Florence Melton Adult Mini-School

OVERVIEW

School Director Keith Kanter teaching a course for the Florence Melton program.

Our Florence Melton Adult Mini-School ranks among the finest programs for adult Jewish education. The Melton program is an in-depth educational opportunity that goes beyond weekend seminars and scholars-in-residence, and is comprehensive and complete, but without grades, exams, or perquisites for enrollment. It helps students raise their level of Jewish knowledge and brings them to a comfortable feeling of achieveing Jewish literacy.

The Melton program:

• offers a friendly, pluralistic, open environment that encourages critical thinking and group discussions;

• challenges you to analyze primary sources through your own life experiences;

• works with experienced Jewish educators who are trained to teach adult learners of varying backgrounds.

Our curriculum is comprised of four courses created at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Each course focuses on at least one major area of Jewish learning, and forms a thread in a carefully woven fabric integrating Jewish history, religion, ritual, language, ethics, philosophy, literature, theology and contemporary Jewish life. The four courses include:

• The Purposes of Jewish Living (30 Lessons) - Essential Jewish theological concepts and ideas essential to the ultimate purposes of Judaism, as they unfold in the Bible, the Talmud and other sacred texts.

• The Rhythms of Jewish Living (30 Lessons) - Central ideas, beliefs and practices, studied through texts which inform our Jewish rituals daily, weekly, annually, and via life cycle observances.

• The Dramas of Jewish Living (30 Lessons) – From the Biblical period to today, a study of the issues facing the Jewish people, such as assimilation, pluralism, and anti-semitism, and the related events from throughout Jewish History.

• The Ethics of Jewish Living (30 Lessons) - Ethical issues which emerge in our interpersonal relationships, such as family, justice, death, sexuality and community, with case studies from Talmudic, rabbinic and contemporary literature.


SPONSORS/LOCATIONS

The following Consortium members sponsor the Limud North Melton Adult Mini-School in and for the Northern Suburbs:

• Am Shalom
• Am Yisrael Congregation
• Congregation Beth Shalom
• North Shore Congregation Israel
• North Suburban Synagogue Beth El
• Moriah Congregation
• Solomon Schechter Day Schools
• Temple Beth-El
• Temple Jeremiah

The following Consortium members sponsor the Lakeview branch of the Melton Adult Mini-School:

• Anshe Emet Synagogue
• Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation
• Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School
• Chicago Jewish Day School
• Emanuel Congregation

Classes are held in the Northern Suburbs on Mondays. For the 2007-2008 school year, classes in Lakeview will be held on Thursdays . PLEASE NOTE, however, that starting with the 2008-2009 school year, classes in Lakeview will be held on Wednesdays.

Classes are limited in size, so please respond promptly. Please be sure to let us know if you are a first-time Melton Student! 


ANNUAL TUITION (Sept. – May)

The full tuition for one year, which includes 60 hours of classes, a Student Curriculum containing thousands of dollars worth of texts, and other “extras,” is $820. Please pay this amount if you can, as this will enable us to better serve those of our community who require some financial assistance. If you would prefer to pay the communally subsidized amount, please pay one of the following (please see the list above to determine if you are a Consortium Member):

For Non-Consortium Members: $575 per person, $1,065 per couple
For Consortium Members: $475 per person, $875 per couple


To register by phone, or if you have any questions, please contact Keith Kanter at (847) 410-3900, ext. 25, or email kkanter@cfje.org. Thank you!

The Community Foundation for Jewish Education is a support foundation of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago

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