Perhaps the best way to understand Melitz is to consider our name which is drawn from the Book of Genesis.
Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers but rises to become a leader second only to Pharaoh. When a famine occurs, The brothers come to Egypt to find food and encounter Joseph, who they do not recognize. Since the brothers presumably don’t speak Egyptian, the Torah teaches that there was a MELITZ between them. Usually translated as an "interpreter", our commentators define the Melitz as one who brings together siblings who have gone in different directions.
This is how we like to think of our role in the Jewish education landscape. Melitz brings together different voices from the Jewish people in Israel, North America and worldwide who have gone in all sorts of geographical, religious and ideological directions. Melitz programs are designed to help them understand each other and themselves through a creative exploration of sites, texts, film, art and many types of interactive and engaging activities. Melitz’s commitment to working with all sections of the Jewish people means that our approach is pluralistic. Our staff include individuals with very different religious and ideological perspectives. Yet we all share a passion for empowering participants in our programs to assume greater responsibility for their own Jewish futures in creative dialogue with the many valid interpretations of the Jewish and Israeli past and present.
Our methodological approach is grounded in a commitment to values-driven informal education. Through the creation of varied and powerful experiences, we believe that participants in our programs will come away with a richer perspective on their own lives, Jewish culture, Israel and the Jewish people.
Melitz does not work in a vacuum. A major part of our strategy is to partner with significant organizations in Israel and the wider Jewish world. We develop and implement all sorts of programs with our partners that help advance our mutual educational agenda on behalf of the Jewish people.