EVENT SUMMARY: | ARMCHAIR TRAVELER
The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.

Israel, Egypt, and Tanzania

November 20, 2024, at 10am
 

UMRA member Paul Letourneau takes us on a safari in northern Tanzania and Brenda Knapp-Polzin shares photos and insights from a 2023 family trip to Israel and Egypt.

Event recording
Click on , then    to view recording in full screen.

 


 


ARMCHAIR TRAVELER

Israel, Egypt, and Tanzania

Wed, Nov 20, 2024, 10am

Location
Event to be held via Zoom.
 

UMRA’s next Armchair Traveler program will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 20, via Zoom. Paul Letourneau will take us to Tanzania, and Brenda Knapp-Polzin will share photos and insights from a 2023 family trip to Israel and Egypt.

“Our cruise to Israel and Egypt in August-September 2023 included my 92-year-old mother, Virginia, and my husband, David,” Brenda says. “We travelled from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and then on to Egypt, including Cairo, Gisa, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, and Aswan. Shortly after our return, Hamas attacked Israel. I look forward to sharing highlights of our trip and will try to provide some insights into the unrest and displacement of refugees from this region.”

An elephant family in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania. Photo from Paul Letourneau
An elephant family in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

Here is how Paul describes the two-week trip he and his wife, Carol, took with two friends in 2009, visiting five national parks in northern Tanzania: “In the care of our driver-guide Wilfred, we drove across the savannah and into bush and woodlands to see, up close, the large mammals and beautiful birds that are highlights of African wildlife. We also visited a village of the Maasai people, who lead a pastoral life herding cattle and goats. My images and short videos will provide a brief summary of our safari.”

A Zoom invitation will be emailed to all UMRA members a month before the program and a reminder will be sent a week before. I hope you can join us. 

—Lynn C. Anderson, Armchair Traveler program chair



Upcoming Events

Event Date: December 19, 2025, at 2pm

Meeting to plan books for next year.


Event Date: January 8, 2026, at 8:03am

There has been a lot in the news recently about the University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Physicians, and Fairview Health Services. Please join us at breakfast on January 8 for a respectful and engaging discussion of their relationship. 


Event Date: January 13, 2026, at 12:30pm

The theme for January is great MN views.


Event Date: January 16, 2026, at 2pm

52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander will be the selection for discussion when the UMRA Book Club gathers via Zoom for its first monthly meeting of 2026.


Event Date: January 20, 2026, at 11am

Developing a sense of identity is a central psychological task of the lifespan. Memories and stories from our personal past, as well as cultural memories and stories in society play key roles in how we develop our identities. This presentation will discuss psychological theory and research on how memories and stories make us who we are.


Event Date: January 21, 2026, at 10am

When you are of Icelandic descent you can trace your ancestors back to around 1200 and sometimes further. 


Event Date: January 23, 2026, at 2pm

Bleak House by Charles Dickens. 


Event Date: February 1, 2026, at 2pm

Here’s another great opportunity to buy discounted tickets and join your UMRA friends to cheer for the Gophers when the Women’s Basketball team hosts the Purdue Boilermakers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on February 1.


Event Date: February 2, 2026, at 9:30am

Join fellow UMRA members for a morning hike in Theodore Wirth Park to celebrate Groundhog Day on Monday, February 2. 


Event Date: February 3, 2026, at 2pm

UMRA’s special event for this winter will again be a celebration of brighter days and the approaching end of winter. We’ll have food, fellowship, and music provided by Urban Sound, one of the University’s premier student a cappella ensembles.


Event Date: February 11, 2026, at 10am

Family history with Jim Kurle.  A tale of Swedish emigration to Dunn County, North Dakota, including my grandfather whose unusual relationship to several churches and religion in general was one of the reasons for his emigrating.


Event Date: February 12, 2026, at 10am

UMRA’s Cabinets of Curiosity tour on Thursday, February 12, will offer an inside look into the rich resources of the University Libraries Borchert Map Library. Map Librarian Ryan Mattke will showcase the treasures and innovations of one of the largest map libraries in the U.S. 


Event Date: February 27, 2026, at 2pm

Growing Up by Russell Baker.