Pardes North America is proud to announce the addition of three dynamic and visionary educators to our faculty: Laynie Solomon, Rabbi Dr. Will Friedman, and Rabbi Megan GoldMarche. Each brings a unique voice, a deep love of Torah, and a passionate commitment to vibrant, inclusive Jewish learning.
Laynie Solomon
A proud Pardes alum, Laynie currently serves as Associate Rosh Yeshiva at SVARA, where they are known for offering heart-opening, justice-rooted, and transformative Torah. Laynie holds an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), is a Schusterman Fellow, and was honored with the Covenant Foundation’s 2020 Pomegranate Prize for Emerging Jewish Educators. We are thrilled to welcome Laynie home to Pardes as a faculty member.
Rabbi Dr. Will Friedman
Will serves as the Senior Educator and Rebbetzin at Silverstein Base Lincoln Park and is completing a doctorate at Harvard University. His academic work explores legal justification and rationality in ancient Near Eastern and rabbinic texts. Will has taught at YCT, JTS, AJR, Hebrew College, and previously at Pardes. He received semikha from Rav Daniel Landes through Yashrut. Outside the classroom, Will enjoys cooking elaborate meals inspired by YouTube chefs, teaching Hebrew grammar to his children, and reading online advice columns. We’re excited to learn from his rich cross-section of scholarship, warmth, and creativity.
Rabbi Megan GoldMarche
Megan is the Executive Director at Tribe 12 and a powerful force in creating empowering Jewish spaces for young adults. She received ordination from JTS, where she also earned an M.A. in Jewish Gender and Women’s Studies and a certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling. A Wexner Graduate Fellowship alum, Megan previously led the Base movement in Chicago through Metro Chicago Hillel. She lives in Mt. Airy, Pennsylvania, with her wife, Paige, and their daughters, Bri and Rori—and she’s visited 48 of the 50 U.S. states! We’re inspired by her vision and thrilled to welcome her to the Pardes North America team.
We couldn’t be more excited to learn with and from these remarkable educators. Their presence will enrich our community and deepen the transformative learning experiences we strive to create.