“I was looking for an open place where I could (re)learn Judaism as a woman and Pardes met this goal. Learning Halakha in an environment that is open-minded and where learning is seen as important but not coercive has encouraged me to learn even more, made me excited to continue learning, and opened new horizons for me that I didn’t think of previously.
“One moment that I’ve loved at Pardes was when, on the second night of Hannukah, after speaking, eating and candle lighting, we broke out in dancing! The sudden genius of the moment flooded me with strong feelings of friendship and camaraderie that overwhelms me to this day.“
Leah was born and raised in an Ultra-Orthodox home in Jerusalem. As an adult, she changed the course of her life and began searching for the Judaism that felt more authentically hers. Today, Leah works in a group home for adolescent girls-at-risk, travels the world, and continues to explore her connection to Judaism.
