A special community evening of study and discussion, ahead of Purim took place last Tuesday, February 23 2010,  at the library of Tzur Hadassah. Residents of Tzur Hadassah and the surrounding area cam to the event which was organized by members of Group B of the Community Leadership Program in the Wider Jewish Context, together with the Melton Program for Jewish Studies.

The study evening discussion focused on the subject of the Diaspora in the Book of Esther, as a representative model of all the diasporas that followed it. The discussion covered issues such as: Diaspora characteristics, the way it affects life in the Jewish communities in the Diaspora and on the life of the individual Jew.

The successful evening was moderated by Mr. Shimon (Shemko) El Ami, coordinator of the leadership program and a lecturer on the Melton Program for Jewish Studies. Fascinating volunteer guest lecturers were given by Adv. Yizhar Hess, director general of the Masorti (Traditional) Movement in Israel who lives in Tzur Hadassah, and Dr. Moshe Weinstock from the Morasaha center in Jerusalem. Irit Hurvitz, the cultural coordinator in Tzur Hadassah, helped the group to arrange and advertise the evening among members of the local community.

It was the second evening arranged by Group B. The first evening took place last July, on the subject of Tisha Be'Av - Maccabiah for Revival, and was highly successful (there 100 people there from all over the area). The response of the audience and the great demand for studies in the Jewish scriptures, in a pluralistic spirit, motivated the group to maintain the format of study evenings open to the general public. These sessions also create an opportunity for encounters between people from different life orientations, and from many communities in the area.

The Melton Program for Jewish Studies was developed by the Gandel Institute for Adult Jewish learning of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It is one of the programs operated by Partnership 2000 Beit Shemesh - Mateh Yehuda - Washington - South Africa of the Jewish Agency. It focuses on the study of Jewish sources throughout time, and on creating an encounter with the Jewish-Israeli library. In addition to the textual study program the group also organizes community study evenings on Jewish topics, as a practical expression of local community leadership.

Group B of the program comprises 10 participants, all of whom are socially involved and are highly motivated to maintain their volunteer efforts to organize community study evenings on different topics. The next evening will apparently be held before Shavuot, and will be devoted to topics relating to the holiday. The exact time and place of the event will be announced at a later stage.