The Four Corners of the World Seder

The Four Corners of the World Seder

By Rachel Margolin

כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַּׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַּׁתָּא עַבְדֵי,
לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.

“Anyone who is famished should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice. Now we are here, next year we will be in the land of Israel; this year we are slaves, next year we will be free people.”

In this opening of the Maggid portion of the seder, the Rabbis implore us to welcome anyone in need into our homes for the Pesach seder. But what happens when a pandemic means we cannot open our homes, we cannot help those in need and we cannot connect with friends and loved ones around our table? This was the dilemma plaguing Alissa Platcow this Pesach.

Alissa, a student currently in the Pardes Experiential Educators Program and a Rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College, has always taken the role of being a Pesach educator seriously. Last year, she traveled to Belarus with the JDC to educate the local communities about the holiday and to model a seder. There she hosted seven seders over five days in four cities. Working with community members of all ages to enhance their Pesach experience, she explained that Jewish education there works differently than someone from North American might expect. Because Belarus was part of the Former Soviet Union, previously religion was outlawed so many adults do not know much about Jewish practice at all. It is often the children learning through youth groups or new religious schools teaching the parents rather than the other way around.

This year Alissa had planned on performing a similar service before travel became an impossibility due to Covid-19.

Alissa began to coordinate an online seder for the Pardes community and quickly realized that there was an opportunity to open up the experience beyond the Pardes community, including the European communities that she could not visit this year. She reached out, both on her own and with the help of Pardes, to several European and American communities. From there it evolved into the “Four Corners of the World Seder,” a night where different people from different countries would gather online to experience the seder together.

The seder ultimately consisted of over 50 representatives from seven countries, who each brought their own unique traditions, foods, customs, and songs. One participant, Rokhl Weston, shared a selection of Pesach songs composed by Jewish cantors and composers from the UK, and the history of Chad Gad Yah. A family from Belarus displayed their Haggadah in Hebrew and Russian. This, Alissa said, gave many of the anglo participants an opportunity “to broaden their sense of Jewish Peoplehood.” A Polish participant shared a dish he and his family typically enjoy at their seder table. Belarussian and Polish translators joined the Zoom call to guide non-English speakers through the event.

In addition, each participant was asked to donate a small amount of money to Leket, an organization that she proudly chose because of their egalitarian approach to tzedaka. “Feeding 200,000 Israelis regardless of race, religion, sexuality, nationality, which [can all be a] huge issue in Israel,” Alissa explained.

When asked why she chose to raise money for them at this time, she responded, “People who are suffering the most are people who can’t go to jobs and feed their families and I knew that Leket was doing something for the seder.” It was a perfect complement to a Seder that itself was intent on removing similar national and political borders.

Alissa concluded, “What does that mean when we can’t open up our doors, or open our arms to embrace those in need? We can open our hearts and open our wallets.”

This Pesach she achieved that goal and maybe even set a powerful international experience that can be revisited for many years to come.

Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement and Activation

Start date: ASAP

We are seeking a charismatic, creative, and action-oriented Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement and Activation to lead this initiative. This individual will play a key role in bridging the gap between the immersive Jerusalem-based Pardes experience and the ongoing life-long learning opportunities we offer in North America.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Implement and Iterate Alumni Engagement Strategies:
    • Enhance the current “menu” of opportunities for Pardes alumni to both “give” to
      and “receive” from, Pardes.
      • Give: Empower alumni to take action, create initiatives, and leverage
        Pardes as a platform for leadership and innovation.
      • Receive: Encourage alumni to engage in continued learning through
        classes, retreats, Shabbatonim, cohorts, and other programs.
    •  Ongoing internal evaluation of efficacy of strategies and implementing iterative
      updates to enhance outcomes.
  • Program Development and Management:
    • In collaboration with the wider team, develop and implement ideas for online and in person classes, including holiday programs, one-off shiurim, and limited series.
    • Oversee the execution of programs including but not limited to: email
      correspondence and registration, coordinating with marketing, Zoom production,
      and post-program evaluation.
    • Ensuring cross-departmental collaboration specifically with the engagement and
      development teams
    •  Serve as the project manager for select alumni cohort learning programs,
      ensuring smooth operations and successful outcomes.
  • Community Building and Leadership:
    • Foster strong, relational connections with alumni, encouraging their active
      involvement in the Pardes community.
    • Identify and cultivate connections with key alumni leaders. Lead efforts to inspire alumni to take on leadership roles within their communities, promoting Pardes’ values and educational mission.
    • Cultivate and steward and existing external partnerships with organizations and
      initiatives as it relates to our Pardesnik engagement and activation work
  • Alumni Coaching and Mentorship:
    • Provide coaching and mentorship to alumni interested in developing initiatives, such as micro-grants or local events, and support them in realizing their ideas. This may include group coaching within cohorts.
  • Targeted Recruitment and Outreach:
    • Engage in focused recruitment and outreach efforts to involve specific alumni in relevant Pardes offerings.
    • Collaborate with the wider team to manage recruitment for various programs,
      including necessary follow-up and evaluation.

Qualifications:

  •  Proven experience in alumni relations, community engagement, or a related field.
  • Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a talent for building and maintaining relationships.
  • Creativity and initiative in developing new programs and strategies to engage alumni.
  • Passion for Jewish learning and a deep connection to the mission of Pardes.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
  • Willingness to travel as needed to engage with alumni across North America.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Pardes alumna
  • Experience working in Jewish education or community leadership.
  • Familiarity with the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and its programs.
  • Based in New York City

Benefits:

  • Competitive salary commensurate with experience: $70,000-$85,000
    100% health insurance coverage for the employee (dependent coverage available)
  • 403b retirement plan with Nationwide with up to 5% contribution by employer
  • Paid time off & Paid holidays (Jewish and secular)
  • FSA
  • Group Life and Personal Accident Insurance
  • Parental leave
  • Remote and hybrid working option and flexible hours
  • Opportunities to travel domestically and to Israel to collaborate across the team
  • Opportunity to contribute to a dynamic and growing organization with a meaningful mission.

How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their qualifications and passion for this role. All applications should be sent to Assistant Director of Programs at Monica at monica@pardes.org.

Cover letters should answer the following questions

  • What makes you passionate about this role and work?
  • What concrete professional or personal experiences have prepared you best for this role?
  • What is one project, strategy or initiative that this job description stimulates in you?
  • How do you ensure great teamwork and successful collaboration?
    PLEASE NOTE:

Applications are due by October 8th and interviews will be the week of October 28th. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Pardes North America provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants in all organizational facilities without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, (or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to lactation), physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer-related or HIV/AIDS-related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

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