Pardes Pioneers

Learn, Lead and Inspire: Become a Pardes Pioneer

The Pardes Pioneers Fellowship is your opportunity to build a vibrant Jewish learning community rooted in Torah, belonging, and connection—right where you live. We believe deeply in the power of face-to-face gathering, and we’re here to help you bring that to life.

You bring the heart, the home, and the people—we’ll provide the rest: expert training, curated materials, a generous nourishment stipend, and ongoing support from Pardes and our partners at IYUN.

Applications for the upcoming fellowship are now closed.

For questions, please contact Tani at tani@pardes.org.

Details

An alumni fellowship, in partnership with IYUN, that equips Pardesniks to lead local, in-person Jewish learning circles. Fellows receive six virtual training sessions covering relational recruitment, facilitation, experiential pedagogy, and other practical skills, along with curated source sheets, facilitator guides, mini-havruta learning, coaching, ongoing pedagogical support, and support for creating a welcoming local learning environment.

Dates

Training begins in early September and runs through early November. Learning circles launch in mid-November and meet for at least eight sessions over eight months. Fellows must attend the required opening and closing sessions and at least 3 of 4 IYUN training sessions live.

Eligibility

Open to alumni of the Pardes Year/Beit Midrash and Summer Programs who want to bring meaningful Jewish learning to their local communities. Participants do not need to be rabbis or professional educators. Fellows commit to hosting their learning circle locally and in person, creating a WhatsApp group for participants, completing the required training, and participating in occasional Pardes surveys and research.

Cost

There is no cost to participate in the program. North American Pioneers are eligible for a $500 nourishment stipend to support their learning circles and a highly subsidized late-spring retreat.

What is a Pardes Pioneer?

A Pardes Pioneer is a passionate Pardesnik (alum of year or summer program) who leads a local Jewish learning circle. In partnership with IYUN, each Pioneer chooses from two thought-provoking topics and receives a fully prepared curriculum and facilitator guide. With all the tools and support in place, Pioneers recruit a group of friends, peers, or neighbors to join them for a eight session journey of rich discussion and shared exploration.

This is your chance to bring the spirit of the beit midrash to your dining room table or living room floor, and to inspire Torah learning in a way that’s personal, rooted, and real.

Become a pioneer of Jewish learning

You don’t need to be a rabbi or an educator to make an impact—you just need curiosity, community, and a commitment to sharing Torah. Whether you’re already active in Jewish life or looking for a new way to engage, the Pardes Pioneers Fellowship equips you with everything you need to inspire Jewish learning where you live.

Join us and bring Torah to life in your community.

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