Melton Mini-School Begins Sept. 9

The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School will begin its 20th year on Tuesday, Sept. 9. Registration is now open. New for 2008-09 is the Scholars Curriculum, open to Mini-School graduates. Building on the two years of text-based study of Judaism, the Scholars Curriculum focuses on a deeper examination of selected Jewish texts, from the Biblical to the modern. Each module of the Scholars Curriculum, which will be taught by Rabbi Cary Kozberg, Debbie Goodman, and Idit Jacques, lasts 10 weeks.

The first course, Shivim Panim: 70 Faces of Wisdom, focuses on 70 selections of Torah texts based on the tradition that the Torah has "70 faces" or ways of interpreting and understanding it. Modules to be presented include "Bereshit Part I: Adam to Abraham - The first 20 Generations," "Bereshit Part II: Stories of the First Jewish Family," and "Shemot Part I: From Slavery to Sinai."

The second Scholars Curriculum course is Israeli Literature As A Window to Israeli Society, and currently includes one module, "The Holocaust as Reflected in Diaries and Memoirs." Other Scholars Courses include "Tales from the Talmud" and "Yosef: Beyond the Coat of Many Colors." Additional modules are being developed by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and may be presented in subsequent years.

The Florence Melton Adult Min-School was conceived by Columbus resident Florence Melton in 1980. In her words, it was to be a "formal program of study that begins at the very beginning, provides a well-rounded introduction to the essentials of Judaism, and leaves the student confident, competent, and wanting to learn more." Scholars of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the scholars and educators at the Melton Center for Jewish Education developed all courses.

Rebecca Gurk, a recent graduate of the Mini-School, said that many of the students entered the course with a basic level of Jewish education and some experience of Jewish practice. "What Melton did for us was to put our knowledge - whatever knowledge we each had - into a context of historical Jewish thought and experience," she said. "Through texts we saw where it all came from and what it has come to. But from discussion, we discovered how we, too, are active participants in the ongoing process. We all had vaulable things to learn from each other - teachers to students, students to each other."

The Mini-School uses a text-based approach to studying that teaches the common roots and experiences of pluralistic Judaism while affirming each denominational group. Year One includes two courses: "Rhythms of Jewish Living" and "Purposes of Jewish Living." "Rhythms" focuses on central ideas and texts which inform rituals daily, weekly, annual, and life-cycle observances, while "Purposes" discusses essential Jewish theological concepts and ideas as they unfold in the Bible, the Talmud, and other sacred texts.

Year Two encompasses "Ethics of Jewish Living" and "Dramas of Jewish Living Throughout the Ages." "Ethics" discusses ethical issues such as justice, life and death, sexuality, and community, with case studies from Talmudic, rabbinic, and contemporary literature, while "Dramas" includes dramatic developments, experiences and issues from different periods in Jewish history, as reflected in historical texts.

Recent Mini-School graduate Carol Glassman noted that being a member of the class was for her a magnificent experience. "When I pause to reflect upon what it has meant to me to be a part of this very special group of teachers and learners, I am overwhelmed," she said. "I am overwhelmed by how I have grown intellectually, spiritually, religiously, and personally over the past two years. I have grown as a jewish person. I have stretched, I have gained new perspectives, and I have been inspired to live my life more Jewishly, to continue to observe Jewish traditions and to follow our Jewish customs, rituals, and practices even more closely than I have in the past."

Columbus Mini-School instructors include: Rabbi Cary Kozberg, Spiritual Director, Wexner Heritage Village; Professor Matt Goldish, Director, Melton Center for Jewish Studies at OSU, and Debbie Goodman, Director of Jewish Studies, Columbus Jewish Day School.

Globally, the Mini-School has more than 60 sites in North America and five in England, South Africa and Australia. Over 25,000 students have enrolled in the Mini-School since its inception.

For information about the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School or to register for classes, contact Mini-School Coordinator Dana Horowitz at (614) 559-6238 or minischool@columbusjcc.org.