"What we do with our time defines who we are." This was the title of Oprah Winfrey's most recent article in her magazine. Those words truly resonated with me as I approached the writing of this article about my own personal experience on taking the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School classes at the MJCC.

As I approach the end of my two-year study, I realize how much I have learned, and how very little I knew. I'm reminded of what Lee Hendler wrote in her book, "The Year Mom Got Religion" "What I know now, I could put in a thimble; what I knew then, I could put on the head of a pin." Wow, how true that is. There is something about being raised Jewish and living Jewishly that can make us feel content. And although I was taught that the Torah is a tree of life, a gift to us from G-d, and the most sacred object of the Jew, I have spent most of my life never seizing the opportunity to study and learn. I defined myself as a Jew, but I couldn't dismiss the realization that I knew no more than a young child about being Jewish and the Torah.

This self-awareness along with the birth of my three wonderful sons led me on my journey into Judaism. Becoming a parent was unique. I now had the responsibility of shaping another life. This was good because it impelled me to try and be the best that I can be in all the many arenas of life. For me, being a good Jewish wife and mother was at the top of the list. It was at this juncture that I set out on the path to study, learn and grow. It has been the best gift I have given myself.

Adult education and becoming an adult learner is awesome! Look at the great Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest Torah scholars on halachah. He was 40 years old when he first began studying. This knowledge, along with my own personal desire to learn more about my faith, inspired me to take the Melton classes. Yes it was a rather big commitment, but I feel my entire family has benefited. My children saw me going to class and thought how cool it was that Mom was in school. My actions spoke loud and clear; you are never too old to study and learn.

Yes, life is busy with all the everyday expediencies of work, children, home, activities, exercise, that it seems to leave us with very little time for much else. But we must also realize how very lucky and fortunate we are to have the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School right here in our community.

You probably are asking what exactly is the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School. It is real simple. It is a two-year program geared towards Jewish adult literacy with the curriculum created by the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. You meet once a week for two hours. The curriculum is text- based, and was created to represent a pluralistic approach to learning. Whether you are reform, conservative or orthodox, the text, the commentaries, and the teachings are representative of all three views. The best part is interacting through discussion with the teachers and other students in an open, nonjudgmental atmosphere. The teachers, who are so learned, accomplished, and truly believe in adult education, strive to meet each student at his or her own level. It doesn't really matter what your background is, the teaching is done in such a positive spirit that you hunger to know more. And like most great teachers, they usually answer a question with a question, which leads you to think and analyze on a deeper level.

So, yes, what we choose to do with our time says a lot about who we are. Embrace the opportunities to learn, grow, and evolve Jewishly.