Florence Melton Adult Mini-School

Registration now open for the 2011-12 school year!

Join the Great Jewish Conversation and embark on a fascinating 27-week journey as you explore classic Jewish sources, investigate issues of Jewish thought, practice and ethics, and advance our knowledge of Jewish history. For more information, phone or email Noah Hadas (858) 362-1327 or noah@lfjcc.com.

4 Sessions Offered:

• TUES, 1:30-3:45pm at Seacrest Village, Encinitas
• WED, 7:00-9:15pm at Temple Solel, Cardiff by the Sea
• THURS, 9:30-11:45am at Lawrence Family JCC
• THURS, 7:00-9:15pm at Lawrence Family JCC

Class Begins: TUESDAY Classes - October 4, 2011; WEDNESDAY Classes - October 5, 2011; THURSDAY Classes - October 6, 2011. No Classes on October 11/12/13 and October 18/19/20 due to Sukkot. Classes resume October 25/26/27.

Tuition: $545 per person for the program plus $48 per person registration and materials fee. Scholarships are available. Couples and groups registering together receive a discount. JCC member price is significantly less.

• Register online at lfjcc.org/register
• To register by mail, print and complete the following PDF Registration Form.pdf.
• Download a copy of the Melton Brochure
  

The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, a project of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is an innovative concept for Jewish learners from all backgrounds, aimed at enabling Jewish adults to learn seriously about our heritage and culture in a challenging and inspiring course of study.

Melton's sophisticated, sequential curriculum was written by a team of scholars and educators at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It introduces the student to the classical heritage of the Jewish people and demonstrates its development into contemporary forms of Judaism while maintaining a pluralistic balance.

This is your opportunity to explore classic Jewish sources, investigate issues of Jewish thought, practice and ethics, and advance your knowledge of Jewish history.

The San Diego Center for Jewish Culture is proud to sponsor the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School in San Diego County. We invite you to join the nearly 20,000 adults in more than 60 Mini-Schools throughout the Jewish world, whose lives have been changed by this internationally acclaimed school of study.

Melton is endorsed by San Diego Rabbinical Association and supported by the Jewish Federation of San Diego and Jewish Community Foundation.

Melton students say...

"Melton strengthened and gave definition to my Jewish identity...I obtained personal insights as to what Judaism is and is not about...Melton has given us a way to renew our Judaism and share countless discussions together that have helped us grow as individuals and as a couple..."

Course Outlines

NOTE: Each course pair is independent of the other. They may be taken in either order.

Some of the Topics Discussed at Melton ...

The Purposes of Jewish Living

• The Chosen People - Why Us?
• What Happens After We Die?
• Why Do People Suffer?

The Rhythms of Jewish Living

• The Jewish Calendar and its Meaning
• Significance of Bar/Bat Mitzvah
• Conversion

• The Worth of Human Life
• Kosher Money
• Euthanasia

• Development of Judaism in Diaspora
• Formation of Askenazic Jewery
• Evolution from sacrifice to prayer and ritual

COURSE PAIR 1

Purposes of Jewish Living

Explore the meaning and purpose of life from a Jewish perspective. We present essential Jewish theological concepts as they unfold in the Bible, the Talmud and other sacred texts.

Rhythms of Jewish Living

Examine the elements making up the Jewish calendar as well as lifecycle events. Students study the central ideas, beliefs and practices that define Jewish life.

COURSE PAIR 2

Dramas of Jewish Living

This course looks at the dramatic developments, experiences and issues from different periods in Jewish history, as reflected in historical texts.

Ethics of Jewish Living

This course addresses the relationship between Jewish life and ethical behavior. It presents a text-based approach to Jewish ethical foundations dealing with issues such as justice, life and death, sexuality and community.

Israel Seminars (optional)

Explore and study Israel with the Mini-School! The narrative of the land of Israel enriches all that the Mini-School curriculum addresses. Seminars are available in winter, spring and summer.

Breaking News: Gilad Shalit to Be Released 

Dr Jonathan Mirvis

International Director of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Two hours ago we received the exciting news that Gilad Shalit, after spending over five years in captivity in Gaza, is to be released.  In this release Israel is demonstrating once again the high price she is prepared to pay for 'pidyon shvuim' - for the release of captives.  One Jewish soldier will be exchanged for 1000 terrorists and prisoners.  In his opening address to the Cabinet this evening, Prime Minister Netanyahu quoted the traditional saying that 'kol Yisrael arevim ze le'ze' - that all Jews are personally responsible for each other.  

In this update we will outline the details of the agreement and thereafter give the background to the motivation for this agreement.  It is important to note that this update is based on snippets of information that have been leaked and that the full story will only be complete in a few days. 

According to reports released thus far the agreement was reached on Thursday between Hamas and the Israeli Government.  This agreement was initialed by both sides this morning and thereafter Prime Minister Netanyahu invited Noam Shalit, Gilad's father, to his home to give him the news of Gilad's pending release.  The Prime Minister spoke as well to Aviva and Gilad's grandfather, Tzvi, by phone.  The Shalit family has been camping outside the Prime Minister's residence for over a year and thus Noam Shalit did not have far to go to receive this news.

According to first reports a total of 1000 terrorists and prisoners will be released.  They will be released in two stages.  At the first stage, 450 terrorists and prisoners will be released, after which Gilad will be transferred to Cairo where he will meet with his parents.  Thereafter the second batch of 550 terrorists will be released and Gilad will fly home to Israel via Germany.  Since this deal was negotiated by a German mediator with the strong support of the German Government, it is on German soil that Gilad will be officially released.  

The terrorists and prisoners will be released as follows:  One group will be released to the territories, a second group will be released to the Gaza Strip and a third group will be released to an unnamed country and this group will not be allowed access either to Gaza or the territories.  

In agreeing to this deal Israel has created a precedent for releasing its captives which goes far beyond that which was negotiated with the Hizbollah in previous prisoner exchanges.  For the first time an exchange will include terrorists who are serving multiple life sentences for the murder of thousands of Israelis.  Until now Israel has refused to release terrorists with 'blood on their hands' and this exchange reflects a major change in policy.  A second precedent is Israel's agreement to release terrorists who come from East Jerusalem and other parts of sovereign Israel.  Until now Israel has maintained that since Israeli law governs these areas, those who have committed crimes are defined as murderers and not terrorists and cannot be included in such agreements.

Many commentators are trying to understand Israel's change of policy.  Following is an attempt to answer this question.  

During this past year there have been dramatic changes in the balance of power in the Middle East.  

1.       The Egyptian Government was overthrown and a weakened interim government is now in power south of Israel's borders.  This Government is under severe pressure to adopt an anti-Israeli policy and there are calls in Egypt to renounce its Peace Treaty with Israel.   Until now Egypt has played a major role in mediating between Israel and Hamas and its ability to do so in the future is seriously in question.  Israel therefore felt that it is crucial now to take advantage of Egypt's mediation as in the future Egypt may not be in a position to mediate at all.

2.       PLO President Abbas' position has been highly strengthened by his attempt to declare a Palestinian State at the United Nations. For the past five years Abbas has opposed the release of Shalit in the fear that it would strengthen Hamas.  However, now that Abbas seems to have taken a stance which has infuriated the Israeli Government, Israel feels at liberty to negotiate with Hamas and indirectly enhance Hamas' standing in the Palestinian street and thereby increase the rivalry between Hamas and the PLO.

3.       A key figure who is included on the release list is Mustafa Barghouti.  Barghouti belongs to Abbas' PLO and was sentenced to five life sentences as a result of the murders he planned in the second Intifada.  Barghouti speaks a perfect Hebrew, is highly charismatic and within the PLO presents the greatest political challenge to Abbas.  This may yet be another Israeli attempt to unseat Abbas and open a new relationship with a potential Palestinian Government headed by Barghouti.

4.       Israel feels that the Palestinian public in the territories has relinquished its armed struggle, and therefore the potential threat of potential terrorism will be counterbalanced by the strong feeling in the Palestinian street that the armed struggle is something of the past.

5.       Netanyahu realizes that while this release will be condemned by many of the victims of terror it will have the widespread support of the Israeli population. He has been under major pressure from the "Release Shalit" movement, soldiers in uniform and hundreds of thousands of Shalit sympathizers.  In taking this step he is taking it with the support of the Israeli public.  

In this exchange it must be realized that Israel is taking a major gamble.  Those who are released may create winds of change in the territories leading to a third Intifada.  It has been claimed that it was the terrorists who were released in the 80's who were behind the first Intifada.  Furthermore, this release could well be an incentive to kidnap soldiers in the future with the full knowledge that this is the best proven method for securing the release of terrorists.  Hopefully this will not be the case.