Alumni Class Notes for 1999-2000

Special thanks to our Class Agents, Jill Levy and Falynn Schmidt for making these class notes possible!

Joshua Boettiger lived in Philadelphia for the first six post-Pardes years (with a few other Jerusalem interruptions). He and his fianc?e Vanessa moved up to Vermont two years ago. He is a Rabbi at a small shul in Bennington. They live on a dirt road out in the woods. They hope everyone is well.

Amanda Borschel-Dan fell in love with Israel and then her husband within the first few months of Pardes. For over five years she has been the Magazine Editor at The Jerusalem Post (the most read Jewish newspaper in the world) and for 4 1/2 years a mother (Ya'ir age 4 1/2, and the twins Kinneret and Yaron, almost 3).

Alison Brown attended Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work after Pardes, where she earned her MSW. After completing graduate school, she returned to Pittsburgh and has been back home for about six years. How time flies! She works as a social worker in the Intensive Care Unit in a large suburban hospital. She is currently training for her first half marathon. Since leaving Pardes, she has done very little text study and would like to get back to it. If you know of anyone in Pittsburgh looking for a Havruta, please let her know!

Lisa Colton says “Who knew Jewish life in Charlottesville, Virginia would be so great!” Her children both recently had birthdays – Eli just turned 4, and Meira just turned 1.

Francyne Davis Jacobs moved back to Houston (her hometown) four years ago, after thirteen years on the east coast. She has been steadily working in cantorial and education positions since she returned. Almost immediately upon returning to Houston, she met and later married her husband, Kevin, and they are expecting their first child in August. Together they have run two half marathons, and traveled to Costa Rica, Italy, Napa, Mexico, and all over the United States.

Jessica Droller Hershenson married Jared Hershenson in 2002 after they had met at Pardes. Thus far, they have both finished medical school and residencies and then took a year for themselves to spend in Israel with their three children. She learned at Neve and Jared at Machon Shlomo. They are returning to the United States and moving to Columbus, OH where Jared will do his pediatric cardiology fellowship.

Karen Eichinger Feuer has been living in Israel for almost seven years now. The last three she has been working at Pardes as Assistant to the Dean. During her non-work hours she is helping her husband to raise their three daughters (4, 3, and 4 months) and volunteering as a medical clown. Upside of life: from her balcony she has an amazing view of Jerusalem. Downside: her Hebrew is really terrible, even after 7 years! And, she misses her Pardes havruta who now lives a good 9,000 miles away from her!

Andrew Ginsberg now works in Pristina, Kosovo. He is married to Chanda Ginsberg. He hopes to visit Israel soon.

Ronit Gorelick is a busy wife and mother of two cuties, Avigail and Yossi, ages 4 1/2 and 2 1/2. She also enjoys working part time for the Jewish Community Center in Tenafly, NJ. She misses Pardes and enjoys Levi Cooper's weekly learning emails. She misses the days of learning in the Pardes Beit Midrash!

Elizabeth Green Davis headed to New York for a year after Pardes. She got her MA and moved back to California where she now works at Clif Bar & Co. She also got married in 2006 and she and her husband love the Bay Area and being close to their family and friends. Since living and traveling in and around Israel, she made it to Italy, Paris, Hawaii and Thailand. She can't wait for her next adventure!

Tania Grunfeld moved to Philadelphia and worked for Hillel and in psychology research since attending Pardes. She married Shamir Caplan (in Israel). They lived in Philadelphia for another year and a half and then moved to Australia in 2004. They have two beautiful children Avital, age 3 and Lior, age 1 and one on the way b'ezrat Hashem. She has just completed her MA in psychology and plans to work as a psychologist very soon. Shamir teaches at the community day school there and is the Rabbi of a great modern orthodox shul.

Jared Hershenson is currently married to Jessica Droller Hershenson. They have three children, Samuel, age 4 1/2 Devorah, age 2 1/2, and Aryeh, age 1 1/2. After Pardes, he finished medical school, and completed a pediatrics residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. After residency he returned to Israel on "Sabbatical" to spend another year in Yeshiva, this time at Machon Shlomo. They are now going to be living in Columbus, OH, where he will be doing a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Ohio State University's Children's Hospital.

Jill Levy spent three years in New York City after Pardes. She earned an MA at Columbia University and spent a year as an Environmental Scientist. She then moved to Atlanta, GA where she worked for Birthright Israel and met her current husband, Matt. Now, she is a third year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary. She and Matt returned from their year in Israel last May and this summer she is doing a hospital chaplaincy at St. Luke's in Houston. She and Matt will be moving to Philadelphia with their dog, Sarah, in August since he will be going to the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

Audrey Marcus Berkman was ordained as a Rabbi last June, and she and her husband Jethro moved from Philadelphia to the Boston area. They have a two year old son, Gavi, and they are expecting their second child sometime in early September. She is working part-time as the Rabbi of a Reconstructionist Havurah, and Jethro is an educator at Temple Aliyah in Needham, MA. They both spent more time studying at Pardes during the fall semester of 2004. It has been great to see some Pardes classmates over the years and she looks forward to connecting with more of you!

Sharon Rosenberg Safra has been living in Maryland for six years and has been very happy there. She is working part time as a family educator at her synagogue and spends the rest of time at home and running around with her family. She and her husband Mickey just had their third child (June 24th). Rebecca is almost 4 1/2, Ethan is 2, and now they have a new baby sister. Life is good and they feel very blessed.

Falynn Schmidt graduated from Georgia Tech last year, and moved from Atlanta to San Francisco to be closer to her boyfriend, Evan Wolkenstein. She is really enjoying this amazing city, but misses her Atlanta chevre. She is working for an architecture firm doing business development. She frequently travels between the two coasts to visit friends and family. She is living in a beautiful Victorian with two other women, who she met through the Mission Minyan. They have a guest room, so please do visit them!

Patricia Turner returned to Texas after completing her double MA in Jewish Music and Jewish Education at Gratz College in Philadelphia. She is the Director of Worship (part Rabbi/part Cantor) at a small congregation in Carrollton, TX. She began a Torah study class there which continues to grow each week. She also teaches music and directs a women's choir in Plano, TX. She is happy to be in Texas so she can be with her family and grandchildren. They now have 22! They keep them plenty busy. Anytime you are in or around Dallas please give her a call!

2005-2006

Special thanks to our Class Agents, Jamie Bornstein, Elana Brochin, and Len Pader for making these class notes possible!

Lisa Barrett is currently in her second year of the rabbinical program at Hebrew College in Boston. This is a trans-denominational program, with a majority of mature students coming from a wide and varied range of first and second careers before deciding to train for the rabbinate. In addition to studying full-time, she teaches on Hebrew College's High School program, Prozdor, which is attended by close to one thousand teenagers. She also interns for JOTH (Journeys on the Hill), the Interfaith group that brings together students from Hebrew College with Christian seminarians from Andover Newton, our neighbor on the hill here in Newton. Despite a busy schedule, she also finds time to continue working in one of her previous professions, healing, giving CranioSacral, massage and reflexology sessions. If you're in Boston, she welcomes your visit!

Yehoshua Ben-Avraham is now teaching at the new Adelson School in Las Vegas, NV. After his teaching he will be back home in Israel.

Nehama Benmosche is happily studying at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and hoping to spend some of this upcoming summer in Israel. She is adopting a baby from Ethiopia this fall, which is very exciting. She still sees Pardes people around in New York and in Philadelphia and is around and happy to have anyone for Shabbat at any time!

Sheryl Berman is currently working in the Young Leadership Division of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

Deborah Birnbaum is finishing up her second year of law school at Columbia, living on the Upper West Side, and looking forward to spending the summer in DC (where she will probably move after graduation). She has had a great time davening at Ramath Orah and running into Pardes people, especially Ben and Len, regulars.

Carrie Bornstein has volunteered for over a year as a Mikveh Guide at Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and Education Center. She has begun to work there full-time as the Mikveh Center Director. Her role is to help ensure that all immersions take place with respect, dignity, and modesty, for traditional purposes and transitional life moments. She absolutely loves the work she is doing, and feels that her year at Pardes was excellent preparation for taking on this position. In other news, she and Jamie are living in Boston, and welcomed their daughter, Eliana Beila, to the world this past May. They love being her parents!

James Bornstein and his wife Carrie have been living in Boston with their nine-month old baby, Eliana, who is the most relaxed and good natured baby. They are very much enjoying being her parents. Jamie graduated from Boston University this past spring with his MBA and will return to Jewish professional life. They are very active in the Washington Square Minyan and desperately miss Pardes.

Rachael Bregman is currently living in Astoria, New York – home of some fabulous Greek food, wonderful coffee shops and several dear friends. She goes to school at Hebrew Union College in the West Village where she is studying to be a Rabbi. She anticipates being ordained in May of 2010. In her free time, she is becoming a pastry chef for fun, runs in Central Park, and plays bartender to anyone who will let her! Since leaving Pardes, she has become an Ensign in the US Navy as part of the captaincy-training program and has served at Camp Pendleton Marine Base in California and Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. This past year she served as the student Rabbi for the Hebrew Association for the Deaf and this year ahead she will serve Brooklyn Heights Synagogue as a Rabbinic Intern. Right now she is feeling pretty great because she just finished the hardest semester of school ever! She hopes to get back to Israel soon and to visit the Pardes homestead. As you all come through New York City, please be in touch, her couch is always available even to people she has not yet had the privilege to meet.

Elana Brochin recently moved back to DC, after spending part of last year in Philadelphia (doing a variety of tasks, including, but not limited to coaching a high school cross-country team, starting a small baking business, and working at an arboretum) and in Oaxaca, Mexico (where she was doing a Spanish immersion program.) She is spending the summer completing pre-requisites for a graduate program (in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition) and planning on beginning in the fall of 2009 and looking for a job in DC for the rest of this year. She would love to reconnect with all of you folks in the area (and out of the area!)

Sarah Bronson is still living in Jerusalem, doing the writing thing and squeezing in other stuff like Pardes classes when she can. You can find her pretty much anytime at Tal Bagels, with her laptop. She also got the "Understanding Yourself and Others" program off the ground (yay!); they have run two (three-day) classes and are raising money for a third. If you would like to take a future UYO course in Jerusalem or contribute to making it happen, just let her know!

Michal Cahlon is currently living and teaching grades 6-12 in beautiful Overland Park, KA. She would love to hear from Pardes alumni. If you are a teacher (Judaic Studies or secular studies) and want to discuss curriculum, multiple intelligences, positive psychology, classroom management, or anything else education related, send her an e-mail.

Danny Cohen is living in Philadelphia and attending the University of Pennsylvania, learning as much as possible, pursuing business (interested in non-profit consulting, microfinance, and sustainable development), Jewish studies, intellectual history, and some psychology. He is quite involved in the Hillel and particularly in Jewish educational initiatives, which is his passion. He is planning on returning to Israel in the fall to learn at Maale Gilboa, and plans to make aliyah soon after finishing at University of Pennsylvania, where he hopes to work in the social sector and then in Jewish education. He is very happy and blessed to be surrounded by wonderful and stimulating people and trying to live with compassion. He cherishes his time at Pardes, both from the Torah he learned and the wonderful relationships he began.

Kobi Cooper is still living in Jerusalem and has completed his studies and is now a licensed tour guide. He looks forward to taking Pardes alumni and their families around Israel. He is also engaged to a wonderful woman and they are excited to begin married life later this summer. He would love to take some time off at some point and hike the Israel National Trail. He sends a special shout out to the S.P.

Hayley DeLugach is currently living in Philadelphia, where she teaches at the Saligman Middle School (part of the Perelman Jewish Day school). She and her husband Mark just welcomed a beautiful daughter Kinneret on December 4, 2007. Mark will be graduating in June from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. They see the other Pardes alumni in the area often as many are at RRC, and they keep in loose touch with other Pardes Educators.

Yaffa Epstein is Thank God still at Pardes, and she has recently taken over the role of Director of Recruitment! She hopes you can all stay in touch, and discuss together how best to get the word out about Pardes and the wonderful place that it is! If you're ever in Jerusalem, she hopes you'll stop by and say hello!

Lisa Exler lives in New York City with her husband, Elie Kaunfer, and their daughter, Maytal Nitzan Exler-Kaunfer, who was born in November. She works at American Jewish World Service designing educational materials for their service-learning programs. She is also a gabbai at Kehilat Hadar on the Upper West Side.

Sarah Farkas is currently living in New York City until she and her husband, Noah, move to Los Angeles, CA so that he can take his first full time pulpit job. They are expecting their first child. She will be taking the year off from being a teacher to write her dissertation and be a mom.

Rachel Friedrichs has been teaching Judaic studies to eighteen year olds on two different gap-year programs since finishing the Educators Program at Pardes. She lives with her husband (Adrian Sackson, Pardes '04-'05) in San Simon and she has become a vegetarian (most of the time).

Evan Gadol just made aliyah not very long ago, and is living the good life. He works at IDT right now, and will go to the army soon, but is looking into interesting career paths for himself working with kids at risk. If you are in the Jerusalem area and want to say hello, please give him a call!

Ariella Goldfein is finishing up her two year stint at the American Pardes Foundation as the North American Director of Recruitment and is excited to report that she will be heading back to school! She will be starting at the Jewish Theological Seminary in the fall for a Masters in Modern Jewish Studies, which is a combination of Modern Jewish History and Modern Jewish Literature. She finishes up at Pardes on August 1st and shortly thereafter, will depart for Spain and Morocco with her sister for some post-work, pre-school traveling. All in all, everything is great.

Rachel Isaacs is currently living in Brooklyn with fellow Pardes alum Sara Newman. She is about to enter the Jewish Theological Seminary for Rabbinical school.

Rachel Kaplan has lived in Upstate New York, Brooklyn, and Jersey City since Pardes. She is now living in Berkeley. While living at Elat Chayyim, she discovered that she is a slam poet, and has been slamming ever since. She is currently involved in the creation of a women's fight club to promote self-empowerment for women through sparring and community. Bushida Women will donate proceeds (from filmed training and competition) to shelters for domestic domestic violence victims. She also auditioned for a production of the Wizard of Oz performed on top of Mount Tamalpais (www.mountainplay.org) and got in! If any of you lovely souls finds yourself in the Bay Area this summer, she can hook you up with front row seats, and she would love to see your beautiful faces. She misses Israel and Pardes. She wishes you all many blessings of health, joy, love, and opportunities to dance on mountain tops.

Hannah Kapnik often thinks about David Levin Kruss’s line, ""Do not say, 'in Judaism,' say, 'in my opinion...'." She has been enjoying college and the lovely things that have come along with it (and the less lovely things that have been good growing experiences). She is the education coordinator at the Wellesley Hillel, and is pleased that they have started Wellesley's first Beit Midrash! She is hoping to make aliyah shortly after graduation.

Emily Kates has been living in New York City for the past two years, but is about to move to San Francisco to start a PhD program in Clinical Psychology. If you are in the Bay Area she would love to see you and reconnect!

Jon Kelsen will be living in Manhattan as of September 2008, teaching full-time. Please do be in touch with him if you're living in New York City as well, or will be visiting!

Rachel Kessler is still living in Jerusalem around the corner from Pardes. She is not taking any classes anymore, but is still in the building about three times a week trying to absorb some more Torah. She also just started at MBA at Hebrew University. So far so good. She started the year with a three month strike, which left her with a lot of extra time and very little to do, but now the first semester has ended, and she surprised herself by pretty much understanding her lectures. She works a bit as well, but that's not so important. Anyway, if any of you find yourselves in the Jerusalem area, as Pardes alumni frequently are, please be in touch with her!

Yedidah Koren is currently living in Jerusalem. She is studying Talmud and Classics at Hebrew University, which is very interesting and very challenging. After the Haggim she got engaged to Amit Gvaryahu and their wedding was June 4th. Being engaged is a very difficult time. She recommends anyone thinking of getting married to get engaged as close to their wedding as possible. They are looking forward to building a new home and a shared life.

Ales Koukal is still in Jerusalem and was studying in the Pardes Kollel. He still loves music and studying.

Jodi Lassner is actually still living in Jerusalem and has not really left Pardes! She did a second year as a fellow and has been working at Pardes since, in several capacities and it keeps changing. She is also teaching Hebrew privately and still teaching yoga at Pardes as well as privately. Her plans are to stay in Israel and keep building her private teaching in both Hebrew and yoga. She plans to visit Canada this summer as it has been too long! She made aliyah in August 2006, which has made some things easier (like getting an Israeli passport, finally an easy experience at misrad ha'pnim). Israel still presents its challenges, but as you all know, there is something special about being here.

Chava LeVine is still living in Jerusalem, and working on getting her first BA (but second degree) in Jewish and Comparative folklore. The studies are a lot of fun, the bureaucracy is not. On a side note, every now and again she goes to visit Pardes, and it’s weird. You have no idea who the students are, and the teachers don't remember you. Life goes on that way. She is still waiting for Jen and Steve to make aliyah, but hears that now is a good time to buy houses in America...maybe she will start looking into that. Salutations!

Katie Light is currently living in Cambridge, MA. She just finished an MA in Judaic Studies at Brandeis and will be at Boston University in the sociology department starting in September 2008. She sees Pardes alumni all the time in Boston, people from the same year as well as others. Cambridge is a friendly place and it has been great getting to know so many people with whom she has Pardes in common. In addition to school, she is a member of the Harvard Hillel Orthodox minyan. She likes hosting people for Shabbat and holiday meals. Please be in touch with her if you happen to be in the area – whether you're moving to town or just passing through!

Courtney Linden is currently living in New York City with fellow Pardes alum (and employee!) Ariella Goldfein. She just completed her MSW program at New York University, including a year internship in oncology social work, and is now looking for a full time position in the field. She hopes everyone is doing well and is excited to read all of your updates!

Ilana Lipman is currently living in Silver Spring, MD with her husband, Matthew, and their daughter, Noa Arielle. She and Matthew both teach Jewish studies at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School. They enjoy teaching, and are also involved in their shul, Ohev Shalom. Please contact them if you are ever in DC!

Alina Lisitsina is currently living in Moscow, working in the Russian State Library in the Department of Manuscripts and is about to complete her PhD. She visited Boston and New York last summer and got acquainted with interesting people. She really spent wonderful time there. She hopes to go there this summer too and will be very glad to see someone from Pardes!

Nechama Malkiel is living with her mother in the suburbs, trying to save up money after her Jerusalem stint. She works in Baltimore, but most of her social life is in Washington, where she spends most Shabbats. She is engaged to a wonderful guy named Toby Reiter. He lives in DC. She is active in the DC Minyan community and is involved in the new Rosh Pina minyan. In the fall, she went every week to the DC Beit Midrash, which met on Mondays. In addition to her job and Jewish life, she is studying for the MCAT – the medical school entrance exam. She is not sure if she wants to go to medical school, but this is something of a personal challenge to judge her capabilities. She also teaches Hebrew school on Sunday mornings to a great group of eighth graders. She got a new haircut, which is totally styling. Also, she is hoping to soon change her legal name to Nechama. She misses Israel terribly and many of the friends she made who have made aliyah, or who have lived in Jerusalem for years. She is thinking of making aliyah, and is partially basing her career plans on that. She does not find that she is able to connect with people here about her relationship with Israel. She is also flirting with the idea of the Educator’s Program. She would love to hear from you all.

Maayan Maya is living in Tel Aviv with her wonderful dog named Omer. She is working as an office manager. She recently returned after six months in DC where she got to shoot some great live shows such as Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Neil Young and more. She is still working in photography part time, doing events and live shows. Check out some of her work at: www.myspace.com/meya007. If anyone is ever in Tel Aviv, she would love for you to stop by! She has been getting really good with her cooking skills!

Jess Minnen lives in Baltimore where she is working on a dual masters in Jewish Studies and Jewish Education. Her concentrations are Bible and Education Administration. She teaches in the supplementary school programs at Beth El Congregation and Chizuk Amuno Congregation, and she also is a substitute teacher at the Krieger Schechter Jewish Day School. She plans on applying to Jewish Theological Seminary Rabbinical School for the fall of 2009. She is interested in being a Rabbi at a Jewish Day School, or in another educational (non-pulpit) capacity.

Sara Newman lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn and is studying to be a Rabbi at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. She teaches fourth grade Hebrew at the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue. This summer, she will be participating in Clinical Pastoral Education, as a chaplain at the Bellevue Hospital Center. She is enjoying getting to know New York, including, but not limited to, the abundant opportunities for Jewish involvement. She spends her free time biking, cooking, and doing the Times crossword. She would love to reconnect with NY Pardesniks – don’t be a stranger!

Len Pader has been living in New York City since finishing up Pardes two years ago. He lives on the beautiful Upper West Side of Manhattan and davens at a wonderful shul called Ramath Orah on 110th St. He along with his shul has set up a bikkur cholim program and a Monday night Beit Midrash. He regularly runs into Pardes folks in the area, which is great. He is currently working at NERA Economic Consulting, learning the strings of business, finance, economics, and law. Slowly but surely, he is gaining a sense of what he would like to do long-term, although it may be anywhere from finance to academia.

Keren Romm is currently living with her husband, Hillel Kurlandsky, in Los Angeles. This is a far cry from her home – Toronto for her and Grand Rapids, MI for him – but they are enjoying the heat and the ever present sun. They are both 'professional Jews'; she teaches Bible and Medical Ethics at the New Community Jewish High School in the Valley. She absolutely loves what she is doing and is grateful for the experiences she had as a Pardes Educator (04-06). She looks forward to seeing any of you who are still spending time in Israel and anyone who may find themselves on this side of the globe.

David Saiger is a third year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, but he will be spending the 08-09 year at Mechon Schechter in Jerusalem, with time to take some courses at Pardes!

Robyn Schneider is currently living in Los Angeles with her dog, Dulce. Much of her time is taken up starting her new business, myShmear. They specialize in creating customized cream cheese. She hopes that her future success will allow her to help the Jewish community in a meaningful way. She had planned on doing professional fundraising upon graduation, and feels strongly that she must continue to be active in the community and supporting it. She sends a big shout-out to all of her favorite Brandeis people – Sheryl, Abby, and Stephanie! And Hannah Engel, may her memory serve as a blessing. She sends her best to everyone and call her if you are ever in LA!

Ruth (Secor) Katz is currently living in Efrat with her husband, Menachem.

Jen Singer is currently living in Silver Spring, MD with her husband, Dr. Steve, and baby girl, Ma'ayan, who just turned 5 months old. She works as an environmental consultant with ICF International on the ENERGY STAR program. They are currently living amongst four other Pardes couples and enjoying the community there. Looking for a place to move? Pardes Silver Spring may be the place for you!

Evgenia Solovyova is living and studying in Israel. She is a fellow at the Melton Centre, Senior Educators program in Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After the completion of this program at the end of June all the fellows have to work for at least three years in Jewish communities of the Diaspora, and she is looking for the full-time job as a Jewish professional. She wants to find a place in the Jewish World, where she could be needed, could contribute her experience and knowledge and do her best. Originally, she is from Kiev, Ukraine. She graduated from the International Solomon University in Kiev in 2005 with BSc. and MSc. in World History and Jewish Studies. She is very active in Jewish communal life in Ukraine and has been working as a coordinator of educational programs, madricha and methodologist for the Hillel Jewish Students Organization in Kiev for five years. From 2005 in addition to spending time at Pardes she has also studied at the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden.

Adam Stein was at Pardes from '01-'02 and then Elul of '05-'06 before he did his third year of rabbinical school at the Schechter Institute behind the Israel Museum. He has now finished an MA in Education, and is just over a year from getting smicha from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University (formerly University of Judaism).

Ilana Sumka is living and working in Jerusalem as the Middle East Director of Encounter, the organization that brings current and emerging Jewish leaders to meet Palestinians in cities around the West Bank. She has had the pleasure of working with numerous yeshiva and rabbinical students, including Pardes students. She is involved in Kehilat Kedem, and various other minyanim that make Jerusalem a meaningful and interesting place to live. She also gets to hop over to Pardes for occasional classes and other gatherings.

Laura Van Metre is currently a medical student in Pittsburgh, and is just about to start her clinical clerkships. School is pretty busy and time-consuming, but she has also gotten to know a lot of people in the Jewish community here. Pittsburgh is a very nice place to live! She has a lovely roommate named Bhumy and they live in an apartment in Shadyside, which is not the Jewish neighborhood but one nearby. They have an imaginary dog named Guadalupe and a lot of really nice friends. She would love to hear from everyone about their lives now, or about their connections to the ‘Burgh or your great-aunt or friend from college who lives here or whatever. She welcomes visitors!

Jeremy Weintraub aka Gefen has not left Israel since Pardes. He ended up making aliyah and now lives and works in Tel Aviv. He works for an online advertising company in Ramat Gan and is really happy with his job and the company he works for. He still has his four-legged companion, Shimshon, and now that they are close to the beach they get to spend lots of time on the coast. He has also started surfing as much as he can which has been awesome. The waves are really inconsistent but every week or two there are some waves that roll through and he is always on them. He has a great girl friend named Amy Blumsack who was here on the Dorot fellowship. She just left back for New York this week and it looks like he will be going there with her. So, he is a bit sad to be leaving his home and life in Israel, but it is a nice trade to pursue something that is really special. It’s an added bonus for him knowing that there are many Pardes alumni in New York too.

Dena Weiss is now studying theology at Harvard Divinity School and learning Eyn Yaakov for a half an hour after davening in the mornings. It's super. She does not quite skip the parts that she finds a little boring, but you'll all be proud to know that she does a pretty poor job learning them. She has found this to be a good compromise and highly endorses it. Oh, and she recently heard this slander about Nalgenes leaking toxins into your water. What is with that? Not all of us can afford a Sigg.

Joe Wielgosz has been in Park Slope, Brooklyn almost two years now which is hard to believe. He is happy to have Ari B. and Sara Newman in the neighborhood. He is writing software in the day, and making music, enjoying what New York City has to offer the rest of the time. He recently hosted his second annual Seder. You’ll find him at Altshul, Romemu or Kane Street Synagogue depending on the week. If you're coming through town, let him know. He would be glad to have you for Shabbat!

Anie and Lorel Zar-Kessler only studied at Pardes for part of a semester during their sabbatical in 2006, and enjoyed their time there tremendously and studying with wonderful teachers and great partners in learning. They live in Newton, MA, and are still enjoying leading the Schechter school in Newton. They always look for opportunities to get back to Jerusalem and study again – in the meantime, work and routines and Shabbat fill their lives.