Alumni Articles

Tablet Magazine – Father and Daughter. And Daughter. Lessons in parenting from the Talmud and Paul Simon

Posted on April 14, 2021

Written by M. Evan Wolkenstein (Year ’98-’99, Fellow ’99-’00, PCJE ’00-’02, Summers, ’04, ’05) – The song “Father and Daughter” by Paul Simon used to make me cry. More specifically, playing “Father and Daughter” on my guitar, while my newborn daughter—my firstborn—dozed in her swing, that made me cry. Admittedly, it’s a fair-to-middling song, not Continue Reading »

Julia Ullman accepted into Weitzman-JDC Fellowship in Global Jewish Leadership

Posted on April 13, 2021

Julia Ullman (Summer ’17, PCJE ’18-’19) of Pepper Pike was recently accepted into the Weitzman-JDC Fellowship in Global Jewish Leadership, a graduate program initiative between the Joint Distribution Committee and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Ullman, 24, is a member of Temple Emanu El in Orange. The two-year program offers students from North America Continue Reading »

Rabbi Marc Baker on leading Boston’s federation ‘like an educator’

Posted on April 6, 2021

Rabbi Marc Baker (Year ’97-’98, Fellows ’98-’00, PCJE ’00-’02) recently taught at Pardes about Soulful Parenting with Dasee Berkowitz. Rabbi Marc Baker has helmed Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), the Boston area’s federation, for three years. His predecessor, Barry Shrage, led CJP for three decades — during which time Baker explained Shrage created the conditions in Continue Reading »

ReformJudaism.org – Ending Our Year of Yearning for Israel: Our First Trip Back After Being Vaccinated

Posted on March 21, 2021

This article was written by Karen (Pardes North American Board) and Marc Rivo. When we boarded the last scheduled El Al non-stop flight from Tel Aviv to Miami a year ago, we could not have imagined that Israel would be closed to millions of visitors for an indefinite period of time. With laser-like speed, COVID Continue Reading »

Forward – TikTok didn’t know Jews of color existed. This frum Black Jew is teaching them.

Posted on March 14, 2021

The author Mira Fox (Year ’16-’17) is a writer for the Forward. Tony Westbrook (Year ’16-’17, Fellows ’17-’18, Educators ’18-’19) is currently the Assistant Director of the Hillel at Washington University in St Louis. He’s also a burgeoning TikTok star, where he goes by @frumjewishblackboy. I met Tony Westbrookin Jerusalem, in 2016, when we both Continue Reading »

Pardes Alumnus Dammara Kovnats Hall (Summer ’16, PCJE ’16-’18) Named 2021 Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneer

Posted on March 11, 2021

Dammara Kovnats Hall works full-time as a Jewish Studies teacher at Rodeph Sholom School where she strives to create exciting classroom communities that celebrate diversity and inclusion.  In her free time, she enjoys hosting Shabbat meals and riding motorcycles. To learn more about this prestigious award and how you can contribute to the benefit for the Jewish Continue Reading »

Times of Israel – A parenting book taps into the soulful side of raising a family

Posted on March 10, 2021

This article is an overview of Dasee Berkowitz’s (Year ’94-’95) new book, “Becoming a Soulful Parent: A Path to the Wisdom Within” (Kasva Press) and her continued work as an educational consultant for Ayeka. This is a complementary piece to Dasee’s recent 3-part series at Pardes called Soulful Parenting. To learn more about the book Continue Reading »

eJP – The Pardes Mahloket Matters Fellowship

Posted on March 7, 2021

Written by Rabbi Mike Uram (Chief Vision and Education Officer of Pardes North America, Year ’99-’00) – Guided by the belief that Jewish texts and their diverse interpretations can empower us to engage more constructively in disagreements today, I, along with my colleagues at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, am thrilled to announce the 31 inaugural Continue Reading »

Times of Israel – Extending the Branches of Jewish Education

Posted on February 21, 2021

This article was written by Rabbi Aaron Finkelstein (Year ’03-’04) – For the last few years before Covid, part of my role as a school rabbi was offering learning opportunities for parents. I’ve offered classes/shiurim after morning drop off, a club for parents and children to practice putting on Tefillin, and even a scotch and steak Continue Reading »

eJP – Professional Development as a Catalyst for Community Change

Posted on February 21, 2021

This article was written by Clare Goldwater (Year ’91-’93) – January 2020, Montreal: It is snowing and freezing cold. The words “COVID-19” don’t mean anything to us yet. Twenty-four Jewish educators gather at a camp in the beautiful Laurentian mountains of Quebec to kick off the Passport to Jewish Life Fellowship. They are here to Continue Reading »