The Pardes Center for Jewish Educators welcomed
its second cohort of experiential educators in August. We asked the cohort’s
three new members, who are spending 5774 studying classical Jewish text at
Pardes, to explain why experiential Jewish educators already in the field would
choose to take a year off from their career and come to the Pardes
Experiential Educators Program. Here’s what they told us:
Lisa Motenko, Hillel, UC Berkeley:
“I am really good at what I do in experiential education –
programming – but I lack the Jewish background. I want to be able to feel
confident to learn with students, to be able to look up my own texts if I want
to include text study in a program, to know what it is like to live in Israel and
in general have a foundation of knowledge that I can refer back to.”
Carolyn Gerecht, Agency of Jewish
Learning, Pittsburgh:
“After several years in the field of experiential Jewish
education, I’ve chosen to spend a year studying full-time at Pardes to
familiarize myself with more Jewish texts and sources, to meet other educators
from a wide variety of backgrounds and most of all, for the chance to view
these ancient stories and commentaries against the backdrop of modern-day
Jerusalem. At Pardes, I hope to gain a better understanding of Jewish texts so
that I can transmit a fuller, genuine love and knowledge of Judaism to
students.”
Sara Spanjer, The Weber
School, Atlanta:
“Why
wouldn't you want to take a year ON and spend it learning in Israel at Pardes?”
|