The Spirituality Fellowship is for students participating full time in the Pardes Year/Semester program.
The Spirituality Research Fellow will work together with Yiscah Smith, a spiritual activist, educator, mentor, and meditation guide, who addresses the spiritual practice of encountering the Divine spark within — the foundation of authentic living. Yiscah views Judaism as a spiritual practice.
The Spirituality Fellow will work on the research and editing of Yiscah’s forthcoming book. The work will complement Yiscah’s past ten years of lectures, podcasts and teaching Jewish spiritual texts and practice.
Through the research for the book, the Spirituality Research Fellow will develop an advanced proficiency and personal encounter with the Zohar, Talmud, Medieval rabbinic commentaries, Hassidut and contemporary 20th and 21st century Hassidic and Neo Hassidic teachings. Under mentorship with Yiscah, the Fellow will be guided towards a spiritual practice deeply embedded in our tradition.
The Research Fellow’s work will focus on the goal, through the collaborative efforts with Yiscah, of producing the book from both existing and new material.
Requirements for Spirituality Research Fellow
- Interest in Spiritual Practice within the Jewish tradition
- Proven research experience
- A familiarity with classic Hassidic teachings and texts
- Highly organised and detail oriented
- Ability to see the larger picture of a book project
- Capacity to see a project through to the end
Specific Fellowship Requirements
- 6 hours/week dedicated to this project, times to be confirmed with the faculty advisor. Most of the research and editing would be completed in the Pardes Beit Midrash, with visits to other sites as needed.
- Weekly meeting with the faculty advisor
- Participation in Yiscah’s Spirituality course
Fellowship Award
- All fellows will receive a guaranteed living expense grant ranging from $200-$600/month (exact amount determined by financial need) AND receive highly subsidized Year Program tuition: $3,000 discount for those not eligible for Masa Israel Journey funding, and $2,000 discount for those eligible for Masa funding.
- A letter of recommendation from a supervisor who can speak to the candidate’s relevant community experience and potential growth and contributions through the fellowship is required. This may be one of the two letters of recommendation required for the Year program application, or an additional recommendation. The letter must be submitted along with the Fellowship Application and the 2023-24 Pardes Year Program application.
