Don Katz, vice-chairman of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Institute Board of Directors, and his wife, Phyllis, were among 1,500 students worldwide who celebrated the conclusion of their two years of Mini-School studied this spring.

"Our Class of 5762 graduation ceremony was celebrated by 51 graduates, a record number for Columbus, Ohio," says Don. "It culminated with a feeling of gratitude for the opportunity to gain so much essential knowledge not only about Judaism but also about who we are as individuals and classmates. Also, having Florence Melton as our graduation speaker was an honor as well as an inspiration."

Throughout the months of May and June, graduation ceremonies were held at Mini-Schools throughout the United States, Canada and England. In addition to guest speakers students shared their personal reflections and spoke of the Mini-School's impact on their lives.

North American Director Dr. Betsy Dolgin Katz was the guest speaker at Portland, Oregon graduation ceremony on June 11, exactly nine months after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. She spoke about what we can learn from the study of texts about survival and the affirmation of life.

In New York, NY, at a ceremony marking the end of the first year of studies, student Lisa Awano spoke about how the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School changed her life. "Ignorance is another form of slavery, and I must credit the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School with having begun to free me from my own lack of knowledge about my Jewish heritage. My experience in the course has been life-changing for me as a Jewish woman, a writer, a teacher, a wife and a mother," says Lisa.

For most Mini-School graduates, this marks the beginning - not the end - of their Jewish learning. More than 50 percent of all Mini-School alumni continue studying in informal 'graduate' courses and other adult learning frameworks.