Leah Goldman Karp
Lynne and Jerry Goldman established the Leah Goldman Karp Lecture Series in 1996 in memory of their daughter, Leah, a 1977 graduate of Country Day. The series celebrates Leah's love of learning and her desire to share that enthusiasm with others. As Leah's friend Patricia Behre Miskimin said of her, "She was bold in trying out new ideas and stretching her mind. She was passionate about knowledge, and her passion was infectious to those around her. She reveled in intellectual challenge, and she liked to share both the journey and its rewards."

The Series
The lecturers that take part in the series are exceptional people-writers, lawyers, historians, musicians, and volunteer activists who crystallize the interplay between thought and living, between enthusiasm for an idea or cause and the reality involved in bringing it to fruition. They are people whose passion for life is exemplified by their achievements and their commitment to making a difference in the world.

The Audience
Students are the primary audience for the series. A giant of a person can make a profound impact on them, awakening an interest or challenging them to take a new direction or explore a new path in life. In keeping with Leah's desire to reach out to others, the audience also includes students from the New Orleans Charter Middle School. Each visitor also presents a public lecture for Country Day parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends as well as neighbors and the general public.

For more information about the Leah Goldman Karp Lecture Series, please contact the Development Office at Metairie Park Country Day School. (504) 837-5204.

Comments
"Jerry and I hope the experiences communicated by the speakers to the students will touch their lives in some meaningful way and make a difference. That is what Country Day did for our daughter, Leah, and we hope that this series of lectures gives honor to the School that we so admire and to the memory of our daughter." -Lynne Goldman

"The clarity of the students, their rapt attention, their politeness were all very impressive. For me it was a kind of generational swapping of karma. I got to learn just as much about today's youth culture as they did from me about the civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s. You never know where a ripple will change someone's world. That I might have affected just a few students, that's the most you can hope for as an educator." -Douglas Brinkley, former speaker

"Many of our speakers have daily interaction with students college-age and older. But here they face a more adventuresome group that responds with freshness and directness. Because this is an unusual experience for these younger students, they respond dramatically. And that freshness appeals to our speakers." -Dr. David Drinkwater, Headmaster

"Leah was interested not in those who affected others at just one point in their lives, but in those whose impact was a culmination of a life committed to their passion." -Edward Karp

"David Amram orchestrated a performance in which he had students read excerpts from Jack Kerouac's On the Road, while he did musical improvisations in the background. It was really cool. At first, I was nervous to be reading in front of a whole auditorium of people, but I surprised myself-and it was good! People liked it." -Sarah Applebaum, student (Class of '02)