Pardes Tefilah Education Initiative

BACKGROUND

Working with more than 100 day schools in North America across the denominational spectrum for over 16 years, the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators (PCJE) has identified tefilah education as an area in need of significant review, change and improvement.

While tefilah and tefilah education are at the core of the school experience at many day schools, tefilah is undoubtedly one of the most challenging aspects of the curriculum. Unfortunately, little currently exists to empower and train teachers, create standards, or share resources to address these challenges.

PCJE believes that this can and must change.

Over the past few years, PCJE has developed pre-service courses on tefilah education, offered multiple tefilah education workshops at professional conferences and day schools, written journal articles, and ran two six-day tefilah conferences for educators. These experiences reinforced and clarified the need for significant change in tefilah education. Additionally, the tefilah educators and participants on these various programs, upon returning to their work, still found themselves alone without vitally needed support from other teachers or their school administration. It was clear to PCJE that in addition to continuing to train educators, we also needed to explore what it would mean for schools to commit to a process of change.

Building upon vital information gleaned from these various hands-on experiences with day schools and educators, including from a five-school two-year pilot project generously supported by AVI CHAI, PCJE has created an approach to developing the field for tefilah education. PCJE’s extensive experience and ongoing connections to scores of schools and administrators across denominations makes Pardes uniquely positioned to run this project.

We thank the AVI CHAI Foundation for their continued support in helping us expand and improve the field of tefilah education.

Goals

PROGRAM VISION, GOALS AND SIGNS OF SUCCESS

Pardes’s vision for the Tefilah Education Initiative is to energize, professionalize and transform the field of tefilah education in North America.

Our goals are to:

  • Inspire, train and empower teachers working with students across denominations and age groups with the knowledge, skills and repertoire to be more thoughtful, committed and effective tefilah educators
  • Generate goals and standards for the field that individual schools can use as a guide to develop their own school goals
  • Train school teams to develop and prioritize goals and strategies for a carefully considered approach for implementing tefilah education in their schools
  • Disseminate resources for teaching tefilah, sharing best practices and gathering collective wisdom from the field
  • Professionalize the field by developing a community and network of tefilah educators across North America who can support one another and contribute ideas, activities and approaches
What Will Success Look Like?

We anticipate the following outcomes, over time, as a result of implementing the Pardes Tefilah Education Initiative:

  1. Tefilah education becomes a priority for more Jewish day schools.
  2. More schools will articulate a vision, goals and curriculum for tefilah education for their institutions.
  3. The goals of tefilah education will be assessed more regularly and rigorously.
  4. Tools for tefilah pedagogy and best practices as well as resources for building siddur literacy will be widely available and utilized.
  5. The school community (teachers, administrators, students and parents) using the guidelines or participating in training will have discussions as to the importance of tefilah in their lives.
  6. We will see a difference in the prayer life of teachers and students.
  7. Tefilah facilitators will see themselves as tefilah educators with a community of colleagues to whom they turn for advice and support.
Component 1: Providing Tefilah Education Guidelines for Schools

The Pardes Center for Jewish Educators is thrilled to advance the field of tefilah education with its groundbreaking tefilah education guide. Entitled Reimagining Tefilah Education: Guidelines for Schools, this innovative tool created by Dr. Susan Wall and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield is designed to help leadership at Jewish day schools understand not only the need for specific tefilah education goals, but also how to identify and choose specific and appropriate goals that align with their school mission and population. Ultimately, this will empower schools to make actual changes in their tefilah education program according to their chosen goals. The guide includes specific examples and worksheets based on PCJE’s extensive knowledge of the field, what we have learned from our various tefilah programs and pilot projects, as well as feedback from teachers and consultants.

The guide serves as an entry point for schools to start thinking about the process of change in tefilah in their schools. School administrators and teachers that have already engaged in professional development opportunities concerning tefilah education will find the guide to be a very helpful tool as they move through the process of change.

You can view and download the entire Reimagining Tefilah Education: Guidelines for Schools on the Pardes online tefilah resource database.

For more information about the tefilah education guide, contact Dr. Susan Wall at susan@pardes.org.il.

Component 2: Online Tefilah Resource Database

PCJE is proud to present a free Online Tefilah Resource Database created and curated by leading tefilah educators across the world.

The database raises the bar in tefilah education by making quality resources freely available so educators can focus on creativity and purposefulness in their prayer sessions without having to ‘reinvent the wheel.’ It is fully searchable by grade, prayer, disposition (a character trait, or tendency being evoked in students), and type of resource (lesson plan, curricula, video or music).

Whether an educator needs a trigger video related to gratitude, a lesson plan on the Shema, or a curriculum on prayer and emotional awareness, this database exposes some fantastic resources that would otherwise remain hidden. It develops the breadth of tefilah education, creates a culture of sharing and helps make the process of tefilah planning more efficient.

For more information, contact Reuven Margrett, Director of Digital Content for the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators, at reuvenm@pardes.org.il.

Component 3: Tefilah Education Conference for Day School Administrators (June 24-28, 2019)

Tefilah carries the potential of being the most impactful part of the Jewish Day School experience. Unfortunately, many schools report that tefilah is the most challenging and frustrating part of their program. There is little if any professional training or networking available for tefilah leaders. PCJE is about to change that.

PCJE believes that it is critical for those who oversee tefilah to reflect on themselves as “pray-ers” and to grapple with what it means to be a tefilah educator. They also need colleagues, a common language, resources, programmatic ideas and the confidence to improve the field if change is to happen.

To increase the likelihood of school-wide change and ultimately reach a greater number of teachers, PCJE will hold a Tefilah Education Conference for Day School Administrators at the Pearlstone Retreat Center in Reisterstown, MD from June 24-28, 2019. PCJE will host a maximum of 15 school administrators and/or key tefilah leaders best able and empowered to lead the tefilah education change process in their schools.

The conference will include both reflective pieces (e.g., “Myself as a Pray-er”, “What it Means to be a Prayer Leader”, etc.) as well as the practical steps necessary for instituting change within schools. Participants will work through the tefilah education guide developed by PCJE educators Dr. Susan Wall and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield and engage in hands-on workshops to apply their newly acquired knowledge. Administrators will also learn how to lead the teachers in their schools through this process of reflection and change.

PCJE will recruit administrators from a range of schools and communities, including those from schools in more isolated locations. Following the conference, PCJE will provide support to the administrators as they lead their schools through the tefilah change process. Participants will also join a network of tefilah changemakers from previous PCJE tefilah conferences.

The conferences costs $500/participant (includes program, room, and board); limited travel subsidies available.
Apply today! The application deadline is February 28, 2019. For more information, contact Sefi Kraut at sefik@pardes.org.il.

Component 4: Intensive Tefilah Training for Schools

Pardes is excited to offer extensive tefilah education guidance to eight schools in North America through December 2019. Four schools in the Boston area – Epstein Hillel, Maimonides, MetroWest Jewish Day School, and Rashi – are participating in a tefilah community initiative through which they will receive intensive guidance and support from Pardes staff in order to reflect, assess, and improve their own tefilah program. A Pardes educator will spend a day in each school in order to observe tefilah, work with administrators, and run a half-day professional development tefilah workshop for school faculty. There will then be a three-day tefilah retreat in which faculty members from all four community schools will participate together.

Pardes is also proud to partner with four schools spread throughout the USA – B’nai Shalom Day School (NC), Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (MD), Denver Jewish Day School (CO), and Lehrman Community Day School (FL) – in the tefilah change process. A Pardes educator will spend two days in each school working with administrators and faculty to identify appropriate tefilah goals for the particular school and to develop and implement a plan to meet those goals. After the visit to their schools, PCJE will provide follow-up support to the administrators of all the schools as they lead the tefilah change process.

Pardes aims to guide the eight participating schools through a scaffolded process that will empower them to make significant improvements in their tefilah programs.

For More Information

For more information about the Pardes Tefilah Education Initiative, contact Aviva Golbert at avivag@pardes.org.il.

Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement and Activation

Start date: ASAP

We are seeking a charismatic, creative, and action-oriented Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement and Activation to lead this initiative. This individual will play a key role in bridging the gap between the immersive Jerusalem-based Pardes experience and the ongoing life-long learning opportunities we offer in North America.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Implement and Iterate Alumni Engagement Strategies:
    • Enhance the current “menu” of opportunities for Pardes alumni to both “give” to
      and “receive” from, Pardes.
      • Give: Empower alumni to take action, create initiatives, and leverage
        Pardes as a platform for leadership and innovation.
      • Receive: Encourage alumni to engage in continued learning through
        classes, retreats, Shabbatonim, cohorts, and other programs.
    •  Ongoing internal evaluation of efficacy of strategies and implementing iterative
      updates to enhance outcomes.
  • Program Development and Management:
    • In collaboration with the wider team, develop and implement ideas for online and in person classes, including holiday programs, one-off shiurim, and limited series.
    • Oversee the execution of programs including but not limited to: email
      correspondence and registration, coordinating with marketing, Zoom production,
      and post-program evaluation.
    • Ensuring cross-departmental collaboration specifically with the engagement and
      development teams
    •  Serve as the project manager for select alumni cohort learning programs,
      ensuring smooth operations and successful outcomes.
  • Community Building and Leadership:
    • Foster strong, relational connections with alumni, encouraging their active
      involvement in the Pardes community.
    • Identify and cultivate connections with key alumni leaders. Lead efforts to inspire alumni to take on leadership roles within their communities, promoting Pardes’ values and educational mission.
    • Cultivate and steward and existing external partnerships with organizations and
      initiatives as it relates to our Pardesnik engagement and activation work
  • Alumni Coaching and Mentorship:
    • Provide coaching and mentorship to alumni interested in developing initiatives, such as micro-grants or local events, and support them in realizing their ideas. This may include group coaching within cohorts.
  • Targeted Recruitment and Outreach:
    • Engage in focused recruitment and outreach efforts to involve specific alumni in relevant Pardes offerings.
    • Collaborate with the wider team to manage recruitment for various programs,
      including necessary follow-up and evaluation.

Qualifications:

  •  Proven experience in alumni relations, community engagement, or a related field.
  • Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a talent for building and maintaining relationships.
  • Creativity and initiative in developing new programs and strategies to engage alumni.
  • Passion for Jewish learning and a deep connection to the mission of Pardes.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
  • Willingness to travel as needed to engage with alumni across North America.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Pardes alumna
  • Experience working in Jewish education or community leadership.
  • Familiarity with the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and its programs.
  • Based in New York City

Benefits:

  • Competitive salary commensurate with experience: $70,000-$85,000
    100% health insurance coverage for the employee (dependent coverage available)
  • 403b retirement plan with Nationwide with up to 5% contribution by employer
  • Paid time off & Paid holidays (Jewish and secular)
  • FSA
  • Group Life and Personal Accident Insurance
  • Parental leave
  • Remote and hybrid working option and flexible hours
  • Opportunities to travel domestically and to Israel to collaborate across the team
  • Opportunity to contribute to a dynamic and growing organization with a meaningful mission.

How to Apply:
Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter detailing their qualifications and passion for this role. All applications should be sent to Assistant Director of Programs at Monica at monica@pardes.org.

Cover letters should answer the following questions

  • What makes you passionate about this role and work?
  • What concrete professional or personal experiences have prepared you best for this role?
  • What is one project, strategy or initiative that this job description stimulates in you?
  • How do you ensure great teamwork and successful collaboration?
    PLEASE NOTE:

Applications are due by October 8th and interviews will be the week of October 28th. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Pardes North America provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants in all organizational facilities without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, (or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to lactation), physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer-related or HIV/AIDS-related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

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