News from Local Alumni Associations

img: NNJ launches Alumni Association

March 2011: Director Frieda Hershman Huberman from Northern New Jersey successfully launched a local alumni association on March 8 with guest speaker Rabbi Morey Schwartz, FMAMS International Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development, speaking on The Miracle of Purim Revisited. Northern New Jersey is our 25th Mini-School to establish a local alumni association, and the event resulted in over 50 graduates joining! Frieda shared a quote from event (& alumni association) co-chair, Sue-Ann Levin, who commented, "I thought last night was wonderful from start to finish. It felt great, looked great, Morey was terrific, I wish he taught locally. It was the perfect way to introduce the Alumni Association, promote Melton, learn and meet. It seems to me that everyone enjoyed the program very much and is a good model for future programs." If you would like more information about what’s happening in Northern New Jersey, please contact Frieda at friedah@ujannj.org.
November 2010: The newly formed Pittsburgh Melton Alumni Association, which consists of graduates of the program over its 16 years of existence, joined Judaic scholar Jonty Blackman for “Dinner and Drash,” as its kickoff event, Sunday, Nov. 7. Read more.
October 2010: Karen Altschul, Chair of the Boca Raton, FL, Alumni Assocation, announces "First Fridays," a program of eight study sessions highlighting personalities in the Talmud. The subject matter was chosen to coincide with the celebration of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's completion of his English translation of the Talmud, a project that he began in 1965!
On Sunday, November 7, 2010, Jewish communities all over the world (including Boca Raton) are gathering for on-site studying, as well as the web broadcast of the actual conclusion of this monumental work. Boca Raton's inagural First Friday study session will be an introduction to the program and will also provide background material to help with an understanding of the importance of the Global Day of Jewish Learning on November 7.
September 2010: Sandy Goldman, Melton International Alumni Association member from Denver, CO, is honored by B’Nai Havurah and the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation for her distinguished leadership.

August 2010: Henri Goettel of Independence, MO, a devoted and passionate member of the International Florence Melton Adult Mini-School Alumni Association, is named as a recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Read more.
August 2010: Director Shelley Buxbaum in Atlanta is launching the site’s local alumni association on August 17 at a kick-off Lunch and Learn. This brings us to 28 Mini-School sites with local alumni associations!
June 2010: As part of their graduation festivities, Director Sue Parker Gerson of the Denver Mini-School held an alumni membership drive which resulted in the local association passing the 100 member mark! If you would like more information on the exciting things happening with the Denver local alumni association, please contact Sue at spgerson@caje-co.org.
June 2010: Under the direction of Shelley Buxbaum, Atlanta launched its local alumni association at graduation! Also ... Director Judy Asuleen, Broward, FL, has launched its local alumni association! Eight people attended Broward’s first event, titled “An Afternoon with the Sages Followed by ‘Chai’ Tea.”
May 2010: Director Amy Karp in Pittsburgh and Director Mimi Weisberg in Ann Arbor have launched local alumni associations at their sites!
April 2010: Washington, DC, launches its alumni association with a special event with guest speaker Dr. James Hyman. For more information, contact Director Aliza Sperling at asperling@pjll.org.
April 2010: Director Jonathan Fass launches local alumni association in Houston, TX.
March 2010: On March 22, Director Rosa Mandelblum launched the Sarasota, FL, Mini-school's local alumni association with a guest lecturer FMAMS Regional Director Rabbi Efrat Zarren-Zohar. In her thought-provoking talk — “Such a Nice Jewish Boy? A Jewish View of Jesus” — Rabbi Zohar looked at the Jewish mashiach who became a Christian Messiah. She examined the ways that Jesus, his life and his teachings were continuation of his Jewish heritage and in what ways they were a radical departure. Rabbi Zohar is the Director of Melton in Miami, the second largest Melton site in the world, and serves as a Regional Director for the North American Melton office, where she oversees 11 other Melton sites along the East Coast.
January 2010: The FMAMS Core Curriculum Student Readers have been reformatted and bound into four beautiful books, as displayed below. Several IAA members and graduates have asked to purchase the books to replace their binders and, as such, we are offering the set of four for purchase at a cost of $100 plus shipping and handling. Twenty percent of the purchase price will be shared with your local Mini-School site. If you are interested in purchasing sets of 2009/2010 Student Readers, please contact Irene Bennett at ibennett@fmams.org.il or 847-714-9843 x 300.

Dramas Ethics Purposes Rhythms

December 2009: The Portland Mini-School has successfully launched a local alumni association. The Portland alumni association plans to offer a book club and monthly email updates on topics of Jewish educational interest to all Mini-School students and graduates, with a focus on sustaining the Melton educational community. Portland is our 21st Mini-School to establish a local alumni association.
On Nov. 4, 2009, the Palo Alto local alumni association held "Readers of the Lost Ark," featuring guest scholar Dr. Steven Weitzman of Stanford University's Department of Religious Studies. In this presentation, Dr. Weitzman examined some of the stories about the ark of the covenant, the most sacred object kept in the Temple. Texts included the Apocrypha, the Dead Sea Scrolls and rabbinic literature. This exploration was not only to learn about the fate of the ark, but also to explore the early Jewish struggle for cultural self-preservation, how ancient Jews sought to sustain their traditions at a time when the Temple's destruction and other changes rendered Judaism vulnerable to extinction.

On June 15 and June 16, 2009, West Valley and Palo Alto, respectively, launched local alumni associations at their Melton graduations. Led by Director Rabbi Rachel Bovitz, the first class of 64 West Valley graduates celebrated the completion of the core curriculum. During the celebration with over 250 people in attendance, Rachel shared information about the alumni association and the need for community support for Melton. The West Valley local alumni association will support graduate courses, invest in faculty development and community learning, and sustain the Melton core curriculum in the community. The Palo Alto alumni association, led by Director Jane-Rachel Schonbrun and JCC Director of Community Relations and International Alumni Association member Randi Brenowitz, was launched at the June 16 graduation of 30 graduates and is expecting strong participation. The Palo Alto alumni association will continue to build a learning community and support its Melton program.
Director Noah Hadas in San Diego successfully launched a local alumni association this month with an invitation to students and graduates to support Melton and ensure its continued success in the community, and to attend a Melton Siyyum at the end of the month with guest speaker Professor Deborah Hertz. Membership in the San Diego alumni association includes discounts to adult education lectures and classes and Israel updates from the Melton Institute in Jerusalem. San Diego is our 18th Mini-School to establish a local alumni association and we expect it to be a great success! (May 2009)
The Chicago BJE Melton Mini-School reports that 25 graduates have already joined the new BJE Alumni Association this year. (March 2009)