| St
Louis , MissouriSt.
Louis is an old classical community, very slow to change and a Jewish community
of about 60,000. The affiliation rate is about 50% with the largest group being
Reform. Next is the Conservative community and an Orthodox community of a bit
over 2000 people. It is a very insular community as there is no other large Jewish
community near by. The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School has played a role in
helping to build bridges between these different communities. The
students range in age from early 30s to early 80s. Among the students is a past
president of Federation, many members of the Federation Board, Central Agency
Board and synagogue leadership. They all say that the education received in Melton
classes has helped them better understand the community that they are leading
and has given them important tools and information for their roles as Jewish family
members and community leaders.
"There are many, many more people interested
in adult Jewish education, talking about adult Jewish education and looking for
classes that meet their needs since Melton has come to our community," says
Esther Zimand, St. Louis Mini-School Director. "It has also created a better
awareness of the theology, differences and similarities, of the various movements.
Being a part of Melton has given all of the participants the opportunity to interact
with Jews from many segments of our community." Esther
has been the Director since its beginning in 1989. "I owe a tremendous debt
of gratitude to Dr. Betsy Katz for her guidance in the early years and for her
mentoring me to become an educator of adults," she says. Esther also worked
with the national office as a trainer of teachers and directors at a variety of
sites. "Also with Betsy's help we inaugurated the very popular Israel Seminar
and accompanied many groups of students to Israel," she adds. " After
14 years of directing Melton I still find the task exciting and exhilarating.
I love the influence that we have on individual and family lives." The
Mini-School began when a group of students whom Esther had taught were looking
for more comprehensive and challenging Jewish adult education. They found Melton
at a conference on opportunities for Jewish adults and immediately knew that it
was what their community needed. It was to be the first, and still is the only
place where Jews from all parts of the St. Louis Jewish community could come to
study together. "It has broadened the hearts and minds of all of the participants
towards Klal Yisrael," says Esther.
A good number of the graduates felt
validated enough with their gained knowledge to pass it on to others as teachers
in their Jewish schools. There are others who have said that it is because of
their education at Melton that they decided to send their children to Jewish Day
School. "The
Florence Melton Adult Mini-School has had a significant impact on the St. Louis
Jewish community," says Jeffrey Lasday, Executive Vice President of the sponsoring
agency. In a recent survey of Jewish community leadership, the Melton program
was singled out for its high visibility and program excellence. St. Louis congregational
rabbis take great pride in their congregants who participate in the Melton program,
publicly acknowledging and congratulating their graduating Melton students. "The
leadership ranks of the Federation's Woman' Division is filled with Melton graduates",
adds Jeffrey. "The education that they received through the Melton program
is now impacting the decisions that they are making for the future of our Jewish
community." There
are currently three first year classes, and three second year classes plus there
are also summer classes when the regular Melton program closes for the summer
vacation. They are very proud to be part of the Melton pilot Parent Education
Program (PEP) for preschool parents and in addition to the above there are two
such classes. A total of 512 students have graduated from the school. For
extra curricular activities, since the students are more interested recently in
learning activities and not social gatherings, they do a seder for Tu B'Shvat,
a Haggadah Seminar and have learning activities when a special guest comes to
their community. Some
of the students who are Judaic studies teachers have received awards from their
schools and have been honored by the Central Agency. Esther received a Federation
"Outstanding Professional Leadership" award and was a Senior Educator
at the Melton Centre and is a graduate of the Teacher Educator Institute of the
Mandel Commission. "The
Mini-School has become an important part of my life and gives a tremendous sense
of satisfaction and accomplishment," says Esther. "I have interacted
with and gotten to know many of the very special people who make up the St. Louis
Jewish community. We are one big family with a great deal of caring for one another.
We delicately and deeply touch one another's lives, as together, we build strong
Jewish identity." The
students agree wholeheartedly. Says student Dr. Steven Fliesler: "These two
years of adult education have been among the most rewarding of my entire educational
career. Now, in addition, to an added inquisitiveness, I feel like I've gained
the essential tools and knowledge base to continue this path of learning with
further study." Another student, Joanne Shapiro, comments: "I now find
myself thirsty for more information - wanting to study, challenge, analyze and
discuss even further. I have come to realize that it is vitally important for
me to continue acquiring Torah knowledge for my personal growth and satisfaction,
for the benefit of my family and for our entire Jewish community." >
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