Thanks to the generosity of our community, every dollar of our $15,000 Summer Campaign match has been unlocked—but we still need your help. Penn’s Village still needs to raise $20,000 in order to reach our annual contribution goal. Your gift—whether made directly, through a donor-advised fund, as a qualified charitable distribution from an IRA, or through appreciated stock—will help Penn’s Village continue serving our community while building a strong, sustainable future.
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This Week at Penn's Village: September 7, 2026
| | Japan: A Mysterious and Incomprehensible Country
The Unique Temperaments Achieving the Cultural and Industrial Miracles
Thursday, September 10 from 2:00 to 3:00
MacColl Room at First Presbyterian Church, 201 S. 21st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Is Japan—and are the Japanese—truly unique? Many visitors to Japan are impressed by the cleanliness of its streets, the politeness of its people, and the sense of safety they experience. Similar qualities are often found in Japanese products, which are admired worldwide for their precision, reliability, durability, and craftsmanship—from the traditional Japanese sword to modern cameras and automobiles. This program explores this question from an industrial perspective and examine how these enduring characteristics became one of the foundations of Japan's remarkable industrial advancement.
Bio of presenter: Harry Sakamaki is a member of Penn’s Village. Although his professional career was in engineering and information technology rather than history, he developed a strong interest in historical research after retiring. Over the past twenty years, he has conducted independent research on a variety of historical topics.
|  | | | | Navigating the Septa App
Friday, September 11 from 2:00 to 3:00
Via Zoom
We are hosting a virtual informational session with tips and tricks on how to use the SEPTA app, how to apply for paratransit, and how to book paratransit rides. Following the presentation, there will be opportunities for Q&A. A zoom link to join the presentation will be sent to you upon registering.
Features covered:
- Real-time map
- Trip planning
- SEPTA Key Card
- Reporting Concerns
- Adding “Favorite” routes
- Reading Schedules
- Setting travel preferences
Register Here
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Next Week at Penn's Village
| | Penn's Village Goes to the Movies
Monday, September 14 from 2:00 to 4:00
City Institute of Philadelphia, 1905 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA
No registration required for this film discussion group. A movie has not yet been chosen.
| | | | Movies for the Mind
Monday, September 14 from 2:00 to 4:00
Arch Street Presbyterian Church, 1724 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA
The Debt is a 2010 movie starring Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, and Tom Wilkinson. It is a gripping spy thriller and tale of espionage. The film involves a 1965 Mossad mission in East Germany. It moves on 30 years and is a tense moral dilemma that follows. Please view this film at home. It is available for free on Amazon Prime Video for free, or On Demand for $3.99 as well as You Tube, Google Play Movies & TV, Apple TV, and Fandango all for $3.99. Arch Street Presbyterian Church is located between the two Comcast
Towers at 1724 Arch Street. Just enter through the red doors on the Comcast walk between 17th Street and 18th Street. There will be a sign greeting you. No registration required for this film discussion group.
| | | | Counterfeiting in the US
Wednesday, September 16 from 2:00 to 3:00
MacColl Room of First Presbyterian Church, 201 S. 21st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
In 1993, counterfeit $50 and $100 bills from a single source started appearing in the United States. Eventually, over $1 million of this “funny money” was passed at casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Connecticut (Foxwoods Casino). Prior to the computer age, only skilled engravers and printers could produce counterfeit currency, so counterfeiting was not a common crime. Now, most computer-savvy people could manufacture counterfeit money. In 1994, a trial began that targeted the ring that produced those $50 and $100 bills. The trial prosecutor, Howie Wiener, is a member of Penn’s Village. A big part of the story is the backstory, about how the computer age and a rogue nation dramatically changed the threat to our country from counterfeit currency. Howie will take you behind the scenes of how that threat was addressed.
Presenter – Howard Weiner is a retired career prosecutor (Assistant U.S. Attorney) with the Department of Justice.
Register Here
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The Benefits of Volunteering
Read about Penn’s Village volunteer Lauren Novasitis and how volunteering has brought purpose, connection, and a meaningful new friendship to her retirement. This article is published with the permission of the Center City Review. Read the article
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Medicare: Scam Alert and Free Webinar
Medicare scam alerts are on the rise, and we want you to protect yourself. Often, the callers use phone numbers that may be familiar to you, such as local hospitals, and ask that you provide information to update your profile. Be alert and aware! Read the article below for more information, including how to protect yourself:
If you are an AARP member, you may want to take advantage of a free webinar to help you navigate Medicare enrollment. The webinar also includes a Q&A with a live specialist. To learn more and register click
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Elder Justice Coalition
Join Benjamin Rose from the Institute on Aging and the Elder Justice Coalition for a special online presentation on how the 2026 midterm elections may shape policies affecting older adults and caregivers. The presentation will be held on Tuesday, September 15 from noon to 1:00. To learn more and register , visit https://www.benrose.org/event/what-the-midterms-mean-for-older-adults/
| WE VALUE YOUR OPINION
Do you have feedback about a recent program? Let us know here. We would love to hear from you so that we can improve future programs.
Penn’s Village welcomes and actively encourages an inclusive and diverse community of members, staff, Board of Directors and volunteers. Inclusiveness and diversity means welcoming all and excluding no one because of age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, physical abilities, religious beliefs or political beliefs. | |