Dear Pardes Community,
With great emotion, I write to announce that our beloved colleague and teacher, Rabbi Meir Schweiger, will be retiring this September from his full-time tenure at Pardes.
Rav Meir, as so many affectionately call him, has been a full-time member of the faculty since 1977, longer than any other Pardes employee. His unmatched passion for Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and Torat Yisrael has shaped Pardes’s culture and approach to learning more than any other. Over his 43 years at Pardes, Meir has taught, counseled, consoled and celebrated with thousands of students. And his remarkable ability to remember students’ names and stories long after they’ve left the beit midrash has helped thousands of students to regard Pardes as a second home.
It feels nearly impossible to envision a Pardes without Meir, so we’re not letting him go so easily! We are thrilled that Meir has agreed to continue teaching select classes, to serve in various advisory roles, and to play a key role in the development of Pardes programming in North America.
There is so much more to say about Meir, so we are looking forward to celebrating his tremendous contributions to Pardes and the Jewish people with events in both New York and Jerusalem at a time when such gatherings are again permitted. I look forward to sharing details when these plans develop.
On a personal note, I want to thank Meir for the Torah and love he invested in me as a Pardes student, so much of which was a driving force behind my maturation as a budding rabbi and Jewish professional. We will no doubt be hearing countless inspiring stories about Meir in the weeks and months to come, and I know they will lift us up and continue to guide us for years to come.
Mazel tov, Meir! We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
With all good wishes for Meir and for Pardes,
Rabbi Leon A. Morris
President
