Upcoming opera performances
Amici Opera Company will present Verdi’s Don Carlos on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 4 p.m. at United Methodist Church of the Redeemer, 1128 Cottman Ave.
Next will be Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz on Sunday, Jan. 7, at 3 p.m., and on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 4 p.m., at United Methodist Church of the Redeemer.
There will be two performances of Donizetti’s L’Elisir D’Amore: Sunday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 27, at 4 p.m., both at United Methodist Church of the Redeemer.
Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra will be performed as part of a dinner theater on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. at La Piovra, 7901 High School Road, Elkins Park. The cost for the show and a three-course dinner is $54.95 per person. For reservations, call 215-606-3800.
For more information, call 215-224-0257 or visit the Amici Opera Company page on Facebook. ••
Somerton Civic to meet
Somerton Civic Association will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 9, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Walker Lodge of the I.O.O.F, 1290 Southampton Road. There will be discussion of zoning appeals at 488 Byberry Road, 474 Parlin St. and 1150 Stevens Road. ••
Learn about China
KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Ave., will present All About China, a five-part program for active adults offered by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Widener University. Participants will learn about China’s history, people, culture and place in the world today. Sessions will be at 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Jan. 8, 12, 22 and 29 and Feb. 5. The course is open to the public. Cost is $30 per person, with checks and money orders payable to Widener University and returned to KleinLife. For additional information, contact OLLI at olli@widener.edu or 610-499-4279. ••
Book club on Zoom
The Book Club of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will be hosting a Zoom session on Monday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. The January book is The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict. For further information or to register for the book club program, call Lynn Ratmansky at the synagogue office at 215-677-1600. ••
History meeting tonight
The Northeast Philadelphia History Network will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at 7 p.m. at Pennepack Baptist Meetinghouse, 8732 Krewstown Road. The topic will be Delaware River’s Geologic History. The speaker will be geologist Pierre Lacombe. ••
Congrats to Class 400
Class 400 of the Philadelphia Police Department recently graduated during a ceremony at Temple’s Performing Arts Center. In all, there were 33 graduates, including Khaleef Fields and Meagan Owen as part of Temple’s police department. Of the 31 Philadelphia police officers, 11 were assigned to the 24th district and 10 apiece to the 22nd and 25th districts. New Philadelphia police officers are Justin Alvarez, Donovan Anderson, Alex Barberini, Anthony Bellosi, Aziz Boltabekov, Stephen Bustard, Vincent Chang, Bill Erwin Jr., Nathan Green, Rodney Hall, Kyle Haughton, Keith Hirsch, Nicholas Jones, Omar Karim, Conor Kelly, Daniel Kiesling, Jared Laudenslager, Edward Ma, Javonda Manson, Scottie Martinez, Ryan McAnany, Edward McClain, Thomas Pena, Eriq Pierre, Christopher Pisarczyk, Tianne Randolph, Jonathan Rolison, Garnett Simpson, Katushka Soto Torres, Chelsea Tait and Sarah Winkowski. ••
Program on short stories
American short stories will be the subject of an eight-part program for active adults to be held at KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Ave., beginning on Thursday, Jan. 4, at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited to join with members. For the program, students should have a copy of 100 Years Of The Best American Short Stories, edited by Lorrie Moore and Heidi Pitlor and published in 2015. Participants should read the stories before attending the program. Cost of the program is $48 per person for all eight sessions. Money is due at the KleinLife front desk prior to beginning the program. Call 215-698-7300, Ext. 193. ••
Donate baby items
The annual Baby Shower Mitzvah Project hosted by Sisterhood of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, 9768 Verree Road, will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at 1 p.m. Members can purchase and donate baby and toddler items or gift cards for clients of Jewish Family and Children’s Services. Light refreshments will be served. Call 215-677-1600. ••
Half-price merchandise
The Classroom Thrift Shop, 4301 Tyson Ave., will be closed through Jan. 6, reopening fully restocked on Jan. 7. Call 215-624-9130. ••
Claims assistance for veterans
Veterans can receive claims assistance at state Rep. Jared Solomon’s office at 7104 Frankford Ave. (near Princeton Avenue), beginning on Thursday, Jan. 11. A VA representative will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to assist veterans and answer any questions. Call 215-543-6755 to schedule an appointment. ••
St. Jerome Seniors to meet
Meetings for January are Thursday, Jan. 11 and Thursday, Jan. 25, in the school hall, 3031 Stamford St. Arrive by 10 a.m. Meeting begin promptly at 11. ••
Restored Glen Foerd pipe organ to debut Saturday
After a year-long restoration project, Glen Foerd’s 121-year-old pipe organ will sing once again on Saturday, Jan. 6, when Mark Loria, principal organist for the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, commemorates the occasion with a free live concert performance. The concert is set for 1 p.m. at Glen Foerd, 5001 Grant Ave.
The celebration will commence with a toast, opening remarks about the history of residential pipe organs and a retelling of the dramatic circumstances of the family that brought the organ into existence in 1902.
The restoration project was funded through a grant of $425,000 from the Wyncote Foundation, in its mission to support efforts that strengthen and enrich culture, community and the natural environment. Ohio-based Charles Kegg, president and artistic director of Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, led the restoration.
The pipe organ is nestled in the grand stair hall of Glen Foerd and ornamented by carvings of winged cherubs and floral garlands. Powered by a motor in the basement, the organ resonates in the adjoining art gallery and speaks to all parts of the home. It was built in 1902 by Philadelphia’s one-time C.S. Haskell company and installed in the main house by industrialist Robert Foerderer, who had the custom organ built for his wife Caroline, an accomplished organist.
Heidi Weinstein Malloy, of Glen Foerd’s Lily P.A.D.s program, will be hosting a drop-in craft activity for young children in the dining room throughout the event. Attendees are invited to explore the many floors and rooms of the house while they enjoy the pipe organ music. Seating will be available in the art gallery and first floor.
For more information about the organ recital with Mark Loria, and to register, call 215-632-5330 or visit https://www.glenfoerd.org/events. ••
MLK Day event
Mount Zion Baptist Church of Holmesburg, 8101 Erdrick St., will host Appreciate Your Vote: A Call for Change, an MLK Day of Service event, on Monday, Jan. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The day will begin with a continental breakfast followed by a panel discussion, voting machine demonstrations, voters registration, book giveaways, read alouds, activities, videos and more. The event is free and open to all ages. ••
Rhawnhurst Civic to meet in Jan.
The Rhawnhurst Civic Association will not hold a meeting in December. Its next meeting will be on Jan. 17, at 7 p.m., at Pelbano Playground, Bustleton and Solly avenues. To stay up to date on such issues as holiday fire safety, the city real estate tax credit program and the Roosevelt Boulevard transformation plan, see the “Issues & Information” at Rhawnhurstcivicassociation.com. ••
Local author’s novel releasing soon
Mayfair author Becky Flade announced that Tirgearr Publishing will release her latest novel, Fade into the Night, on Jan. 23. It is the fifth book in Flade’s award-winning series of romantic thrillers set in Philadelphia. It is available for pre-order at all major digital retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks/iTunes, at a specially reduced price. Flade, a Frankford High School graduate, has been writing since kindergarten, when her Brown Elementary School teacher, Miss Daniels, helped with her first book detailing her and her best friend’s first solo trip to the market for milk. ••
Parkinson’s support group
Temple University Hospital – Jeanes Campus is offering a Parkinson’s disease support group for those who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and their families. The group will meet on Feb. 14 and the second Wednesday of every other month from 6-7 p.m. at the Cheltenham Friends Meetinghouse, 7604 Central Ave. The group is led by nurse practitioner June Ro, and will include guest speakers. To register, contact Ro at 215-707-2619 or Jungyoon.Ro@tuhs.temple.edu. ••
Feb. Zoom book club meeting
The Book Club of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim will be holding a Zoom session on Monday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. The February book is the historical mystery The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen. For further information or to register, call Lynn Ratmansky at 215-677-1600. ••
Trip to Northern Europe
The Bristol Cultural and Historical Foundation is presenting a Northern Europe: Iceland, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium and London cruise, July 25 to Aug. 4, 2024, aboard the new “Norwegian Prima.” Rates per person are $6,261 and $6,495, which include roundtrip airfare from Philadelphia. Deposit of $350 per person double occupancy is required when booking. Final payment by Feb. 27. Call 215-788-9408. ••
VFW looking for members
Bustleton-Somerton/CTR1 Michael J. Strange VFW Post 6617 meets on the third Wednesday of every month at American Legion Post 810, 9151 Old Newtown Road. Meetings start at 7:30 p.m. If you are a military veteran who served in a designated combat zone, you are eligible to join the VFW. Contact Commander Israel Wolmark at 215-725-0630 if you would like to join the post. ••
Tumor support group
A Neuroendocrine Tumor Support Group will meet on Jan. 17, from 4-5 p.m. The group is for people diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumors who are receiving treatment. The group is led by Fox Chase Cancer Center social workers, and people can share their personal experiences, ways of coping and helpful resources. The group is intended to reduce feelings of loneliness, anxiety and distress; increase feelings of hope and empowerment; provide you with practical information about treatment; and help you communicates better with your medical team and loved ones.
Interested people should email Anjali Albanese at Anjali.Albanese@fccc.edu or Mark Itzen at Mark.Itzen@fccc.edu for a link to participate. ••
Learn about the ‘Rosies’
Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, 9768 Verree Road, will host The Secret Rosies of World War II – the unsung heroes of American history — on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 2 p.m. This is the story of the incredible women who helped break the codes used by the Japanese and German armies during World War II. Many of these women took their stories to their graves. This is the story of where they came from, what they did and the surprising impact they had on the outcome of WWII. The cost for the program is $20. A homemade dessert reception will follow the presentation. Send your reservation and payment to the address above. Call 215-677-1600. ••
Nazareth earns nursing credential
Nazareth Hospital announced it has joined a group of organizations that have received Pathway to Excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The Pathway designation is a global credential that highlights Nazareth’s commitment to creating a healthy work environment where nurses feel empowered and valued.
To qualify for Pathway designation, organizations must meet the six Pathway Standards essential to an ideal nursing practice environment. Applicants undergo a review process to fully document the integration of those standards in the organization’s practices, policies and culture.
“As a Pathway hospital, we are giving bedside nurses a voice that they might not have at other institutions,” said Janice Quay, administrative director of nursing at Nazareth. “Our nurses are an absolutely integral part of the health care team, and I am so excited for them to be front and center in the decision-making processes that shape and set policy and practice within our hospital.”
By investing in the optimum workplace for nurses, Pathway organizations demonstrate a culture of sustained excellence, resulting in the successful recruitment of top candidates and staff retention through high job satisfaction. Nurses are even empowered in the Pathway to Excellence application process itself, as frontline staff must validate that their experience with the organization meets the Pathway Standards before designation can be achieved. Pathway nurses are engaged, resulting in higher job satisfaction, reduced turnover, improved safety and better patient outcomes.
For more information on the Pathway to Excellence recognition program, visit https://www.nursingworld.org/pathway. ••
Yiddish class
Kim Reddin Yiddish with Maxine Goldman will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 11 a.m. at Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, 9768 Verree Road. A light snack will be served. Call 215-677-1600 for details. Transportation is available through Jewish Family and Children’s Service by calling 215-320-0351. ••
Lunch and seder
Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, 9768 Verree Road, is hosting a Tu B’Shevat luncheon and seder following services on Saturday, Jan. 20. Cost is $20 per person. To reserve your spot, mail your payment to the CSS office, 9768 Verree Road, Philadelphia, PA 19115. Call 215-677-1600. ••
Learn Yiddish
Kim Reddin Yiddish with Maxine Goldman will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 11 a.m. at Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, 9768 Verree Road. A light snack will be served. Call 215-677-1600 for details. Transportation is available through Jewish Family and Children’s Services. Call 215-320-0351. ••
Sign up for senior softball
The Bucks 65+ Senior Softball League is holding registration for the upcoming season, which begins in April. Indoor practices will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to noon, beginning Jan. 16, at Pennsbury Racquet Club, 375 W. Trenton Ave., Morrisville. For information, go to www.bucksseniorsoftball.com or email Bill at bbjt03@gmail.com or Jack at Zupan.jack@gmail.com. ••
Bingo at Loudenslager
Corp. John Loudenslager American Legion Post 366, 7976 Oxford Ave., is offering community bingo every second and fourth Friday evenings. Doors open at 6:30, games start at 7:20. Refreshments available. ••
