Mahloket Matters Fellowship

Rise to the Challenge and Heal the Rifts in Our Society

Break Out of Your Echo Chamber

Understand the other rather than automatically canceling, dismissing or demonizing them

Heal Your Community

Gain tools and skills to foster healthy disagreement based in Torah texts and social psychology

Find Connection

Receive professional mentorship and join a growing network of Mahloket Matters fellows and alumni.

We live in a moment of unprecedented breakdown in civil discourse.

Join an online cohort of Jewish leaders who want to make a difference. In this fellowship you will explore the following questions:

What distinguishes constructive disagreement from destructive disagreement?
How might good people have diametrically opposing views on moral issues?
What are the variables to consider when determining if, when, and how to engage in a difficult conversation?

What are some value tensions within Jewish tradition related to specific contentious, contemporary issues?
What practical tools and skills can I use to become adept at considering an issue from multiple perspectives and engaging with the other?
How can I help foster a culture of constructive disagreement?

As part of this eight-week fellowship, you will plan and implement a Mahloket Matters Community Engagement Project using this unique curriculum, with financial support from Pardes.

Application deadline: February 2, 2024

Program Dates

February – April, 2024
- 8 Virtual Sessions

Spring 2024 Cohorts

Jewish Professionals Cohort with Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield

- For professionals working within Jewish organizations.
- Wednesdays (2/21-4/10), 12:30-2:00pm EST

Community Leaders Cohort with Rabbi Jess Minnen

- For current and emerging Jewish volunteer leaders.
- Thursdays (2/22-4/11), 12:30-2:00pm EST

Community Engagement Project Requirements:

Each fellow will be asked to lead either a single high visibility event for 75 people or a series of events (minimum 3 sessions) for at least 10 people per session.

Project Content options:

Teach pieces of the Mahloket Matters (MM) curriculum
Use the MM curriculum or its content to model or facilitate a difficult conversation
Innovate a new way to teach the MM messaging

Types of fellow-led programs or events could include:

Fellows lead discussion based directly on texts and themes cited in the curriculum.
Fellows use parts of the MM curriculum as a starting point to facilitate discussion about other topics
Fellows form a Jewish text study group or book club on themes and authors that emerge from their learning.

Other Requirements:

Writing – Fellows will write an op-ed piece about their experience in the fellowship. This can be for their synagogue newsletter, JCC bulletin, etc. or for an organization to which they are connected. Fellows can also write for a national or local Jewish newspaper, if they so choose.
Evaluations – Fellows will fill out evaluation forms at the end of each session providing feedback about their experience in the fellowship.

Funding for the Spring 2024 Fellowship

Fellows will receive a $400 stipend for their participation.
Funding up to $400 is available for community engagement programs designed and implemented by fellows.

For more information about the Mahloket Matters Fellowship, contact Monica Kleinman at monica@pardes.org.

FAQ

What is a Mahloket Matters Cohort? What if I don't fit into one?

In order to cultivate an intimate group of Fellows, we invite Fellows to learn together in targeted cohorts. These are sometimes based on profession, stage in life, physical location, or affinity group. If you don’t feel like any of the current cohorts represent you, please contact Monica at monica@pardes.org.

What does the learning component look like?

We meet online for ninety minutes weekly for eight weeks. We use that time to learn with our faculty, each other, and explore how we can understand ourselves better in order to engage with others l’shem shamayim (for the sake of Heaven).

What if I can't commit to all eight sessions? What if I have to miss one?

Missing one session is not a deal-breaker, but we ask that you watch the recording to catch up. Each session contains crucial information that builds on the week before. The nice thing about virtual learning is that you can sign in from anywhere! We have had Fellows join us from all over the world during the eight week session.

Why are the sessions in the middle of the day? Do you offer an evening/weekend option?

Right now our sessions are in the middle of the day so we can learn with our amazing Israel-based faculty. If you would like Pardes to reach out to you with opportunities at other times, please let Monica know at monica@pardes.org.

I'm all zoom-ed out. Is this the right program for me?

Yes! We utilize a combination of full group learning (15 Fellows maximum) and havruta learning (paired study) so it is an interactive learning experience. Your presence matters and we value what you have to share.

What happens at the conclusion of the eight weeks of learning?

Fellows work on planning and implementing their Mahloket Matters Community Engagement Projects. Pardes is here to support you as you choose your audience, key takeaways, and how you’ll share this valuable learning with your community. Our faculty and staff are happy to meet in small groups or one on one to help you along the way.

Each Fellow is granted access to the entire Mahloket Matters curriculum for their use. This is non-transferable and a valuable resource for your future teaching endeavors. You will also receive access to the Mahloket Matters Teens curriculum.

What people are saying about the Mahloket Matters Fellowship:

“In our times of great political, social and religious debates, Mahloket Matters offers a necessary and diverse toolkit to get us to work through differences.“

– Fall 2023 Fellow

“In a world that is so divided, the Mahloket Matters fellowship teaches how we, as leaders, can help our communities learn to talk to each other in productive ways.“

– Fall 2023 Rabbinic Fellow

“I am someone who has always feared conflict to some degree. This fellowship helped make it feel less like a thing to be feared and more like an opportunity to understand other people and other perspectives.“

– Fall 2023 Fellow

Application deadline: February 2, 2024

Past Cohorts

Winter 2023

Educational Leadership Cohort

Rabbi Stacey Peterson
Dr. Bella Tendler Krieger
Branden Johnson
Miranda Bass
Stephen (Shmuel) Feingold
Alyssa Silva
Rabbi Aaron Levitt
Rabbi Elle Muhlbaum
Rabbi Tracy Nathan
Jen Zak

Volunteer Leadership Cohort

Jessie Duke
Ann Elyachar
Julie Kaplan
Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein
Betsy Strauss
Sarah Victor
Tzippi Zach
Ellie Mout
Lauren Slva
Jane West Walsh
Rebecca Woolfe

Fall 2023

Clergy Cohort

Rabbi Arielle Shimko
Rabbi David Baisor
Rabbi Elyssa Austerklein
Rabbi Greg Weisman
Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld
Rabbi Jenni Greenspan
Rabbi Megan Doherty
Rabbi Michael Werbow
Rabbi Michele Paskow
Rabbi Nathan Roller
Rabbi Peter Stein
Rabbi Shanee Michaelson
Rabbi Stephen Berger

Alumni Cohort

Rabbi Avi Spodek
Craig Borkowf
Haley Schulman
Jennifer Daks
Norys Figuera
Pia Spector
Yehudit (Yuliya) Mazur-Shlomi

Community Leadership Cohort

Dana Sender-Mulla
Danielle Tomson
Dawn Rosenblum
Jaynie Schultz
Jeffrey Bergman
Jodi Perelmuter
Mauricio Friedman
Monique Rodrigues Balbuena
Naomi Bar-Yam
Rebecca Leeman
Shel Simkin

Spring 2023

Lay Leadership Cohort

Rebecca Speier
Adam Masser
Wendy Kalman
Kara Wilson
Amy Benarroch
Julie Tonti
Rabbi Ezra Weinberg
Jessica Fink

Alumni Cohort

Dr. Ellen Beck
Rabbi Laurie Franklin
Rabbi Raanan Mallek
Rabbi Miriam Gonczarska

Winter 2022

Future Changemakers Cohort

Dr. Yehuda Silberman
Rabbi Samuel Kaye
Rebecca Krasner
Rabbi Kyle Savitch
Karolyn Benger
Michaela Slutsky
Emily Goldberg Winer
Dr. David Orenstein
Rabbi Daniel K. Alter
Cantor Marc Stober

Pardes Alumni Leadership Cohort

Dr. Sharon Pollin
Tadea Klein
Rabbi Tobie Weisman
Renato Huarte Cuéllar
Cantor Jana Schachter
Johanna Press
Elisheva Gray
Lilyfish Gomberg
Erica Riddick
Mira Shore
Binyamin Cohen
Ben Soloway
Andrew Spector
Dr. Laurie Fisher
Emily Simon

Summer 2022

Rabbinical Assembly Cohort

Rabbi Penina Alexander
Rabbi Charles L. Arian
Rabbi Joshua Cahan
Rabbi Ben Herman
Rabbi Abby Jacobson
Rabbi Mordecai Miller
Rabbi Louis Polisson
Rabbi Miriam Green Potok
Rabbi Hazzan Marcia Tilchin
Rabbi Cara Weinstein Rosenthal
Rabbi Neil Zuckerman

Hillel Professionals Summer Fellowship Cohort

Joey Abeles
Sarah Balis
Sarah Birch
Jacob Brickman
Avi Dave
Rebecca Ezersky
Lily Gross
Doria Killian
Rabbi Suzy Stone
Beth Vander Stoep

Spring 2021

Covenant Leadership Cohort

Maxine Berman
Maiya Edelson
Jonathan Emanuel
Maxine Segal Handelman
Natan Kuchar
Isabel Mares
Russel Neiss
Liz Soloway Snider
Stephanie Stavsky

Educational Leadership Cohort

Rachel Dingman
Rabbi Sam Englender
Rachel Hillman
Lisa Langer
Rabbi Daniel Levine
Rabba Claudia Marbach
Rabbi Lori Shapiro
Malka Z. Simkovich
Rabbi Ron Symons
Judith Talesnick

Rabbinical Assembly Educational Leadership Cohort

Rabbi Rachel Ain
Rabbi Natan Freller
Rabbi David Gedzelman
Rabbi Ari Kaiman
Rabbi Amy Wallk Katz
Rabbi Jill Levy
Rabbi Micah Liben
Rabbi Avi Olitzky
Rabbi Carnie Rose
Rabbi Sydni Rubinstein
Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky

Volunteer Leadership Cohort

David Benger
Valerie Habif
Jason Caplan
Merle Eisman Carrus
Rick Gordon
Leslie Kirby
Judge Bruce Manning
Zachary Schaffer
Suzanne Schreiber
Sarah Snider

About Mahloket Matters

The Mahloket Matters methodology combines social psychology with the rich Jewish textual tradition of deeply engaging with conflicting opinions in order to learn. This curriculum helps provide learners with the motivation to better engage constructively with those with whom they disagree, thereby improving civil discourse. Mahloket Matters reframes what previously felt hostile and threatening as an opportunity for connection and change.