Episode 11: Tikkun Olam

Forever Curious: An Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Podcast

The Hebrew phrase “tikkun olam” translates to “repairing the world” and is a fundamental value to Bernard Osher, leader of the Osher Foundation.

In the first half of this episode, Kelly Jane Rosenblatt, Program Director at the Bernard Osher Foundation, and Steve Thaxton, Executive Director at the National Resource Center for Osher Institutes, talk with our host and OLLI-UW Director, Natalie Lecher, about the foundation at the center of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) network.

There 125 OLLI programs all over the United States, with at least one in each of the 50 states. The program began in 1977 when Bernard Osher decided to practice tikkun olam — not for the first time, nor the last — in a major way.

As Kelly Jane Rosenblatt tells us, Osher has always been a supporter of education, first giving away scholarships. When this wasn’t enough to satisfy his philanthropic leanings, he and his wife began establishing lifelong learning programs. To keep the many scattered OLLI programs linked, they also created a National Resource Center which connects the many Osher chapters and provides them with resources.

At 95, Bernard Osher is still an active participant in OLLI. Though a modest man, Osher believes it’s important to encourage others to be involved in philanthropy, so he speaks often on the subject of giving back.

The National Resource Center is now located at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Director Steve Thaxton, who moved with the center when it moved to Chicago in 2014, says the Osher NRC is about helping the chapters thrive and grow.

With over 150,000 people taking courses with Osher programs, the world repair is ongoing. And the Osher Foundation does more than OLLI — but you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear about their other endeavors.

In the second half of our episode, students of an Osher class in podcasting give their thoughts on why OLLI is so valuable to them. We hope you’ll take a listen and consider enrolling in a course that’s of interest to you! Learn more about the University of Washington’s OLLI program at https://www.osher.uw.edu/.