Many Paths, One Pardes

Meet David & Yael, Itay & Tmima, Oliver & Elana, Riki & Jeremy and Yocheved & Ariel. Here are their journeys that led them to Pardes and the paths they have since taken.

Yocheved and Ariel FINAL Oliver and Elana FINAL Itay and Tmima FINALRiki and Jeremy FINAL David and Yael FINAL

We would love to hear your story. What led you to Pardes? What paths have you taken since? You can submit your story on Facebook or Twitter using #pardespaths or you can email them to emma@pardes.org.il.

Personal Paths

Josh Fleet:

North Florida suburban
Raised in the rain and sun
Reform roots, Conservative shoots
Solomon Schechter shaped my youth
Summers at Ramah of the South
Turned my world inside out
USY conventions between AP classes
Dreams of Phish tour, too young to access
Born a ‘Nole, schooled as a Gator
In college I learned to speak with the Creator
Jewish newspaper editor w/ journalism degree
Arrived in the Big City, not enough money to leave
Landed at HuffPost, edited the Religion page
Wrote a story about Phish, met Dori, got engaged
Moved to Israel with my beloved, a soon-to-be teacher
Envious of her learnin’, I felt drawn to join her

Leanne Lieberman:

  • USYer/Hebrew U
  • Mediator/Pardes
  • Reform Hebrew School organizer
  • Jewish YA author

#pardespaths

Kim Phillips:

I came to Pardes because, as a recent convert to Judaism, I was looking to deepen my Jewish knowledge. Had done the Sh’liach Kehillah program at HUC in Cincinnati, was teaching in religious school, and had not yet been to Israel. So my first visit ba’aretz was an immersion for sure. The first night I arrived, it was erev shabbat and we davened on the roof of Pardes facing the Kotel. I hadn’t met anyone yet, but it was so beautiful, everyone there to pray together, like a warm embrace in a Jerusalem summer night. It was on that trip that I found my calling as a Jewish artist, thanks to the creativity and generosity of the artists in that city, and the teaching at Pardes. It was a life-changing experience. My work is at www.hebrica.com … very text-based, thanks to Pardes.