Six years ago, Covid changed the world. During Covid, Osher was forced to provide all classes online. Zoom became a way to continue classes, as well as a way to stay connected to the outside world during a very dark time. Although online classes were born of necessity, they’ve become a vital part of the Osher at JHU program.
(Left: Bobbie Brinegar, Right: Les Weinstein)
One of the benefits of Zoom classes is the ability to participate from any location. No longer is it necessary to give up the program if you leave the Washington/Columbia area.
Meet two members who left the Washington area but still stay connected to Osher at JHU through Zoom classes.
Les Weinstein
Les joined Osher at JHU in 2014 shortly after retiring from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA.) “I was a lawyer in FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, as well as in its Center for Tobacco Products,” Les said. “I found out about Osher from a colleague who had retired about a year before me.”
Les began taking in person classes at the JHU campus at Shady Grove. “The JHU campus was very convenient for me. After the pandemic, when Osher moved further away, I increased my number of remote classes,” he said. “About a year ago, my wife and I moved to Burlington, Vermont to be closer to our children and grandchildren so now all my classes are remote.”
“What I like about Osher classes are the instructors and the in-depth discussions,” Les continued. “They make me feel like I’m back in college, and that’s a great feeling at our age.”
Les’ favorite instructors are Stan Levin, Eleanor Clift and Jim Blue. “Stan’s classes are all about movies and I am a movie addict. It’s a great match,” he said. “His knowledge of movies, his research into them, and his fact-filled lectures are all very impressive. That’s entertainment!”
“Eleanor’s class is all about current political events, and she knows her stuff, Les said. “She is on top of every story and must have great news sources.” Les became familiar with Eleanor when she was a regular panelist on the McLaughlin Group, a Washington, D.C. political talk show. “I was a big fan of that show, so much so that a few years ago, for my birthday, friends gave me an Al Hirschfeld drawing of the McLaughlin Group including Eleanor of course,” he said.
Les has taken many of Jim Blue’s classes on Shakespeare. “I’ve enjoyed being called on to read aloud many characters’ lines to the class,” he said. “We also watched clips of Shakespeare’s plays from many different theatres including the Globe Theatre, as well as from movies.”
Osher members may know Les from the vignettes that he’s written for the Osher Journal. “They’re mostly about famous people that I have “sort of” met, including Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Adlai Stevenson, Princess Diana, Joan Rivers and the Everly Brothers,” Les said.
“When I was in junior high school in Providence, Rhode Island, I interviewed the comedian Jerry Lewis for an article in my student newspaper,” he said. “Mr. Lewis often used the line, ‘I like it! I like it!’ in his movies and on TV. He said it in a very loud, twangy, whining and sing-song voice that invariably got a big laugh. I asked him if I could quote him saying, ‘I like it! I like it!’ in response to my question as to what he thought of Providence. He answered me in a low, expressionless, and listless voice with a very sarcastic tone, ‘Yeah, sure kid. I like it! I like it!’ I had always been puzzled by his response to me until I read that he was known for being hostile to the press and that included a 14-year-old eighth grade cub reporter.”
Les’ stories are available online at The Journal | Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic Programs
Bobbie Brinegar
Bobbie joined Osher at JHU in January, 2025 after learning about the program from longtime instructor Eleanor Cliff.
“Actually, what attracted me to Osher was Eleanor,” Bobbie said. “Eleanor is well known for her journalistic integrity, and her professional experience is unrivaled. She has a way of making complicated political issues relatable. Her class feels less like a lecture and more like being let into the world of someone who has witnessed history firsthand.”
Bobbie lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years before making Delaware her primary residence. Zoom classes have allowed her to remain an active Osher participant.
In addition to Eleanor Clift’s class, Bobbie particularly enjoyed a two-day summer course on Artificial Intelligence.
Bobbie appreciates the wide range of classes Osher offers and plans to take many more. “The courses provide stimulating ideas and lively discussion with thoughtful and engaged classmates,” she said. “Virtual classes make it possible for me to remain part of this special learning community even while living outside the Washington, D.C. area.”
Bobbie holds a master’s degree in social work. Before retiring, she served as the executive director of OWL – the Voice of Women 40+, a national non-partisan nonprofit organization. In that role, she worked with community allies, members of Congress, and the Administration to develop economic, employment and healthcare policies that improved the quality of life of women over age 40.
“Travel has long been my passion,” she continued. “I’ve been fortunate to go on many an adventure.” Her travels have taken her to some remarkable places. She spent five weeks diving around the Federated States of Micronesia, including a visit to the island of Yap where she swam with giant manta rays.
A month in Australia included diving around Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, and several weeks in Ecuador combined jungle travel with a Spanish immersion program. She also rafted with friends for two weeks down the remote Alsek-Tatshenshini River. A highlight of that trip was time spent exploring Morocco, where she once saw flamingos in the middle of the Sahara.
“I have a large and wonderfully complicated family,” she said. “Both of my parents passed within 18 days of one another in April, 2023. After that, I was ready for a change, and Delaware became my primary residence. My happiest moments now are spending time with my dear and amazing daughter, Jamie who enjoys coming to Lewes to visit.”
Thanks to Zoom, Les and Bobbie have found that moving away from the area does not mean leaving the Osher experience behind. Osher has traveled with them, continuing to provide learning and community.