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 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 13 on the Federation campus.
• Thursdays from 9:30-11:45am beginning October 7 on the Federation campus.

Tuition
The tuition for the second year Melton class is $550. (Includes all student materials) *Note: Year I students need to purchase a Tanakh, (Jewish Bible), and JPS English-Hebrew dictionary. Payment plans available.

Graduate Courses
(once a week for 10 weeks)

Beyond Borders: Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict 
This course offers a strong, text-based historical overview from the late ninteenth century until today. Course material is designed to encourage discussion and debate, and to challange the students to appreciate the basis of the conflicting historical claims made by all sides in the conflict. The complexity of the conflict forces students to grapple with issues of religon, culture, history, politics, economics, identity and survival - all reflected through primary sources, including newspaper articles, poetry, songs, goverment documents, speeches, photographs and memoirs. The 10-lesson course will provide students with new tools for understanding and critiquing texts and events as the conflict continues to unfold.
Class Starts: January 20, 2011 at 9:30 am
Instructor: Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting

Bereshit I: From Adam to Abraham: The First Twenty Generations
This 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: Tuesday, October 19 at 7:00 pm
Instructor: Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting
Class Starts: Thursday, October 21 at 9:30 am
Instructor: Sue Huntting

Jewish Denominations: Addressing the Challenges of Modernity
This course 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: Monday, October 18 at 4:30 pm
Class Starts: Monday, January 24, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Instructor: Rabbi Joel Mishkin

Jews in America: Insiders and Outsiders
This scholars course provides students with the opportunity to consider the challenges of the Jewish acculturation to American life, and the sacrifices as well as the contributions that have been made over the past 200 years. Lessons will explore such topics as the role of education, the Three Generation Hypothesis, Anti-Semetism, and the Holocaust, the changing place of Zionism and the State of Israel, the Civil Rights Movement as a case study of distinctiveness and involvement, and other issues that address American and Jewish culture. This 10-lesson course asks the question, "Is the cup half empty or half full?" as optimists and pessimists debate the future of Jewish identity in America.
Class Starts: Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 9:30 am
Instructor: Rabbi Brenner Glickman

Tuition
The tuition for graduate courses is $270. (All materials included)

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Rosa Mandelblum at (941) 371.4546, ext. 107 

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

Faculty members for Florence Melton Adult Mini-School 2010-11
Rabbi Brenner Glickman, Rabbi Elaine Glickman, Rabbi Geoffrey Huntting, Sue Huntting, Rabbi Joel Mishkin,  Flora Oynick and Marden Paru.

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.


 

“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