Pardes

The Pardes Center for Jewish Educators offers a variety of programs in Israel to train and inspire day school Jewish studies teachers and experiential educators serving the wider Jewish community.

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PARDES EDUCATORS PROGRAM: A vibrant, innovative, and highly selective two-year teacher training program in Jerusalem that combines intensive text study at Pardes with a pluralistic Master of Jewish Education from Hebrew College. Training excellent day school teachers since 2000. One-year Accelerated Track also available.

PARDES EXPERIENTAL EDUCATORS PROGRAM: One-year program designed to enrich the careers of Jewish experiential educators through the study of Jewish text, professional seminars and active participation in the vibrant, diverse community of Pardes in Israel.

MASTERS IN JEWISH EDUCATION PLUS PARDES (MAPP): One-year program for formal or experiential Jewish educators entering or pursuing a Masters in Jewish Education (or related field) looking to upgrade their academic degree with a vital layer of classical Jewish text study.

TEACHERS FOR JEWISH AMERICA: One-year program designed for participants interested in exploring Jewish education and teaching for one year in a Jewish day school in a smaller North American Jewish community, without a long-term career commitment.

For more information and to apply visit www.pardes.org.il/pcje or contact gail@pardes.org.il.

And neither did they...

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Meet some of the students and alumni of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators

Got a question for JOSEPH?
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Joseph Shamash
++ READ ABOUT JOSEPH

Got a question for Lauren?
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Lauren Schuchart
++ READ ABOUT LAUREN

Got a question for David?
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David Riemenschneider
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Joseph Shamash

Where are you from and how old are you?
I'm from Los Angeles, CA, but I was born in Dallas, TX (my parents are from Iran). I turned 32 on Nov 11th.

Where did you go to college and what was your major? What was your last job?
I went to UCLA where I studied Sociology. For the last five years, I worked as an editor for various TV shows including TMZ, Fox Sports and most recently The Dan Patrick Show on Directv where I basically got paid to watch and talk about sports.

Tell us about a Jewish education role model you admire.
My Jewish role model would be James Jacobson Maisels at Pardes. I loved his approach in his Self, Soul and Text course. He was able to provide an extremely meaningful array of spiritual practices and texts rooted in our tradition that gave me the tools necessary to have a more functional relationship with the Divine and with Judaism.

At an earlier time in your life, what did you think you'd be when you "grew up?" And when did you realize you actually wanted to be a Jewish educator?
Well, I was expelled from my Jewish day school for starting a fire in 8th grade! I think deep down, I've always known I wanted to teach but I never knew what. I remember from my days of HS basketball that I was a better coach than player (and I was the captain of my team). Now I look forward to teaching a form of Judaism that is focused on self-awareness and self-transformation, which isn't too far from what a coach is ideally trying to instill in his players.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years from now, I will have my Masters in Education and will hopefully be implementing an alternative and transformative style of Jewish education focused on teens and giving them tangible tools to trek through the highs and lows of his/her personal journey called life.

Joseph Shamash is a student in the Masters in Jewish Education Plus Pardes program and is currently applying to Masters programs.

Lauren Schuchart

Where are you from and how old are you?
I'm originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, but I spent the last seven years in State College, Pennsylvania, where Penn State University is located. I am 26 years old.

Where did you go to college and what was your major? What was your last job?
I went to Penn State University. My last job was working for Penn State Hillel for three years after I graduated. This is where I fell in love with Jewish learning! I was hired to do community outreach and student mentoring, but found that my most meaningful moments were ones in which I could learn together with students.

At an earlier time in your life, what did you think you'd be when you "grew up?" And when did you realize you actually wanted to be a Jewish educator?
I received a degree in Public Relations, so I thought that I would be working in the corporate PR world in New York City. I did an internship at a public relations firm going into my senior year of college. I enjoyed the work, but it didn't reach me on a deep level. What I wanted to be doing is working with people, and feeling like I was making a difference. I was also very interested in asking "big questions" about the world and our purpose. I quickly found that this is what Judaism and Jewish text study is all about. It's almost as if a huge, new world opened up to me...and it's still unfolding.

The point I knew that I wanted to be a Jewish educator is when I attended the Brandeis Collegiate Institute in California (BCI) in 2009. Here I met amazing Jewish educators who were smart, funny, warm and welcoming, but most importantly, they took their students by the hand and said, "This amazing tradition? This is yours." Whoa.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I could see myself going in multiple directions, especially in five years. I'm interested in working with young adults, particularly those who identify as unaffiliated, or feel on the "outside" of the Jewish tradition. I am also interested in how prayer can affect our lives and developing new ways to teach tefillah, particularly to young adults.

Lauren Schuchart is a student in the Masters in Jewish Education Plus Pardes program and is currently applying to Masters programs.

David Riemenschneider

Where are you from and how old are you?
I'm 32. I was born in Cincinnati and grew up in the Atlanta suburbs. I went to public school, and my family attended a Reform synagogue, usually only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I am married to another PEP alum.

Where did you go to college and what was your major? What was your weirdest job?
I went to Northwestern University and studied film. I've had about 17 jobs in my life – I was a veterinarian assistant at an animal hospital, a clerk in a collectibles store, a waiter in a vegetarian restaurant, a clerk in a Scottish record store, and a worker on an Australian bridge construction site. My favorite job was probably selling cookies at a mall cookie store in high school.

At an earlier time in your life, what did you think you'd be when you "grew up?" And when did you realize you actually wanted to be a Jewish educator?
When I was 15, I thought I'd be a radiologist. When I was 19, I thought I'd be a cinematographer. When I was 24, I had no idea what I wanted to be. And when I was 26, I thought I'd be a high school math teacher. Once I realized I wanted to teach, though, it became a natural transition into Jewish education, especially since I wanted to be an embedded part of engaging young Jews in embracing their Jewish identities in ways that I never did growing up. I wanted to help students utilize our tradition to inform the way they make decisions, especially in adolescence when they are figuring out how to engage the world.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I've never been good at answering this question – honestly, life is too surprising for me to do that kind of career planning. That said, I am interested in continuing to broaden my skills in the classroom, but also working on expanding my extra-classroom roles.

David Riemenschneider graduated from the Pardes Educators Program in 2010 with an MJEd from Hebrew College. He is a Jewish Studies teacher at the Heschel School in New York City.

So you never thought you'd want to be a Jewish educator?

Haven't you always wanted to be a Jewish educator?

And so did they...

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Meet some of the students and alumni of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators

Got a question for Annie?
Contact her via

Annie Matan Gilbert
++ READ ABOUT ANNIE

Got a question for AdAm?
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AdAm Mayer
++ READ ABOUT ADAM

Got a question for Joey?
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Joey Heyman
++ READ ABOUT JOEY

Annie Matan Gilbert

Where are you from and how old are you?
I'm from Toronto, Canada, and I am 33 years old. I got married last August!

Where did you go to college and what was your major?
I went to several universities and finished my undergrad in Religious Studies at York University in Toronto.

Tell us about a Jewish education role model you admire.
There are many! My top two are Professor Rachel Turkienicz at York University – she was the first to expose me to Hebrew texts and Jewish practices from an academic perspective. She has a way of illustrating Jewish traditions that opened me up and got me hooked on Jewish studies.
Also Michael Hattin at Pardes – his Humash class remains my favourite class ever! The way he weaves together the insights of the commentators, literary analysis, and his own insights, and then opens the class so we can share and learn from each other always inspires me!

What are some life snapshots which reinforced your belief that you wanted to become a Jewish educator?
Age 5-16: As a kid, I was the only one in my class who liked religious school!
Age 10: I remember watching the rabbi on the bimah and keeping track of her teaching and singing style and thinking "I want to do that one day."
Age 15: In high school, I was one of six Jews at my school and often volunteered to teach about Jewish holidays and practices, even giving a two-minute lesson in French class on how to eat matza without making crumbs! I also spoke about Yitzchak Rabin at the school remembrance day service the year he was killed.
In university: I realized that although I started out majoring in English and knew I wanted to be a teacher, I was taking Jewish studies courses every year and they were my favourite courses – so I switched into Religious Studies.
Age 23: At my first interview for a corporate job, when I was asked where I saw myself in five years, I surprised myself by answering, "in rabbinical school." I got the job anyway.
Age 32: When I started Aleph rabbinical school, new students were welcomed into the community with words that honoured our courage and our journey. I took my first steps into the circle of my program in tears, feeling awed at the journey and so much gratitude to have made it this far toward realizing my dream.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Leading services and spiritual Jewish educational workshops with song in a grassroots Jewish community in Toronto – I want to reach Jews who feel marginalized or disillusioned or not met by their Jewish community and help them feel welcomed home. And I want to work with leaders of other faiths to foster a community where we can all hold our values and notice and celebrate connections.

Annie Matan Gilbert is a student in the Pardes Experiential Educators Program and is also studying in the Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal Rabbinic Program.

AdAm Mayer

Where are you from and how old are you?
I'm from Philadelphia, PA and Danbury, CT. I am 27 years old. I am married and have a two-year-old daughter.

Where did you go to college and what was your major? What was your last job?
I went to Brandeis University and got my BA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Hebrew Language and Literature. My most recent job was as Rosh Tefilah at Ramah Israel Seminar; I also recently worked at an Israeli high school for autistic children.

Tell us about a Jewish education role model you admire.
Definitely the Ba'al Shem Tov. He spread light, joy, healing and renewed excitement for a lot of people.

What are some life snapshots which reinforced your belief that you wanted to become a Jewish educator?
1. Coming to Israel with my family in January 2002 and internalizing my connection as a Jew with the land of Israel.
2. Bringing in Purim costumes for friends both Jewish and not in my public high school made me feel that Judaism has something to share with everyone.
3. Kabbalat Shabbat on the shore in El Salvador on an AJWS trip with Jews of all different backgrounds; singing together made me believe in the unity of the Jewish people.
4. Shining while singing and telling stories at a Shabbat table or Shabbat Oneg.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Teaching and living a holy life based in Torah.

Adam Mayer is a student in the Pardes Educators Program, preparing to become a Jewish Studies teacher at a day school in North America. He is pursuing a Master of Jewish Education at Hebrew College.

Joey Heyman

Where are you from and how old are you?
I'm from Orange County, California; I am 28 years old.

Where did you go to school? What was your major? What was your most meaningful or weirdest job?
I attended Tarbut V'Torah Community Day school from second grade through high school, and was a member of the second graduating class. Technically, I went to the same university for undergrad and grad school, but it underwent a merger/name change in the process so I'll list them as separate: I earned my BA in Classic Jewish Studies from the University of Judaism ('06), and then I earned a Masters in Experiential Jewish Education from the American Jewish University ('08).

The only attempt I have ever taken at working outside of the Jewish education world was a six-day stint as a hostess at Ruby's Diner when I was 17. Besides my current job, my most meaningful employment was with the Shomrei Torah Synagogue USY department from '04-'08 – talk about a loving, committed community!

Tell us about a Jewish education role model you admire.
Thank God, I have too many to count! The three most formative have been my congregational rabbi from Orange County, Elie Spitz, who counseled me and my family through tragedy, and showed me the power of the Jewish community; my high school youth director at the Bureau of Jewish Education, Jay Lewis, who introduced me to exceptional experiential education; and my father, Ed Heyman, who stopped at nothing to ensure for his children the education and upbringing he himself did not have, and was a partner, rather than a passive observer, in our education all the way.

What are some life snapshots which reinforced your belief that you wanted to become a Jewish educator?
When I was in middle school, my day school and synagogue communities were instrumental in helping me through the extended illness and subsequent death of a parent. I knew by the end of my freshman year of high school that my mission was to give back to the community that raised me and allowed me to question, doubt, and explore, ensuring that future teens in vulnerable states would be granted that same compassion and opportunity.

Where do you see yourself in five years?
Ideally? I'd love to be teaching in a school built by the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators, with fellow administrators and teachers who are PCJE/PEP alumni! In the meantime, I hope to keep helping Atlanta "rise up" in community-wide open text study :)

Joey Heyman graduated from the Pardes Educators Program in 2010. She also has a Masters in Experiential Jewish Education from the American Jewish University. She is a Jewish Studies teacher at the Weber School in Atlanta.

The Pardes Center for Jewish Educators offers a variety of programs in Israel to train and inspire day school Jewish studies teachers and experiential educators serving the wider Jewish community.

BACK

PARDES EDUCATORS PROGRAM: A vibrant, innovative, and highly selective two-year teacher training program in Jerusalem that combines intensive text study at Pardes with a pluralistic Master of Jewish Education from Hebrew College. Training excellent day school teachers since 2000. One-year Accelerated Track also available.

PARDES EXPERIENTAL EDUCATORS PROGRAM: One-year program designed to enrich the careers of Jewish experiential educators through the study of Jewish text, professional seminars and active participation in the vibrant, diverse community of Pardes in Israel.

MASTERS IN JEWISH EDUCATION PLUS PARDES (MAPP): One-year program for formal or experiential Jewish educators entering or pursuing a Masters in Jewish Education (or related field) looking to upgrade their academic degree with a vital layer of classical Jewish text study.

TEACHERS FOR JEWISH AMERICA: One-year program designed for participants interested in exploring Jewish education and teaching for one year in a Jewish day school in a smaller North American Jewish community, without a long-term career commitment.

For more information and to apply visit www.pardes.org.il/pcje or contact gail@pardes.org.il.