Meet the Fellows: Educational Leadership

Our Jewish tradition upholds the principle that constructive disagreement for the sake of heaven (Mahloket L’Shem Shamayim), is not only imperative but the holy work needed to repair what can feel like irreconcilable differences that permeate within our Jewish communities. Guided by the belief that Jewish texts and their diverse interpretations can empower us to engage more constructively in disagreements today, Pardes is happy to introduce the inaugural Educational Leadership cohort of the Mahloket Matters Fellowship.

Rachel Dingman
Rachel is a Director of Jewish Enrichment for BBYO International. She works to enrich the Jewish identities of BBYO’s teens by guiding them to build meaningful, innovative experiences rooted in Judaic content. She has her B.A from Allegheny College in Philosophy and Psychology and her M.A in Organizational Leadership and Non-Profit management from Quinnipiac University, as well as a certificate in Jewish Experiential Education from the Pardes Institute of Jewish studies. You can often find Rachel on the roller derby track, outside enjoying nature, or trying out a new recipe in her kitchen!

 

 


Rabbi Sam Englender
Rabbi Sam Englender is the Michigan Regional Outreach Director at the One America Movement. Sam has always been passionate about relationship building and before joining One America, Sam was the Community Outreach Manager for the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)/AJC in Metro Detroit. Sam has semikha from YCT Rabbinical School and is a proud alum of the Pardes Year Program. Sam is a Michigan native who lives in Oak Park with his incredible wife and two daughters.

 

 


Rachel Hillman
Rachel Hillman is the Assistant Director of Northwestern Hillel. Prior to moving to Chicago, Rachel lived in Washington, DC for nine years, where she worked at BBYO on a local and national level. Rachel is a proud alumnus of Brandeis University, where she double-majored in Near Eastern & Judaic Studies and History. Rachel holds an MBA from Indiana University and a Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew College. A breast cancer survivor, Rachel serves on the Sharsheret National Next Gen Advisory Committee and as an advisory board member for Northwestern’s chapter of Camp Kesem.

 

 


Lisa Langer
Lisa Langer, RJE serves as an educational leader at the Union for Reform Judaism and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). She has served the Bureau of Jewish Education of San Francisco and Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills. Lisa earned her BA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, her MA in Jewish Education, MA in Jewish Communal Service and Honorary Doctorate in Jewish Religious Education from HUC-JIR. Lisa has served as a board member for the Association of Reform Jewish Educators, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, HUC-JIR School of Education Alumni Association. Lisa lives in Menlo Park, CA with her husband, Dan K. Siegel and their teenage sons.

 

 


Rabbi Daniel Levine
Rabbi Daniel Levine is the Senior Jewish Educator for Orange County Hillel and the Rabbinic Fellow at Temple Beth Tikvah. Growing up in San Diego, Daniel attended school at UCLA studying Jewish Studies and Cognitive Science. Daniel also studied at YPS rabbinical school, living in Israel for two years along the way. During the last year of rabbinical school, Daniel also completed his Master’s in Jewish history. Daniel’s educational mission is to show students the beauty, nuance, and relevance in Jewish history and tradition. When not excitedly talking or writing about Talmud, Jewish history, or Israel you can find Daniel somewhere outside rock climbing.

 

 


Rabba Claudia Marbach
Rabba Claudia Marbach is the Director of Teen Beit Midrash of Hebrew College, a Talmud focused after-school. She teaches a variety of adult classes including Daf Yomi and Hasidut. Rabba Claudia has semicha from Yeshivat Maharat and chaplaincy training from Hebrew Senior Life. She taught Rabbinics at JCDS Boston for fifteen years. Rabba Claudia lives outside of Boston with her family.

 

 

 


Rabbi Lori Shapiro
Founder of Open Temple in Venice, CA, Lori’s rabbinate is dedicated to reaching unaffiliated and intermarried families and seekers. Previously the Director of Jewish Life and Senior Consultant for Interfaith Relations and Outreach at the University of Southern California Hillel, Lori’s transdenominational rabbinate was informed by her studies at the American Jewish University, years living in Israel studying within an Orthodox Jewish framework and graduation from both the Academy for Jewish Religion/California (MA in Rabbinics) as well as the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (MA in Jewish Studies). Rabbi Lori is a member of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and the Sandra Caplan Beit Din. She and her husband, Dr. Joel Shapiro, live in the Venice canals with their two daughters and Labradoodle.

 


Malka Z. Simkovich
Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich is the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and the director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016), and Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories that Shaped Early Judaism (2018), which received the 2019 AJL Judaica Reference Honor Award. Simkovich’s articles have been published in journals such as the Harvard Theological Review and the Journal for the Study of Judaism, as well as on online forums such as The Lehrhaus and the Times of Israel. She is involved in numerous local and international interreligious dialogue projects which help to increase understanding and friendship between Christians and Jews.

 


Rabbi Ron Symons
Rabbi Ron Symons is the founding director of the Center for Loving Kindness and Civic Engagement at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, where he serves as Senior Director of Jewish Life. Rabbi Symons was ordained by Hebrew Union College and has served synagogues and Jewish schools in Pittsburgh, New York, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Israel. Ron works collaboratively to build relationships among interfaith spiritual leaders and to connect communities of faith to today’s most pressing issues, as they seek to “redefine neighbor from a geographic term to a moral concept.”

 

 


Judith Talesnick
Judith Talesnick has been collaborating with Jewish educators since helping her mother teach Israeli dancing in her early teens. As an adult, her focus shifted to learner-centered instruction in day schools/yeshivas by supporting educators to listen carefully, notice patterns and create engaging learning experiences that spark learners’ curiosity and promote respectful dialogue. Judith lives in White Plains, NY with her family.

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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