NEW ORLEANS: A MELTON MOMENT

Teri Gross, Director

Build it and they shall come, can certainly be applied to the restart of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School in New Orleans.  The Mini-School had always operated out of two locations to meet the needs of the community – a daytime uptown class and an evening Metairie class, but with limited resources after Hurricane Katrina, two locations would no longer be possible.  But like many things since Katrina, flexibility and adaptation have become key ingredients to success. 

Success is certainly what the Melton Mini-School has accomplished so far this year.  Most of the students who completed their first year of study before Katrina at the two locations and who still live in the New Orleans area, are now studying together to complete their second year on Tuesday evenings at the Goldring-Waldenberg Jewish Community Campus.  A large class of 18 students, they are studying The Ethics of Jewish Living with returning faculty member, Rabbi Martha Bergadine and The Dramas of Jewish Living with new faculty member, Rabbi Ted Lichtenfeld, the new Rabbi at Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation.

A first year class of 15 students also began studying at the Melton Mini-School on Tuesday evenings in Metairie.  They will be studying The Rhythms of Jewish Living with new faculty member, Rabbi Miriam Midlarsky Lichtenfeld and The Purposes of Jewish Living with Rabbi Bergadine.

“Before Hurricane Katrina traveling between Uptown and Metairie was a big deal.  In many ways we were two different communities” stated Director, Teri Gross, who lives on the Northshore, “but now, with a smaller Jewish community, I think the desire to be connected with one another, has eroded that distinction, a small silver lining left behind by Hurricane Katrina,” added Ms. Gross.

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