MeltonKC, under the direction of Program Director Megan Pener, was recently honored with the Florence Melton Award, Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning’s highest award.
The program, which recently celebrated its 27th year in Kansas City, and the program’s director, Megan Pener, received accolades from across the globe during the award ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 25.
MeltonKC has a storied history within the Kansas City community. The program recently moved under the umbrella of Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J. This allows the expansion of the program’s adult Jewish education offerings, after being part of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (HBHA) most recently, as well as Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.
During the presentation, Rabbi Dr. Morey Schwartz, the international director of the Florence Melton School and a former faculty member of the Greater Kansas City Florence Melton School, had many kind words to share regarding Program Director Megan Pener’s dedication to the program.
“Megan is one of our youngest directors, an eager learner and candid questioner,” Schwartz said. “She got her start with Melton as a parent, under long time teacher Marla Brockman, so she knows the transformative nature of the Melton experience firsthand.”
Pener has been the program director of MeltonKC for five years, overseeing the recent transition from being hosted by HBHA to becoming a cornerstone of Jewish Experiences. During the awards presentation, Annie Glickman, Affinity Groups Manager for Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, spoke to Pener’s leadership through that transition as well as the current pandemic.
“(MeltonKC) has continued to provide excellent education, pivoted from an in-person platform to digital classrooms, and flattened the international geography of our program,” Glickman said. “Our local Melton now brings together talented and beloved teachers locally and from around the country, and also partners with the International Offices in bringing Melton’s top faculty and courses designed under the auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s academic guidance, to our Kansas City community.”
When accepting the award, Pener acknowledged the strength of the Kansas City community, which has had teachers involved in MeltonKC for decades who support the program by welcoming students into their classrooms and fostering a positive learning environment.
“It’s really special to do a job that builds community in the community that raised me,” Pener said. “I’m so proud of what MeltonKC does for our community, honored to work with our teachers, and am looking forward to watching it continue to grow.”
Glickman, who was predecessor to Pener in her role with MeltonKC, highlighted the program’s ability to unite Jewish agencies and Jewish people of diverse backgrounds in the Kansas City area.
“We celebrate the fact that the Melton program brings together so many agencies: Jewish Federation; our day school, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy; our home for the aged, Village Shalom; the Jewish Community Foundation; Jewish Family Services; and The J,” Glickman said. “Melton has also brought together Conservative, Reform, Orthodox, and denominationally independent synagogues, teachers, and rabbis. We have classes with newlyweds and new parents, parents of school-age children, empty-nesters and retirees… Melton has become a rite of passage for both Jewish professionals and every stripe of Jewish lay leaders.”
The Florence Melton Award is not Pener’s first honor from the Florence Melton School. In 2020, Pener received the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning Award for Dedication and Leadership at the Melton International Directors Conference, given in recognition for her work expanding MeltonKC’s student base, building partnerships across the community and enhancing community awareness of the program.
“We are thrilled to see Megan receive this kind of recognition, validating what we already knew about her, which is that she is an absolutely fantastic leader,” said Jim Sluyter, CEO & President of The J. “We are very grateful to have her leading the Melton program here in Kansas City.”
During this year’s annual fundraising campaign, MeltonKC raised more than $10,000, showing the support and dedication of the community as the program continues to grow and thrive. In addition to Pener’s hard work, MeltonKC has found success thanks to the teachers involved in the program and support from the board members at The J, with Jewish Federation and other lay leaders in the community.
“In true Kansas City fashion, what has made MeltonKC a success year after year is the dedication of our people: our cadre of talented and innovative Jewish educators, and our committed and unwavering donors who continue to make the possibility of approachable Jewish educational experiences possible for our community,” said Ethan Helfand, director of Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J. “Likewise, we are so appreciative of the local Jewish organizational partners, rabbis, and professionals who have continued to champion MeltonKC for so many years."
The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning was founded in 1986 by inventor and activist Florence Zacks Melton z”l, who sought to bring to life a comprehensive and sophisticated program of Jewish learning for adults.
MeltonKC is offering a range of courses this spring, with educators such as Rabbi Amy Wallk, Rabbi David Glickman, Alan Edelman and other leaders in their fields offering their insight on topics from “Love, Loss, and Wisdom” to “The Long Goodbye: Devarim/Deuteronomy.”
Additional classes in the fall are currently in the works. For more information on MeltonKC and its current programming, visit thejkc.org/meltonkc.
By Alissa Sanderson, Special to The Chronicle