The Art of Jewish Learning

“This has absolutely been one of the most formative years of my life, and it’s hard to imagine not having come here… It really is the place to ask your own questions and get your own answers, rather than being supplied with ‘right’ questions and answers.”

“Pardes is a gift you give to your future Jewish self – uplifting, enlightening, transformational. The faculty is a cross-section of the Jewish world, not the least bit uniform outside of the depth of their knowledge and their love of Torah. They are among the most generous teachers inspiring a love Torah through their dedication to the endless possibilities of text and its importance to our lives today.”

“Pardes provided me with an accepting and uplifting place where a person of limited Jewish knowledge could access our vast spiritual treasures. My daughter, Lia, also attended Pardes, as have several of my former students. All had the same experience as I did more than forty years ago–openness, education, inspiration, and the thirst to know more.”

“I am so grateful that my experience of living in Israel was combined with intensive learning in a diverse, warm and open environment that allowed me to make informed decisions about my Jewish practice that feel meaningful, fulfilling and empowering for me.”

“For many years, I have felt there was always something greater. I knew I had a ton of potential but did not know how to harness that properly and direct it into something good. I now feel like I am walking down the path that I have been meant to walk down all my life. I owe Pardes a great deal of credit for that!”

“The Mahloket Matters fellowship opened my eyes to an idea that I’d been searching for and sensing for years – that many of our toughest disagreements unsolved problems are rooted not in ignorance or incompetence, but in different values and experiences, striving not for a right answer, but for a best answer.”

“This learning, especially at this time in our Jewish history, felt like a privilege and gift. To be learning Torah at Pardes, in Jerusalem, with some of the best minds in contemporary Torah thought, surrounded by a diverse and inspiring group of fellow students.”