A Journey of Heart and Mind
First New Orleans Class Graduates
by Gail Naron Chalew

The recent graduation of the first class of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School was not a typical one, which is so fitting because the educational experience enjoyed by the students during the past two years was not typical. There were no caps and gowns, no whoops from the audience when the graduate's name was read aloud. And fortunately, no beach balls being batted around to the consternation of security guards. Instead, there were words of blessing, words of Torah and heartfelt expressions of appreciation to the teachers for sharing their knowledge, to the fellow students for their openness, and to the Jewish Federation for bringing Melton to New Orleans.

R. Justin (Bobby) Garon, President of the Jewish Federation, conducted the commencement ceremony. Each student was awarded a Certificate of Jewish Learning from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Benay Bernstein, representing the Tuesday night class and Alan Jacobs, representing the Thursday morning class, shared their thoughts on their two year Melton "journey." Thirty-four adult learners - from every synagogue and ranging in age from their 30s to their 80s - completed the program, gaining Jewish literacy as they discussed Jewish texts with their classmates and teachers - Ellen Steigman and Rabbis Martha Bergadine, Yisroel Shiff and Geoffrey Spector. In honor of their teachers, the first graduation class established a Melton Scholarship Fund. According to Linda Green, one of the organizers of the fund, "It is the first graduation class's hope that donations to the scholarship fund become a tradition. We don't want anyone to miss out on this opportunity to study simply because they can't meet the full tuition cost."

What students learn in Melton is not measured by homework or tests. Edie Rosenblum, a member of Touro Synagogue, describes Melton this way: "It is a journey of heart and mind" and is "transformative."

In his invocation, Rabbi Shiff elaborated on this theme, telling the graduates that they have "left as changed Jews, as changed individuals" who have learned that they are "all part of something bigger - a very special family, history and holy heritage." Rabbi Shiff added, "Learning together has fused time itself, bridging past to present to future."

For Teri Gross, director of the Mini-School in New Orleans and herself a student, "Now that two years of study have passed, I feel that Melton is one of the best gifts I could have given myself. While I have not retained everything we studied, I feel much more equipped to answer my children's questions and feel more connected to Judaism and the Jewish community in New Orleans. I constantly feel like a Melton light bulb is going off in my head when historical facts are mentioned in books or ethical issues are raised by the rabbi, and I have a point of reference because I remember studying that particular fact or issue during Melton."

As the Melton graduates continue to share their Jewish knowledge with their families and friends, the impact of Melton on the New Orleans Jewish community will only grow.

(an abridged version, reprinted with kind permission from The Jewish News, New Orleans)

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