A Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning is opened in Portland the fall of 2010, led by the director, Fae Silverman and faculty Dov Goldberg, Ellie Miller and Steve Steinbock. Founded in 1986 at the initiative of Florence Zacks Melton, the school is a pioneer in the field of adult Jewish education and is now the largest pluralistic adult Jewish education network in the world.  Designed by scholars at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the two-year curriculum aims to offer adults a well-rounded, in-depth study of Judaism in a user-friendly format. There are no exams, no homework, and no pre-requisites.  Students explore, analyze and discuss classic Jewish source materials from the Tenakh (Jewish Bible), Rabbinic Literature, Medieval Writings, Mystical Teachings, Prayer and Liturgy, Modern Thought and Contemporary Voices. 

Our students join an international conversation happening at similar schools in over 60 cities, world-wide throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Upon completion of the course, students are eligible to take shorter “graduate courses” in a number of topics and travel to Israel with graduates from other schools.

The school is supported by a geographically diverse and interdenominational Advisory Council and Rabbinical Council who all share a common vision of support for the importance of continuing Jewish adult education and building bridges of deeper understanding amongst our students – about their religion and one another’s practices.

Running for 30 weeks from mid-October to June, this is among the most comprehensive and intensive course of Jewish study Southern Maine has seen. The first year focuses on the Rhythms and Purposes of Jewish Life and the second year looks at the Ethics of Jewish Living and Dramas Throughout the Ages.

One of the first Jewish education programs to be offered outside a synagogue, the classroom environment is designed to be pluralistic and welcomes students from diverse Jewish backgrounds – whether a person grew up Orthodox and attended Hebrew Day School, had or didn’t have a Bar/Bat Mitzvah or joined a Jewish family later in life – all would find meaning in the discussions of class.