Hybrid 
$48 for HSOSC members
$60 for non-members

Historically, the birthplace of the department store was in Paris. It started with the Bon Marche, which opened in 1853. Stores in America that adopted the format during the 1870s opened in New York, with Stewart, in Philadelphia with Wanamaker and in Chicago with Marshall Field. Many other stores followed suit. Gimbels, Macy’s, I. Magnin, Filene’s, Neiman-Marcus, Bloomingdales and Bergdorf-Goodman were all started by immigrant Jewish men and 3 Jewish women. Here in Baltimore, we all grew up shopping at The Hecht Company, Hochschild Kohn, Brager-Gutman and of course, Hutzlers. These were established and run by Jewish immigrants, as well. All of these entrepreneurial families not only dominated the fashion and retail scene but made large contributions to the cultural and civic elements of their communities. Learn what caused these men to create these so-called cathedrals of consumerism. Learn how many of them started off as peddlers and became merchant princes. In this course we will also address the issues of racial integration within these stores as well as the decline of the malls as a result of their flagship stores closing.

Barbara Ressin is a graduate of Towson University who holds a B.S. in education. Barbara’s teaching experiences include: 3 years in the Baltimore City School System, 25 years at the Beth Tfiloh Day school in the secular division, adjunct faculty member of the Community College of Baltimore County at the Owings Mills, Essex, and Hunt Valley campuses, adjunct faculty member of Osher Life Long Learning Institute at Towson University, adjunct faculty member of the Renaissance Academy for the Florida Gulf State University, member of the Oasis faculty in Montgomery County under the auspices of The Johns Hopkins University, and instructor in the Food For Thought program and Kaleidoscope at Roland Park School, lecturer for The Lecture Group, Western Howard County Senior Center, Friends of the Pikesville Library, North Oaks Retirement Community, Oakcrest Retirement Community, Roland Park Women's Club, the Renaissance group, SPICE at Har Sinai - Oheb Shalom Congregation, and various religious and philanthropic groups around the state.

Registration Information:
All SPICE courses must be registered for and paid for in their entirety. SPICE fees are per head, not per household, with a 50% off fee for second registrants within the same household. A minimum of 15 enrollees per course are required in order to hold the course. If a course must be cancelled, those registered will be notified and a SPICE credit will be issued.

Reservations may be made via email to sboxerbell@gmail.com or by telephone to Sherri Bell, SPICE Chair at 410-303-2483. Payment may be made in one of three ways:

1. Check Mail it to Sherri Bell 1 Clifton Court Pikesville, MD 21208 Your check should be made payable to Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation with SPICE and the course name written on the memo line.

2. Credit card Please note that the synagogue charges a 3.1% credit card use convenience fee.

3. Bill your synagogue account Members only.