There are 3 ways to register: We look forward to learning with you!






Winter Classes - Mornings

Perspectives on Intermarriage


Teacher: Sarah Liebman
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 5
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: Feb. 14, 21, 28; March 6, 13
Time: 10:45 a.m.-Noon.
Tuition: $90 Melton Classic grads, $115 all others
Materials: $10
Description: This course will explore Jewish perspectives on intermarriage from the biblical period to the present using texts from the Bible, Talmud, and contemporary authors. We will look at case studies in the bible including Moses, demographic anxieties, Jewish identity, and contemporary perspectives and responses. This course was developed locally by instructor Sarah Liebman.*


Hebrew Roots I


Teacher: Sylvia Frankel
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 5
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: Feb. 14, 21, 28; March 6, 13
Time: Noon-1:15 p.m.
Tuition: $90 Melton Classic grads, $115 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: Hebrew words are composed of three-letter roots, each infused with meaning and history. Using these roots you can gain insight into prayer and text study. No prior Hebrew knowledge needed for this fascinating class! This course was developed locally by instructor Sylvia Frankel.*


Israel's First 60 Years II (Session A)


Teacher: Rabbi Joshua Stampfer
Location: Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Mondays
Dates: Jan. 23, 30; Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27; March 5, 12, 19, 26
Time: 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: Rabbi Stampfer will tell the story of the State of Israel in the fall and winter terms with personal recollections of major events such as the War of Independence, the Six Day War, and a Sabbatical year at the Conservative Center in Jerusalem. Part I of this class is not required. This course was developed locally by instructor Rabbi Joshua Stampfer.*


Israel's First 60 Years II (Session B)


Teacher: Rabbi Joshua Stampfer
Location: Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Thursdays
Dates: Jan. 19, 26; Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23; March 1, 15, 22, 29
Time: 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: Rabbi Stampfer will tell the story of the State of Israel in the fall and winter terms with personal recollections of major events such as the War of Independence, the Six Day War, and a Sabbatical year at the Conservative Center in Jerusalem. Part I of this class is not required. This course was developed locally by instructor Rabbi Joshua Stampfer.*


Winter Classes - Evenings

Beyond Borders: History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict


Teacher: Sylvia Frankel
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: Jan 10, 17, 24, 31; Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28; March 6, 13
Time: 7:00-8:15 p.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: $36
Description: This course encourages discussion and debate and challenges students to appreciate the basis of the conflicting historical claims made by all sides in the conflict. Grapple with complex issues of religion, culture, history, politics, economics, identity and survival—all reflected through primary sources, including newspaper articles, poetry, songs, government documents, speeches, photographs and memoirs. This course curriculum was developed by Melton scholars at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.


Bereshit II: Tales of the First Family


Teacher: Jan Rabinowitch
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: Jan 10, 17, 24, 31; Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28; March 6, 13
Time: 8:30-9:45 p.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: $36
Description: Follow the development of the first Jewish family, featuring sibling rivalry, wrestling with an angel, palace seduction, rape, and reconciliation, among many other iconic and dramatic scenes from our Biblical narrative. This course curriculum was developed by Melton scholars at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.


Neither Root Nor Branch


Teacher: Jan Rabinowitch
Location: Kol Ami, 1006 NE 146th St., Ste. B, Vancouver, WA
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Wednesdays
Dates: Jan. 25; Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; March 14, 21, 28; April 4
Time: 7:15-8:30 p.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: Judaism and Christianity are often compared to a “root and branch”. But does this simile hold up under scrutiny? We’ll trace the transformation of the Jewish Nazarite sect into a Hellenistic Gentile faith and try to construct a more accurate and useful comparison of these two related, yet profoundly different religions. This course was developed locally by instructor Jan Rabinowitch.*


Spring Classes - Mornings

The Holocaust as Reflected in Diaries and Memoirs


Teacher: Sylvia Frankel
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: March 20, 27; April 3, 17, 24; May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 9:15-10:30 a.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: $36
Description: A profound record of first-person accounts in diaries and memoirs uncovered in the years since the Holocaust. Remarkable insights into the struggle for life as writers describe day-to-day life coping in the ghettoes, imprisoned in the death camps, hiding on the run, and fighting for their lives. This course curriculum was developed by Melton scholars at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.


Song of Songs Uncovered


Teacher: Deborah Eisenbach-Budner
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 5
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: March 20, 27; April 3, 17, 24
Time: 10:45-Noon
Tuition: $90 Melton Classic grads, $115 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: The Song of Songs has no rivals in Jewish texts or liturgy. But what is it, exactly? A beautiful love story, graphic erotic poetry, a paean to spiritual wholeness, a cautionary tale about pursuing non-normative relationships? Classical midrash and contemporary biblical criticism will aid our discovery. This course was developed locally by instructor Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.*


Relations Between the Generations in Jewish Poetry


Teacher: Deborah Eisenbach-Budner
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 5
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 10:45-Noon
Tuition: $90 Melton Classic grads, $115 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: Themes of intergenerational conflict and change, family loyalty and the struggle for autonomy have permeated the Ladino, Yiddish, Hebrew and English poetry of Jewish writers for many centuries. We will explore how Jewish language and culture is employed to address these universal themes and how these selected poems reflect the relationship between family and Jewish identity. This course was developed locally by instructor Deborah Eisenbach-Budner.*


The History of Jerusalem (Session A)


Teacher: Rabbi Joshua Stampfer
Location: Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Mondays
Dates: April 2, 16, 23, 30; May 7, 14, 21; June 4, 11, 18
Time: 2 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: The history of Jerusalem spans thousands of years. Hear it from beginnings to present as told by Rabbi Stampfer. This course was developed locally by Rabbi Stampfer.*


The History of Jerusalem (Session B)


Teacher: Rabbi Joshua Stampfer
Location: Neveh Shalom, 2900 SW Peaceful Lane, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Thursdays
Dates: April 5, 19, 26; May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; June 7, 14
Time: 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: The history of Jerusalem spans thousands of years. Hear it from beginnings to present as told by Rabbi Stampfer. This course was developed locally by Rabbi Stampfer.*


Hebrew Roots II


Teacher: Sylvia Frankel
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 5
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: March 20, 27; April 3, 10, 17
Time: Noon-1:15 p.m.
Tuition: $90 Melton Classic grads, $115 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: Hebrew words are composed of three-letter roots, each infused with meaning and history. Using these roots you can gain insight into prayer and text study. No prior Hebrew knowledge needed for this fascinating class! Hebrew Roots I not required. This course was developed locally by instructor Sylvia Frankel.*


Spring Classes - Evenings

Perspectives on Intermarriage


Teacher: Sarah Liebman
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 5
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: March 20, 28; April 3, 17, 24
Time: 7:00-8:15 p.m.
Tuition: $90 Melton Classic grads, $115 all others
Materials: $10
Description: This course will explore Jewish perspectives on intermarriage from the biblical period to the present using texts from the Bible, Talmud, and contemporary authors. We will look at case studies in the bible including Moses, demographic anxieties, Jewish identity, and contemporary perspectives and responses. This course was developed locally by instructor Sarah Liebman.*


Diversity of the Orthodox World


Teacher: Sylvia Frankel
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 5
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 7:00-8:15 p.m.
Tuition: $90 Melton Classic grads, $115 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: The Orthodox world is far from monolithic. Come learn about the rich diversity of the Orthodox communities of the world. This course was developed locally by instructor Sylvia Frankel.*


K'tuvim: The Writings


Teacher: Jan Rabinowitch
Location: Shaarie Torah, 920 NW 25th, Portland, OR
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Tuesdays
Dates: March 20, 27; April 3, 17, 24; May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 8:30-9:45 p.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: The third section of the Bible, K’tuvim (Writings), is a marvelous collection of diverse texts: moral exhortation, an apocalyptic prediction of the End of Days, a grim treatise on the meaninglessness of life, erotica, lament, praise, and some history, too. We’ll look at excerpts and the history that inspired them. This course was developed locally by instructor Jan Rabinowitch.*


K’tuvim: The Writings


Teacher: Jan Rabinowitch
Location: Kol Ami, 1006 NE 146th St., Ste. B, Vancouver, WA
No. of Sessions: 10
Day of Week: Wednesdays
Dates: April 11, 18, 25, May 2, 9 , 16, 23, 30, June 6, 13
Time: 7:15-8:30 p.m.
Tuition: $180 Melton Classic grads, $225 all others
Materials: n/a
Description: The third section of the Bible, K’tuvim (Writings), is a marvelous collection of diverse texts: moral exhortation, an apocalyptic prediction of the End of Days, a grim treatise on the meaninglessness of life, erotica, lament, praise, and some history, too. We’ll look at excerpts and the history that inspired them. This course was developed locally by instructor Jan Rabinowitch.*


* This class is developed by local area scholars for Morasha and is currently not available for general International FMAMS distribution.