InSites - The OnLine Newsletter of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School

February, 2010 * Adar 5770 - No. 5

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The Florence Melton Regional Retreat

April 16-18, 2010

SEARCHING FOR THE SACRED

Capital Camps & Retreat Center, Waynesboro, Philadelphia

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The Mini-School and Jewish Peoplehood

[Dr. Jonathan Mirvis, International Director]

Yonatan Mirvis

This period of the year marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere and has major significance for the Jewish People. Within the space of a month we celebrate Purim and Pesach, both of which celebrate Jewish peoplehood. According to the Jewish calendar Nissan is the first month and Adar is the last and thus in essence Pesach is the beginning of the cycle and Purim is at the end of the cycle. That we begin our monthly cycle with the birth of the Jewish People and celebrate Jewish continuity with Purim at the end of the cycle is a significant statement regarding the importance we attach to Jewish peoplehood.

As custodians of our future we have the ability to determine what the Jewish people will look like in years to come and it is in this context that the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School is so important. Our commitment to high quality adult Jewish learning is inspired by our belief that Jewish literacy is a foundation stone of Jewish peoplehood and thus we have an obligation to invest all our efforts in ensuring that the Mini-School continues to grow and flourish.

This year we are piloting a new course Foundations of Jewish Living which targets young parents. This course comprises a selection of master stories which are windows into Jewish learning and can be taken home to children. It is significant that this is our new frontier of investment as it is these young families who are our critical link to the Jewish future.

Honoring Our Directors

[Judy Kupchan, FMAMS Director, North American Division]

Janis Zaremba receives Florence Melton Award. (l to r: Janis Zaremba, Barry Schwartz, Jonathan Mirvis, Don Katz

At the center of every successful Mini-School is a director who has a passion for Jewish learning and the Jewish people. That passion translates into countless recruitment pitches to students, frequent bridge building in the community with rabbis, funders, and leaders, and terrific problem- solving skills. In addition, the director thinks about teaching and learning in conversations with faculty, and manages a budget that makes the Mini-School look like a worthwhile investment for a community. These qualities suggest that it takes an almost "messianic capacity" to be a director, and it is true that the job is a demanding one.

One of the most significant events in our Melton calendar every year is the Annual International Directors Conference, when we bring this group of diverse leaders together to help develop that "messianic capacity." Our annual conference draws on the talents and insights of visiting scholars, our international staff, and many of the directors themselves to create a program that is both inspiring and helpful. This year's conference was held December 6-9, 2009, at the lovely Pearlstone Retreat and Conference Center in Reiserstown, MD, near Baltimore. The beautiful, snow-covered setting provided an incubator for entrepreneurship, discovery, and learning. 38 directors participated, including 7 new directors, as well as 10 agency executives, and our staff of 11 from Israel and North America.

Recognizing the ongoing work of our directors is one of the highlights of the Conference, as we all share in the joy of the accomplishments of each honoree. A new recognition was launched this year to memorialize our founder Florence Melton, z"l, and to provide a cash award to one Mini-School, whose accomplishments are stellar. The first school chosen for the Florence Melton Award was The Raleigh-Cary school of North Carolina. Raleigh, a community of only 6000 Jews, started their Mini-School in 2001, and has been going strong ever since. The Mini-School has two new classes every year, as well as several Scholars classes with 50-100 participants, and an alumni association that boasts 50% participation from among all graduates. We were pleased that this auspicious award was presented by Don Katz, nephew of Sam and Florence Melton, to Raleigh's outstanding director Janis Zaremba and Federation and JCC Executive Director Barry Schwartz.

The Israel Prize was awarded this year to director Noah Hadas for his commitment and untiring efforts in promoting the Melton Israel Seminars in the San Diego community.

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Hillel and Shammai in the Big Easy

[Debbie Pesses, Director, New Orleans, LA]

A funny thing happened on the way to a Melton class this week, when a modern day Shammai met Hillel in New Orleans.

To understand this, let me give you a little perspective. For the first time in 43 years, the New Orleans Saints, the NFL Pro Football team won the Super Bowl. Saints craziness has hit New Orleans right before its regular Mardi Gras craziness.

Even Jewish children in Jewish nursery schools are wearing the colors of the team, black and gold and marching to "When the Saints Go Marching In". Every bit of Saints paraphernalia has been sold out and is walking the halls of the New Orleans JCC. Even before the Super Bowl, the city of New Orleans had scheduled a parade to honor the team. It was scheduled for the Tuesday after the Super Bowl. After winning the Super Bowl, things got even crazier here in the city. (In actuality, 800, 000 people attended the parade.)

So, now to the story of Shammai and Hillel. Perennial professional Melton director as I am, I concluded that since the weather was unseasonably cold for New Orleans, and most of my students were from the suburbs where classes were being held, it was only fitting that we hold class. I informed the students and the teachers.

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A Special Friendship

[Randi Rosen, San Diego]

The following was written by Randi Rosen, a remarkable young woman who has explored both the world and her Judaism. Her explorations have included climbing Mt. Whitney, diving the Great Barrier Reef, biking across Israel, and completing two years of Melton studies. She has discovered a number of things during these adventures, including a surprising and meaningful cross-generational relationship.

Noah Hadas, Director, San Diego, CA

When I started the Melton program in the fall of 2005, I expected to learn about Jewish history, traditions, and Torah portions in a lively, engaging forum. Those expectations were clearly met. However, forming a special friendship with one of my classmates was an unexpected treat. During my first few Melton classes, I noticed two of the brightest, most talkative students were Rebecca (age 90) and Harold (age 84). I was continuously impressed with their inquisitive questions and debates on various issues.

I soon came to learn that Harold was scheduled to participate in the San Diego Community UJF Mission to Israel. My mother and I had also planned on joining the mission. The three of us became fast friends who toured the cultural, religious and archeological sites in Israel. Experiencing Masada, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem with Harold was quite memorable. My mom and I could never figure out how he looked so dapper in his freshly pressed suits in the oppressive heat of the desert! His quick wit and sense of humor was enjoyed by all.

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Hanging on to Hebron - Questions and Questions

[Peter Phillipsohn, Sydney, Australia]

In October 2009, we launched our first Biblical In-Sites Israel Seminar for returnees. The aim of the seminar is to use the land of the Biblical Text as the backdrop, or con-text, for examining stories and passages from the Tanakh, so that the unfolding narrative would resonate within the Melton traveler in a totally new way... and it did! Below appears an excerpt from the blog sent by veteran Melton seminar participant Peter Philippsohn of Sydney, NSW, who had joined us with Sheila, his wife, for their third Melton Israel Seminar. This excerpt focuses on the sites in Hebron which are pertinent to the millenia-old connection to the city, a city often referred to as the "City of the Patriarchs". While the political context of going to Hebron cannot be overlooked, the seminar chose to remain focused on the Biblical and historical dimensions of the visit.

Haim Aronovitz, Director, Israel Seminars

Biblical InSites - Lot's Wife - Sheila & Peter Phillipsohn

Biblical InSites - Hebron - Tomb of the Patriarchs & Matriarchs

I never understood why we Jews wanted to hang on to Hebron. It's about 30-40Km from Jerusalem in the middle of the West Bank and really it's a weeping sore. Over the years, it has been a source of conflict between Arab and Jew. Till 1967, Jews have survived without being in Hebron, so why keep on making a fuss?

That is until you get there.

As part of our Melton Biblical Insites program, we were taken to Hebron in a reinforced bus with an armed guard. The most obvious sign that we were in the occupied territories was that the number plates changed colour. Also the increased piles of garbage dumped in a continuous line at the side of the road. Most of the Jews "in" the Hebron area live nearby in Kiryiat Arba. Usually it's not difficult to tell the difference between Jewish housing and Arab. Arab homes have a flat roof and an incomplete look ready for the imminent next extension. In this area, the difference is not so clear-cut. It's early afternoon. We drive up through Hebron past more checkpoints. No one stops our Israeli bus.

In the historical part of Hebron, the homes of the 70 Jewish families are of subsistence standard. These "homes" are container sized demountable structures like those used for offices and toilets on a building site. A mother pushes her kid on a swing in the small playground. An IDF soldier stands guard nearby. IDF soldiers are everywhere. They looked bored. Some so bored that they are sleeping. What do they think? In this small area, where do the kids ride the pushbikes lying around the playground?

Our guide, David Wilder, meets us. He has been in Israel for 37 years from the USA. I'm not sure if the sidearm he is carrying is for protection or for effect. He has 7 kids - some in Hebron, some outside. Why would you bring your kids to an area like this? David shows us the excavations at the old site of the city gates. This is evidence of Jewish occupation here for 3700 years. He takes us up the path with metal decking on one side and barbed wire on the other side to a possible site of Ruth's tomb. Is he leading us up the path literally or metaphorically?

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Study OnLine:

Without an Israel, What is Passover for?

[Rabbi Morey Schwartz, FMAMS Director of Curriculum & Faculty Development]

The celebration of Purim is traditionally preceded by a fast day, known as the Fast of Esther. The fast recalls how Esther turned to Mordechai, prior to her unsolicited visit to the king, requesting that he instruct the Jews to lend their support: Go, assemble all the Jews who live in Shushan, and fast for me, do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; I and my maidens will do the same. Then I will go to the king, though it is contrary to the law; and if I perish, I shall perish. (Esther 4:16)

This year, since Purim falls on Sunday, and fasting on Shabbat is generally frowned upon, the fast (always observed as only one day, not three) is bumped back to the previous Thursday, the 11^th of Adar. In truth, moving the fast to a different date is not such a big deal, since, according to the rabbis, the original three day fast actually took place on the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th of the month of Nissan, 11 months before the Purim miracles are said to have taken place. Customarily, the fast is on the day before Purim for thematic purposes.

But, isn't the 15^th of Nissan the first day of Passover? Did they fast on Passover?

Addressing this interesting point, here is a wonderful midrash that has been included in our new Foundations of Jewish Family Living curriculum:

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