EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
Commit To Learning
T
he reading often seems to make little sense. But as
the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School instructor
nurtures the discussion, nuggets of insight lead back
to earlier readings and important Jewish themes gain shape.
The stage is set for the ultimate learning experience: an ah-ha
moment.
Marilyn Krainen, a second-year Melton student from West
Bloomfield, paints this picture in an essay she wrote for
Melton Musings, the school newspaper.
"Suddenly," she writes, "the veil lifts and we see clearly
what earlier was an impenetrable idea. Bliss! Sometimes,
through the discussion, students will offer insights that the
instructor hadn't considered."
Marilyn and her husband, Fred, have three
children and eight grandchildren. A native
Detroiter, Marilyn was the youngest in a
family of five and had no formal Jewish edu-
cation. As an adult, things
Jewish in her life emanated
from her children's Sunday
school experiences at
Temple Israel and from her
ROBERT A. work with World ORT, a
SKLAR
Jewish humanitarian serv-
Editor
ice that provides training.
and education.
She was a stay-at-home mom until her
kids were 16, 17 and 18. After teaching
writing for 10 years at Oakland University,
Marilyn became a corporate writer and edi-
tor for a large national healthcare informa-
tion technology company. She retired two
Marilyn Krainen
years ago to pursue her passions, with
Jewish learning at the top of the list.
Rebecca Starr directs the Bloomfield Township-based
Melton program for Federation's Alliance for Jewish
Education. Melton is an international course of study sanc-
tioned by Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Over the past
three years, 283 local students have graduated.
Rebecca sent me Marilyn's essay, which cuts to the core of
how quality learning, even in a diverse Jewish setting, can
linger and be life changing. Sure it's a testimonial for Melton.
But it also validates why it's never too late to learn. Adult
study tracks provide the further benefit of helping parents
and grandparents lead by example when it comes to Jewish
learning.
Worthy Words
Marilyn describes her Melton lessons as respectful, open-
minded and nonjudgmental. Her essay reads in part: "We
learn, each in our own way, what it means to be Jewish
despite our differences from one another. We recognize the
origins of character traits commonly thought to be Jewish.
We take pride in the thoughtfulness with which Jewish law
was set down. And we respect the ethical base that informs
every aspect of Jewish life."
What she is saying speaks volumes about giving luster to
your Jewish identity whatever your level of Torah obser-
vance. With little to build from in 2002 other than a yearn-
ing to tap into her inner spiritual rumblings, she chiseled a
Jewish foundation that calls to her in a powerful and enrich-
ing way.
In her description of Melton, Marilyn offers a distinct
rhythm to learning for Jews of all religious backgrounds. She
eloquently talks about how topics are examined from multi-
ple angles. "We are not pressured to come to an agreement
about meaning or to find the right answer," she writes.
"Rather, we are led to a fuller understanding of why and in
what ways the topic under examination was important his-
torically in the scheme of Jewish life and how it is relevant to
our lives today."
Marilyn gets it: She understands that Judaism is best
appreciated when its principles are given modern applica-
tions. Our ancient texts become engaging and meanin
Over the years, I've seen many parents commit to
enrolling their kids in Hebrew school or even a Jewish day
school yet make no commitment to learning themselves;
that's scary. That means the threats associated with assimilat-
ing into America's bounty are taking a toll.
A few weeks ago, I read that one of every three U.S. teens
suffers some form of dating violence whether physical, verbal
or emotional. JWI, a women's alliance aimed at ending the
abuse in the Jewish community through education and
advocacy, shared this alarming statistic. I
wonder how many parents know that
Judaism offers a wealth of learning for inter-
vening in the lives of impressionable
teenagers to teach about healthy relation-
ships and why self-esteem matters so much.
Ties To Passover
Besides Melton, the Detroit Jewish corn-
munty offers Seminars for Adult Jewish
Enrichment at the Jewish Community
Center, Partners in Torah at Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah and a host of other communal and
synagogue learning opportunities, with the
only strings being curiosity and interest
about
the history and heritage of the Jewish
loves to learn.
people. There's something for everyone. No
one is force-fed. There's no excuse other than apathy.
True, you don't have to practice religion to be a Jew if you
were born Jewish or converted to Judaism. Being a Jew
means having the freedom to identify in your religious com-
fort zone. But the flavor of Judaism is richest when you let
down the barriers and begin to explore the frontiers.
Marilyn Krainen says that by immersing in - the Tanach,
the Hebrew Bible, she has come to see connections she never
saw before, like her fascination with the theme of exile and
how it has shaped the evolution of Jewish character.
I can't think of a more fitting time to make Jewish learn-
ing — whether one lesson or a course — a part of your life.
Pesach, which begins at sundown on Saturday, teaches the
fruits of religious perseverance against harsh odds. It's the
ultimate story of hope.
Pesach affirms the Jewish belief in God as a source of spiri-
tual direction and fulfillment.
The Passover story symbolizes our struggle to stay whole as
a people despite bondage of various sorts, from the exodus
out of Egypt, to the Spanish Inquisition, to the Holocaust to
what the outreach group Aish HaTorah aptly calls "the slav-
,
ery of addiction — to wealth, to power, to fame, to pleasure.'
As we gather around the seder table this weekend, let us
remember what has bound us together for more than 3,300
years: Torah. It's the common thread that helped Israel rise
from the ashes of Nazi death camps.
Torah teaches that learning is a constant journey.
Take heed in how Marilyn Krainen puts it, "We can
always grow, always learn, always change; so even
though I did not have a Jewish education as a child, I
can go forth now as an adult."
Chag kasher Pesach sameach and Shabbat Shalom! ❑
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