“I feel so grateful to be a part of the Pardes community, where questions are encouraged. I came into Pardes with the desire to learn about and better understand the foundational texts, traditions, and liturgy of the Jewish people. Although I had been immersed in Jewish community my entire life, I felt unable to confidently ground my Judaism in anything other than surface-level beliefs since I lacked the Jewish literacy basics. At Pardes, I am able to immerse myself in the history and texts that have propelled Jewish continuity until this point in time, and in doing so, I am simultaneously provided the space to critically think about how I want to live as a Jewish adult and raise a Jewish family.” …. “For example, through Pardes, I’ve improved my Hebrew in conjunction with taking a class that expounds on the structures, purpose, and meaning of prayers in the traditional Siddur. It is an empowering feeling to be able to translate the prayers from Hebrew to English independently and then learn with teachers who help me to instill meaning into a traditional prayer service”
Natalie was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and credits her commitment to exploring her Jewish identity to the warm, unique Jewish community that raised her there. She is a proud graduate of UCLA, where Hillel at UCLA helped her further her exploration of what being Jewish and Jewish community can look like. Upon graduation, Natalie taught ninth grade literature as a Teach for America corps member in New York. After Pardes, she plans to move back to Los Angeles.
