Jewish Community News

News: April 2008

Melton Adult Mini-School in its third year

    As the class ends, there is a great reluctance to leave. One student needs just a last moment of clarification from the teacher. Others head downstairs to the café to continue their conversation over coffee. The energy, the enthusiasm, the delight in learning — it’s all “Melton.”
   Introduced to the APJCC three years ago by Jewish educator Dottie Miller, with the encouragement of APJCC CEO Hal Bordy, the “Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, a project of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem,” has grown into a popular, blossoming program.
     Now in its third year, the school  has mushroomed from an inaugural class of 15 to five classes of more than 70. Many of the Melton students have been turned on to other educational opportunities at the APJCC and their local synagogues as a result of their engagement in Melton, based on text study around seminal Jewish themes.
     David Mendel, a first-year student, joined because his wife Holly, now a “graduate student,” brought home intriguing topics that whet his interest in the Jewish study. Third-year graduate student Corinne Sherman wanted to enjoy the knowledge her children and husband knew from their extensive years in Hebrew School. Helaine Green, in her second year, missed the enrollment deadline in the first year, so was especially eager to sign up as soon as she could.
    The Melton program is designed to focus study on the insights from Jewish texts on topics of everyday relevance. No matter where a student may be on the continuum of Jewish knowledge, the courses are accessible to all. Says veteran teacher Dottie Miller, “Melton offers a comprehensive course for adult learners which is long enough to really grapple with major ideas and yet wide enough to appeal to students of varying backgrounds.” Rabbi Leslie Alexander, who has been with the program since its inception, agrees, “What Melton does really well is provide excerpts to give a good basic overview of each topic, and to describe where Judaism has gone on this topic. As students progress, they can refer back to concepts, texts and ideas from previous years to gain a deeper knowledge which leads to a deeper evaluation of the material.”
     David likes the diversity of ideas presented by the course. “What I have enjoyed most,” he says, “is learning about [Jewish laws, rituals and holidays] from primary texts. I have also appreciated the diverse viewpoints presented, including views from Orthodox, Conservative and Reform movements, and from historical and contemporary Jewish philosophers.” Corinne praises the teachers for their “input and explanation on translation of the Hebrew, nuances in the text, and historical points. They serve as moderators for the discussions that follow, which adds richness to each lesson.”
     Helaine likes the interpersonal interaction, and considers this an importantaspect of the learning that goes on in Melton classes. “Participation is not only encouraged, it’s directly sought out. Most times  we follow the binder, but sometimes we get side-tracked to address personal perspectives, which I find delightful.” Helaine believes that Melton is a wonderful way to “learn together with old and new friends, something that is extremely important in building community and heightening our Jewish awareness.”
     Dottie Miller and Rabbi Alexander agree that the Melton program has strengthened Jewish literacy and commitment in the community. For Dottie, one of the best outcomes from the study program is its “effect on the overall community, raising the bar on expectations [for Jewish adult education] and also encouraging our students to search out other high-level programs.” Rabbi Alexander enjoys the intellectual progress made by her students: “The first-year students are questioning. They become knowledgeable Jewish learners. Their questions in the first-year (rhythms and rituals) are building blocks for more in-depth knowledge in the second year (history and ethics).”
     Rabbi Joshua Fenton, director of Jewish Life and Learning for the Addison-Penzak JCC, says,  “Melton believes in celebrating each individual’s Jewish Journey. There is no one way to be Jewish.  There is no single perspective on a given issue.”  
     Says Rabbi Alexander, “I love seeing the light of Torah shining in their eyes!”