Melton School of Adult Learning Kicks Off Classes This Fall

The Charlotte Jewish News, September 2022

By Tair Giudice, JFGC Chief Impact Officer

Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte’s Center for Jewish Education, in partnership with Temple Beth El and Temple Israel, is thrilled to bring back the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning beginning this October with four six-week courses (two virtual and two in-person).

Melton is the largest pluralistic adult Jewish education network in the world, engaging adult learners in a life-enhancing study of Jewish texts and ideas that nurture and deepen the Jewish community worldwide.

“ Center for Jewish Education is excited to offer this unique opportunity for continued Jewish learning to our community through the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning,” said Tair Giudice, chief impact officer at the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte. “As our Charlotte Jewish community continues to evolve and grow, we want to serve as a resource for those looking to better understand their Jewish identity and what it means to be Jewish in today’s society.”

The Melton Charlotte courses will kick off on October 26 with the in-person course “Pray it Forward: God, Gratitude, and Gathering Together.” Led by Temple Beth El Cantor Mary Thomas, this six-week course will explore the evolution of prayer, the meaning behind prayers, and the power of meditation. The virtual course option, “Press Pause: Rest, Assured,” begins October 27. Rabbi Helene Kornsgold, director of congregational education at Temple Israel, will guide participants through the study of the Jewish approach to mindfulness and self-care, tracing back to the roots of creation and the Jewish observance of Shabbat as the day of rest.

“We are thrilled to offer Melton as a part of Temple Beth El’s welcoming, accessible, and meaningful lifelong Jewish learning opportunities,” said Rabbi Asher Knight, senior rabbi at Temple Beth El. “We look forward to the ways Melton will help our community increase our Jewish literacy to provide us with intellectual challenge, moral guidance, spiritual enrichment, and the opportunity to form deep and sustaining relationships across our community.”

Melton Charlotte classes resume in 2023 with the in-person course “Soul’s Cycles: A Ride Through the Chapters of Life,” on January 18. During this course, Temple Israel’s senior rabbi, Rabbi Michael Wolk, will guide participants through the Jewish perspective on some of life’s important milestones, including birth, b’nei mitzvah, marriage, divorce, mikvah, and conversion. Learners will gain an understanding of the depth and complexity of Jewish values, concerns, expectations, and hopes, preparing them for these moments.

The virtual course, “Between the Lines: From Text to Life,” will kick off on January 19. Led by Temple Beth El associate rabbi, Rabbi Alexis Erdheim, this course will explore how we connect to ancient Jewish texts today and how they inspire action.

“Melton gives adults the chance to study some of Judaism’s most important classical texts and modern ones in an open and pluralistic environment that encourages them to consider how these texts might apply to them,” said Rabbi Wolk. “I’ve taught Melton classes for seven years, and it is a pleasure to sit together with people of all denominations or no affiliation and to hear about their Jewish experiences.”

To learn more about the courses offered, please visit meltonschool.org/charlotte.