Celebrating Rachel Dingman

I didn’t grow up with large family Shabbat meals and I went to swim practice on Saturday mornings – so my first few Shabbat meals in Israel had me feeling a little out of place and pretending to know the words as we sat and sang songs. It wasn’t long before I realized that I would get a crash course in zemirot with two of my favorite teachers. I have two years of vivid memories of singing zemirot with Tovah Leah and Rav Meir in our chumash classes – it really helped me feel a little less out of place and brought a lot of joy into my learning.

I don’t have just one favorite spot – but a favorite Jerusalem memory. I trained for and ran the marathon in Jerusalem during my first year at Pardes. It was one of the most spiritual moments I’ve had and I felt like I experienced so many of the joys of Jerusalem while my body did something I never thought it would be able to do. From running through the old city, to the views on Mount Scopus, to the nice Israeli man (who maybe was Elijah) who held my hand and stayed by my side while I struggled through mile 14, to my hevruta who met me at the finish line with my favorite beverage… getting to know Jerusalem through my footsteps was my favorite part of being in that city.

I believe deeply that the future of Judaism depends upon a generation that feels like they have created Judaism in their own image. I also believe deeply that this desire for a Jewishness in their own image does not and should not be disconnected from the existing tradition and culture of Jewish history, religion, and practice. I think we need a Jewish world that focuses on honoring, validating, and holding sacred one’s personal identity as it is intertwined with the beauty of our collective Torah.

I get to see Judaism come to life through the eyes of our Jewish future every day. The moments where I feel most proud are when I get to create a space where teens can have surprise moments of connection. Moments where they can take something from our past and our traditions and transform it into something meaningful for their identity or how they build community.

I know it sounds cliche but I would not be where I am without Pardes. Pardes gave me the confidence to be an educator, the passion for making Torah accessible to all, and access to an endless library of people, resources, and learning.

I had the opportunity to go to Turkey with Pardes and it was one of the most memorable experiences. I felt so honored to be able to be immersed in a totally different part of the Jewish world. I got to give a d’var Torah in front of the Chief Rabbi, teach at the Jewish school in Istanbul, sing at a local Jewish elderly community, and stay with a local Jewish family for Shabbat. Levi Cooper was the most incredible teacher and really helped us all find meaningful ways to connect and give back while we were in Turkey.