Donate
Search
header
header
< Back to all programs

Winter Break Learning Intensive

This December, step into the heart of Jewish learning and community at Pardes. Whether you’re a student on winter break or a local eager to try out our Beit Midrash opportunity in action, the Winter Learning Intensive offers a unique three-day program to engage in transformative study and connection alongside our full time students. 

Details

Three days of dynamic and engaging study around a thought-provoking topic, offering a concentrated taste of the Pardes Beit Midrash. Experience interactive classes, paired havruta study, guest speakers, creative workshops, and local tours.

Some meals included. Please note that travel, accommodation, and additional meals are the responsibility of participants.

Dates

December 22-24, 2026

This year’s topic: Nothing New Under the Sun? Enduring Dilemmas of Being a Jew

Eligibility

Open to learners ages 18 and up who are eager to get a taste of the immersive Beit Midrash experience at Pardes, from students on winter break to participants in other Israel programs to local young professionals.

No prior Jewish text study experience is needed. Classes are available at various levels. Discussions will be in English, with texts in Hebrew and Aramaic, accompanied by English translations.

Costs

Subsidized rate: $36 USD / 100 NIS*
Standard rate: $72 USD / 200 NIS
Sponsorship rate: $180 USD / 500 NIS

*Pricing begins at a highly subsidized rate in order to make the program as accessible as possible. Those who are able to pay standard or sponsorship rates help support the affordability of our programs for all. Choose the option that best fits your circumstances.

Winter Learning Intensive



2026 Topic: Nothing New Under the Sun? Enduring Dilemmas of Being a Jew

For generations, Jews have looked to our past not to escape the present, but to help us better understand it. Many of today’s urgent questions — about identity, polarization, peoplehood and technology — are not entirely new. Our traditional texts reflect dilemmas that feel strikingly familiar.

Join us in exploring the resonances between ancient Jewish conversations and contemporary challenges. Through Torah, Talmud, philosophy, and pivotal moments in Jewish history, we will ask: What patterns repeat across generations? What wisdom is most relevant today? And how can Jewish learning help us meet this moment with greater depth, humility, and hope?

This year’s schedule will be available soon. In the meantime, check out last year’s schedule for a sense of how the day is structured.

Pardes’s mission of inclusivity is powerful and transformative, and seeps into every element of the learning experience. From the teachers’ guidance in the beit midrash, to community song circles, to the staff’s warm welcome – this place makes learning Torah so safe, expansive, and inclusive. It’s impossible not to fall in love!

Rabbi Lara Rodin

The Winter Break Learning Intensive gave me light, hope and healing. It helped me understand Hanukkah more intensely and helped me deal with the darkness that Israel is experiencing now. I live here so that was important. The conclusion to the program brought everything together beautifully. 

Craig Preston
Israel

I gained tremendously from the Winter Break Learning Intensive. I’m so grateful to have been back at Pardes, even though it was so quick, and I feel fueled up with light to bring back to my community. 

Participant

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: Wow! I have no words! 

Yaela Orelowitz
South Africa
BMP ‘24-’25

Other winter learning options

Can’t make it in person? Or looking for an enriching taste of Pardes Torah as opposed to an immersive Beit Midrash experience? Check out our online winter Pardes Learning Seminar.

 See details
Snow covering the rooftops of the Old City of Jerusalem, with the Western Wall plaza, the Dome of the Rock and the Mount of Olives in the distance
Brutalist Facade Strip

Registration

Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
Winter Learning Intensive 2026 Registration

General Information







For example: Masa program, university, yeshiva, work, aliyah, volunteer program, or family.


Example: Director of Youth Engagement, Congregation Beth Shalom
Contact Information


If applicable. Used for updates and scheduling during the program. Include your country code.






Higher Education







Study Background
Please rate your background in the following areas. This program is open to learners of all levels.


Health

If you have any physical or emotional health concerns, or other needs that may affect your in-person participation, please share them here.

All meals served at Pardes are vegetarian.


Register now
Learn
Community
About
Support
Resources
Connect