Joan G. Vander Walde holds a BA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and an MA in counseling psychology. She brings over 4 decades of experience as a Jewish educator, in research, teaching, counseling, mentoring and administration. Most recently, she worked as a middle school teacher, counselor, and principal at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland for 39 years. Currently she serves as Director of the Pardes Rodef Shalom Schools Program, working to advance the goals of the program through teacher education, mentoring, and collaborating with each school to adapt the Rodef Shalom lessons and programs to best suit individual school needs. With her colleagues at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem, Joan guides the continuing development of the program. Joan also mentors teacher leaders in Jewish day schools across North America through the Legacy Heritage Teacher Institute and co-ordinates school twinning between Baltimore and Ashkelon for the Macks Center for Jewish Education.