Pardes Teacher Fellowship

A new accelerated path to the classroom including a Master’s in Education.

The world is changing, including the way students think about pre-service training and the amount of time it takes to earn qualifications. In order to meet evolving needs, we are accelerating the pre-service and deepening the in-service with a new and improved format.

For over two decades, the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators has inspired and trained an amazing cadre of Jewish Studies teachers at Pardes in Jerusalem through the Pardes Day School Educators Program. The 2-year program included studying in Pardes’s Beit Midrash in Jerusalem, classroom-based teacher training in North American Jewish day schools, and a Master’s of Jewish Education, for 2 years.

Since the program’s inaugural year in 2000, the way people think about pre-service training has changed, and Pardes is adapting to meet the new needs in the field. Potential teaching candidates are looking to earn qualifications over shorter periods of time. For this reason, Pardes has launched the Pardes Teachers Fellowship, which offers accelerated pre-service training and deeper in-service training. Students will gain the same Beit Midrash Torah skills and acumen, teacher training, and graduate degree, but in a new and improved format.

 Learn more about our new format below.

Accelerated Pre-Service:

Two summers and one academic year in-person at Pardes in Jerusalem
(July 2023 – July 2024)

  1. Intensive Torah study as a participant of the Pardes Summer Program and Pardes Year Program 
  2. Pedagogy coursework during the academic year and a 5-week Summer Semester Pedagogy Intensive before the start of the school year
  3. Hebrew language ulpan throughout the year
  4. Credit towards a Master’s of Jewish Education from Hebrew College
  5. Generous living stipends, with fully-funded tuition for ulpan and Pardes, including all courses, field trips, and special programs.
  6. Matching with a personal teaching coach for one-on-one work

Deepened In-Service:

One academic year working as a Jewish studies teacher in a Jewish day school in North America
(August 2024 – June 2025)

  1. Twice monthly one-on-one coaching sessions with a personal teaching coach
  2. Twice-monthly pedagogy webinars
  3. Two in-person coach visits for school observations
  4. First-year teaching salaries (not an unpaid internship)
  5. Additional credit toward a Master’s of Jewish Education from Hebrew College

Conclusion:

One Jewish Educator Summer Workshop followed by graduation at Pardes in Jerusalem
(June 2025)

  1. Workshop focused on arts and creativity in the Jewish studies classroom
  2. Collaboration between teaching coaches and participants to develop curricular units
  3. Travel and lodging stipends available for participants to attend graduation in Jerusalem

BEING A
ROLE MODEL
FOR LEARNING

Your passion for Judaism and learning combined with Pardes’s proven teacher training methods, will make you a role model for open, deep, and textually-literate Jewish life to you students.

INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES

21st-century teaching ideals will be at the forefront of your training. You will integrate innovative pedagogic approaches to your classroom and bring Judaism to life for your students.

HOLISTIC APPROACHES

Empowered by your training, you will nurture whole children and support your students’ intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual growth, all guided by Jewish texts and values.

CRITICAL THINKING

Trained to identify your students’ individual needs, you will facilitate Jewish learning exercises accessible to a variety of learners while nurturing curiosity and critical thinking.

Are you ready to start your career as a Jewish educator?

Prerequisites

  • A Bachelor of Arts degree with an above-average GPA
  • Experience with Jewish text study
  • Hebrew language skills

Admissions Process

  • Online Applications: Submit separate applications for Pardes and Hebrew College
  • Official Transcripts: Provide official transcripts from all previous colleges/universities
  • Hebrew Placement Exam: Participate in an assessment of Hebrew and Jewish text skills
  • Letters of Recommendation: Provide three letters of recommendation
  • Personal Essay: Submit a personal essay
  • Interview: Participate in an interview with program staff (if selected as a potential candidate)

For questions, please contact Avi Spodek at avi@pardes.org