Levi Cooper

Levi Cooper, the Maggid of Melbourne, currently teaches Hasidut, Maimonides, Midrash, and Halakhic History at Pardes. He has also taught Bible, Talmud, and Philosophy of Halakha. He previously served as the director of the Fellows program and the director of the Kollel, as well as heading the Pardes Educational Seminar to Turkey.

Originally from Australia, Levi holds an LL.B., LL.M. and Ph.D. from the Law of Faculty, Bar-Ilan University, and is a member of the Israel Bar Association. He has been awarded post-doctoral research grants from Bar-Ilan University, Tel Aviv University, The Inter-University Academic Partnership in Russian and Eastern European Studies, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and the Jewish Galicia and Bukovina Organization at the University of Haifa. In 2016, Levi was an Academic Visitor at the University of Oxford’s Faculty of Law and St. Hugh’s College. In 2022, Levi was an Academic Visitor at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt.

In addition to his work as Pardes, Levi is a Teaching Fellow at the The Buchmann Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University, where he teaches courses in Jewish law and legal history. 

In 2020, Levi was awarded the prize for the best legal history article by the Israeli History and Law Association, for his article Jewish Law in the Beit Midrash of Hasidism.

Levi serves as the spiritual leader of Kehillat HaTzur VeHaTzohar in Zur Hadassa, a mixed religious and secular neighbourhood outside Jerusalem. He served in the IDF’s Golani Brigade and continues to do Reserve Duty as a commander in an infantry unit. Over the years, Levi’s communal work has included being a member of the Tzohar rabbis organization, an educational advisor to the Jewish community of Istanbul, Turkey, and an educator with Heritage Seminars. He has served on the Readers’ Association of the National Library of Israel and is one of the founders of the Lavi Primary School in Zur Hadassa. 

Levi has authored academic articles in Law and in Judaic studies, and many of his articles are available online. He has prepared educational materials for use in high schools, including workbooks for Advance Placement courses in Midrash and in Mishnah. He served as contributing editor for Jewish Educational Leadership, the journal of Bar-Ilan University’s Lookstein Center (2003-2018). Since 2005, Levi publishes a regular column in The Jerusalem Post.

Levi’s doctoral dissertation explores the interaction between Hasidism and Halakha, and his current research focuses on Jewish legal history in the late modern period and the interplays between Jewish legal writing and broader legal, intellectual, and cultural contexts.

Levi is married to Sarah and they have 6 children.

Online learning: Click here to view online learning material from Levi on Elmad, online learning powered by Pardes.

Sample publications:

  • Books: 
  • Regular columns in the print media: 
    • Jewish Educational Leadership, The Lookstein Center for Jewish Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, contributing editor (2003–2018)
    • The Jerusalem Post. “World of the Sages” weekly column exploring Talmudic passages and their contemporary relevance (2005–2009)
    • The Jerusalem Post. “Maggid of Melbourne” monthly column on Hasidism (2010 – present)
  • Blog posts: 

 

Many of Levi’s publications are accessible online: 

https://pardes.academia.edu/LeviCooper

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2085545

You can list to the Maggid of Melbourne’s Shot of Torah podcast series on Elmad:

https://elmad.pardes.org/topic/the-maggid-of-melbourne-speaks/

Or read Levi’s Hasidic Lore pieces on Elmad: 

https://elmad.pardes.org/topic/specials/hasidic-lore-series/

Contact: levi@pardes.org.il

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.