•  Are you an adult who wants to tackle classical Jewish experiences in an interactive dialogue?

•  Are you a parent who would like to pass on an understanding of your Jewish heritage to your children?

• Are you a Jewish leader eager to brush up on your knowledge of Jewish philosophy and ethics?

• Are you a teacher in a Jewish school who needs to strengthen your Jewish knowledge? 

 

We invite you to come study in an intellectually stimulating, pluralistic learning environment. Our sophisticated, sequential curriculum – which was designed and written by a team of scholars and educators at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem – introduces the shared heritage of the Jewish people and its development into contemporary forms of Judaism.


The Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Federation is proud to sponsor the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School in our community. We invite you to join 20,000 adults in over 60 Mini-Schools throughout the Jewish world whose lives have been changed by this internationally acclaimed adult education network.

REGISTER ONLINE HERE 

 

 

First Year Courses 
(once a week for 30 weeks)

The Purposes of Jewish Living
Explore the meaning and purpose of life from a Jewish perspective. Explore essential Jewish theological concepts as they unfold in the Bible, the Talmud and other contemporary texts.

The Rhythms of Jewish Living
Examine the origins of the Jewish holidays and life cycle events. Students study the central ideas, beliefs and practices that give meaning to Jewish life.


Second Year Courses 
(once a week for 30 weeks)

Ethics of Jewish Living
Ethics students gain more experience reading classical Jewish texts and uncovering the key ideas of the texts. You will also gain appreciation for the workings of Jewish law. In addition, students begin to broaden their views on how Jewish tradition speaks to all aspects of their lives, beyond ritual. Topics covered include: organ donation, abortion and business ethics.

Dramas of Jewish Living
Many history courses study the past and interpret it in a manner that increases our understanding of previous eras. The goal of this course is to study Jewish history as a tool to strengthen Jewish memory. More than acquiring information of the past, Jewish memory is about using the past in order to make sense of our lives and to deepen our individual and collective identities in the present. Topics covered include: early Christianity, the Golden Age of Spain, and Zionism.

Schedule
• Mondays from 7:00-9:15pm beginning on September 21 on the Federation campus.
• Tuesdays 4:00-6:15pm beginning October 27 at Temple Beth Israel, Longboat Key.
• Thursdays from 9:30-11:45am beginning September 24 on the Federation campus.

Tuition
The tuition for the second year Melton class is $475. In addition, there is a $50 charge for your student reader and materials.  Payment plans available.

 

Graduate Courses
(once a week for 10 weeks)

Israeli Literature As a Window to Israeli Society offers a fresh and fascinating examination of Israeli society through the pens of Israel’s leading writers, where students will discover a view of Israeli society that is original, contemporary, honest, and profound.  Students will discover deep insights into the Israeli national psyche and explore poetry and prose that is both challenging and self-critical.
Class Starts: Thursday, October 8 at 9:30 am
Instructor: Dana Inouye

Bereshit I: From Adam to Abraham: The First Twenty Generations is the first unit in the Shiv’im Panim (“70 Faces”) series.  Based on the tradition that the Torah has “70 faces,” or ways of interpreting and understanding it, the curriculum features a multi-faceted approach to Torah study.  Students in Bereshit I will read and discuss stories from the universal tales of the creation of the world, the floor, and the Tower of Babel to the foundational tales of Abraham and Sarah, and the beginnings of the Jewish people.
Class Starts: Monday, October 12, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Instructor: Meryl Kleiner

Jewish Denominations: Addressing the Challenges of Modernity, a new course in 2010, provides a fascinating study of the explosion in contemporary Judaism as reflected in the denominations.  The course offers a fresh examination of Jewish identity and religious expression against the backdrop of dramatic political and social change of the past 300 years.  You will gain extensive insights into the historical and ideological developments of the major movements and explore the impact of gender, assimilation, Israel, and post-denominationalism on these movements, the Jewish people, and the American Jewish landscape.
Class Starts: Tuesday, January 19 at 4:30 pm
Instructor: Rabbi Joel Mishkin

Shemot II: Revelation and Revolution, follows the development of the emerging Jewish nation from their awe-inspiring encounter at Mt. Sinai through the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness.  The text addresses some of the specific laws and regulations that were to become part of Jewish living as well as the meaning, purpose, and relevance to our lives today.  You need not have taken Shemot I to enroll.
Class Starts: Thursday, February 18 at 9:30 am
Instructor: Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting

Tuition
The tuition for graduate courses is $250.

 

Melton School Promo Video

 

For more information, contact Rosa Mandelblum at Federation: (941) 371.4546, ext. 107
or e-mail rmandelblum@smjf.org. 


REGISTER ONLINE HERE

 

Faculty members for Florence Melton Adult Mini-School 2009-10
Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting, Dana Inouye, Meryl Kleiner and Rabbi Joel Mishkin.

Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for enrollment other than a commitment to devote two hours per week, for 30 weeks, to study.  NOTE: Completion of first year is a prerequisite for the second-year class. Completion of second-year class required for most graduate courses.
 
Grading
There are no examinations or grades. Upon completion of the two years, you will receive a Certificate of Jewish Study from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.


 

Adult Mini-School graduate Joe Floersheimer

Student Responses

“I eagerly awaited my Thursday mornings. It gave me the opportunity to sit in the Melton class and put all other thoughts away for a few hours. Practicing Judaism by rote is the norm but delving into the whys and wherefores opened my eyes and thoughts to many things not previously explained or even thought about. The teachers were all that one could ask for. They presented the curriculum clearly and allowed the students to express thoughts without digressing from the topic at hand. I look forward to my continuation.”
- Joe Floersheimer, Adult Mini-School Graduate, 2007  
“I was thrilled when I received the postcard in the mail, it was exactly what I was looking for. As a cantor, I wanted to know more and the class was above and beyond my expectations.”
– Cantor Marci Vitkus, Jewish Center of Venice, Adult Mini-School Graduate, 2007