Core Curriculum

The Melton School core curriculum is a comprehensive, sequential series of text-based lessons, studied over two years. The curriculum comprises the following four courses:


Rhythms of Jewish Living (30 lessons)

Core-rhythms+spine-2012.inddWhat’s the point of living Jewishly? What ideas, beliefs, and practices are involved? This course examines a wide variety of Jewish sources to discover the deeper meanings underlying Jewish holidays, lifecycle observances, and Jewish practice. More

Purposes of Jewish Living (30 lessons)

Core-purposes+spine-2012.inddWhy do Jews believe as they do? What are the big questions of life and how do Jewish thinkers answer these questions? This course explores sources both ancient and modern in pursuit of answers to many of the major issues of Jewish thought and theology. More

I am interested!



Ethics of Jewish Living (30 lessons)

Core-ethics+spine-2012.inddHow do Jewish teachings shed light on contemporary issues such as the environment, inter-personal relationships, end-of-life decisions, and stem-cell research? This course explores the wisdom of ancient and modern rabbis, scholars and thinkers, offering multiple Jewish approaches to conducting our lives in the communal and private spheres. More

Crossroads of Jewish History (30 lessons)

Crossroads-CVR-fullThis course merges the concepts of history and memory in order to better understand how each has shaped Judaism today. With an emphasis on reclaiming the richness of Jewish history, the chronological exploration investigates significant crossroads where Jews took major decisions that shaped our shared identity and destiny. More

I am interested!