Eliana Temkin Past FMAMS Director Portland, OR	Portland FMAMS Students
Portland, OR

Described as "one of the best" by Dr. Betsy Dolgin Katz, the North American Director for the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, the Portland Mini-School is truly fulfilling a prophesy that it would be one of the best in the country.

The Mini-School came about out of a need in the Portland community for a deeper exploration into Jewish Adult Education. A group of community leaders, many of whom were Wexner Fellows, formed Morasha in 1998. Now having completed its seventh year in Portland, the school operates locally under the auspices of Morasha.

The Melton program has brought a new awareness of the impact adult Jewish education can have on Jewish communal life and has been felt in every Jewish organization. Portland's Mini-School currently has 180 students enrolled and 300 graduates. They have a number of Jewish professionals among the alumni and current student body, as well as individuals who sit on boards or serve as presidents of major Jewish organizations.

"Melton classes do more than simply convey a deep understanding of Jewish history, culture and practice," says Hank Kaplan, Director of the Sponsoring Agency. "They build communities -- communities of learning, communities of leadership, and communities of worship. This form of education erodes the barriers among denominations, and broadens understanding of peoplehood and Torah, on which Jewish identity rests."

In addition to core classes, the Portland Mini-School also offers classes in the Parent Education Program (PEP), the new Melton Scholar's Curriculum, and an array of ten week Melton Graduate classes.

Portland is a beautifully green city in the Pacific Northwest, boasting the 40 Mile Loop, a system of walking paths allowing people to enjoy a stroll almost anywhere in the city. The lushness of the landscape comes from very rainy winters, and mild weather which draws people from around the country. The downtown area is alive with business, where you can enjoy the shops and entertainment at any time and still feel relatively safe. Land use planning and design laws keep sprawl contained and ensure that buildings are friendly to pedestrians with sidewalk-level shops.

Portland has a relatively small Jewish community with 25,000 Jews in a city of 509,610. The metro area has a population of 1.8 million. There are many denominations of congregations in the Portland area. They have a community day school, which is housed in a wing of the JCC. As a result, children and families from many parts of the community meet, befriend each other and work together in friendships that go beyond the JCC and the day school, which encourages lots of cross-fertilization between synagogues and the broader community.

For extra curricular activities, the Mini-School has an Alumni Association, an annual community event and an annual Shabbat Dinner that brings over 100 Melton students, faculty, alumni and family members together. Some classes get together for events like a potluck Shabbat dinner, summer study sessions and a year-end brunch.

Bonni Goldberg has been the Portland Director of the Florence Adult Mini-School since 2004. She and her husband of ten years have resided in Portland for nine years and have one daughter.

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