Pardes Alumni Projects

Pardes Alumni Projects showcases innovative Jewish learning created by Pardes alumni and friends. If you have a suggestion to be included, email us at elmad@pardes.org.il.


sefariaWhat: Sefaria
About: Sefaria is revolutionizing Jewish education and enhancing Jewish literacy and engagement by building a free, open source, universally accessible living library of Jewish texts and their interconnections, in Hebrew and in translation. With Sefaria, all of Torah –– from Tanakh to Talmud to Zohar to modern texts and all the volumes of commentary in between –– will never be more than a click away. As a living Torah, Sefaria will not only serve as an archive but as an ever-evolving interactive platform upon which the next three thousand years of great Jewish conversations can take place.

 


AlHaTorahWhat: AlHaTorah
Who:
Neima Novetsky (Pardes Faculty), Co-Founder
About:
AlHaTorah.org is a one-stop Tanakh study resource, providing the tools, techniques, and technology to make Torah come alive in the home, classroom, and synagogue.  The site utilizes classic through modern commentaries to look at Torah from a wide variety of lenses including literary and structural devices, plot and character analysis, art and literature, and the ancient near east. Whether you want to delve deeply into the parashah, get ideas for “table topics” to discuss on Shabbat with your family, or learn independently with study guides and primary sources, this is the place to go! Come and explore at www.alhatorah.org.



ABQWhat:
Ask Big Questions
Who: Rabbi Josh Feigelson, PhD (Year ’03-’04), Founder and Director
About: Ask Big Questions helps colleges, universities, and other organizations engage young adults in re ective conversations about purpose, identity, and responsibility. These conversations build trust, strengthen community, and deepen understanding across lines of difference.

 


Bible rapsWhat: Bible Raps
Who: Matt Bar (Year ’07-’08), Executive Director
About: Bible Raps is a non-profit born from Matt’s desire to engage his Hebrew School classes on a deeper and more contemporary level. Since its inception, Bible Raps has reached tens of thousands of young Jews with Torah-rich performances in schools, Hillels, conferences and camps across the US and abroad. Their teaching materials are being used in countless classrooms and teachers are currently being trained to be certified “Bible Raps educators.”

 


Eitzah3


What:
Eitzah
Who: David Levin-Kruss (Faculty)
About: Guiding leaders to create healthy, dynamic and transformational faith communities.

 


What: Bimbam
Who: Sarah Lefton (Summer ’09), Executive Director and Producer
About: BimBam, formerly G-dcast, creates and distributes fun, accessible and smart digital media about Judaism for kids, adults and families who want to spend quality time online.

 


Noam Zion logo

What: Haggadahs-R-Us
Who: Noam Zion (Former Pardes Faculty)
About: Noam Zion, Hartman Institute, author of A Different Night Haggadah, A Night to Remember Haggadah, A Different Light: Hanukkah Seder and trilogy on Comparative Jewish Giving, is happy to collaborate with Pardes, where he and his son once taught, At this link you will find thirty years of Bible, rabbinic curriculum study guides for rabbis and educators as well as essays and access to holiday resources and discounted holiday books. Study guides include art, midrash, poetry and classical commentary.

 


kevah cut

What: The Kevah Groups Program
Who: Sara Bamberger (Year ’98-’99), Founder and Executive Director
About: Looking for a fantastic way to connect with old and new friends, deepen your Jewish knowledge, and make time once or twice a month for your own spiritual and intellectual growth? Kevah offers one semester of free membership for Pardes alumni in Boston, Denver or the San Francisco Bay Area who want to host their own monthly Jewish learning community. You pull together 8-16 of your friends for a super-interesting monthly night of Jewish learning, Kevah sends an awesome educator and provides all the back-office support. Your group can be for singles, couples, families, or even a grownups group and a separate kids group. Teachers span the religious spectrum, and include Jewish studies professors, graduate students in Jewish studies, day school teachers, pulpit rabbis, and other learned types. A Kevah Group is great for everyone–beginning learners up through Pardes graduates. Recommit to making regular learning a part of your life!

 


Mikraot GedolotWhat: Mikraot Gedolot AlHaTorah  
Who: Neima Novetsky (Pardes Faculty), Co-Founder
About: Visit the first online customizable Mikraot Gedolot!  This edition contains a wide array of classical commentators, including newly published material from manuscripts of Rashbam and R. Yosef Kara, and several other commentaries such as R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Shadal, and R. David Zvi Hoffmann now digitized and incorporated into a Mikraot Gedolot for the first time.  Users have the option to turn on/off English translations, choose which commentators they want to appear on the screen, or to delve deeper into the text and context using the notes setting. You’ll love the variety of commentators, ease of navigation and clarity of the text!  Come learn at www.mg.alhatorah.org.

 



onewish-051514-02What:
One Wish Project   
Who: Joseph Shamash (Year ’11-’12, PCJE ’12-’13) , Co-Creator & Executive Director
About: One Wish Project produces provocative films, interactive educational content, and hands-on social action events focused on conflict resolution and humanizing marginalized individuals around the world.

 


 

shaboom 300__OPWhat: Shaboom!
Who: Shaboom! is an initiative of the Bimbam team.
About: Shaboom! is a free, web-based Jewish kids show for 4-7 year olds + their parents learning about:
Welcoming Guests • Visiting the Sick • Gratitude • Justice • Respect • Taking Care of the Earth • Courage • Returning Lost Objects • Saying I’m Sorry • Peace in the Home.