers Living History Society and supports the work of the Rutgers Oral History Archives (ROHA) to collect and process oral histories, produce interview transcripts and participate in community events to celebrate the diverse and inclusive histories of Rutgers and New Jersey's many communities.
His written works include
Children's Rights: A Reference Handbook (With Beverly C. Edmonds, ABC-CLIO, 1996),
The Oryx Holocaust Sourcebook (Greenwood Press, 2002),
The Human Rights Imperative in Teacher Education co-edited with Gloria T. Alter (Rowlan and Littlefield, 2022)
and most recently,
Clifford Case and the Challenge of Liberal Republicanism (Lexington Books, 2023).
| Date: | June 11, 2026, 10:00–12:00 |
| What: | 55PLUS VOLUNTEERS MEETING. ALL ARE WELCOME! |
| Topic: | Discussion about running 55Plus and future plans |
| To join this meeting on Zoom, please click HERE | |
| Date: | June 18, 2026 at 10 am (Meeting # 723 since 02/13/1986) |
| Topic: | Leni Lenape History and Culture |
| Speaker: | Steve Knowlton, Librarian for History and African American Studies at Princeton University |
| THIS WILL BE A HYBRID MEETING (in-person at TJC & via Zoom) | |
| To join this meeting on Zoom, please click HERE | |
The Lenape are the people who inhabited New Jersey when Europeans first came.
This class will explore what is known about Lenape life before European contact, and the history of the Lenape in the last four centuries.
Steve Knowlton is Librarian for History and African American Studies at Princeton University.
He has published numerous historical studies and worked with hundreds of students on research projects.