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Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies North America Inc
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 222594099 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE Q113 · International Affairs · Medium ($1M-$10M) · pardes.org.il
revenue
$4.3M
expenses
$5.8M
net assets
$13.7M
employees
22
volunteers
17
program ratio
86%
mission · from form 990

PROVIDE AN OPEN, INCLUSIVE, DIVERSE AND INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENT IN JERUSALEM WHICH ENGAGES ALL JEWS IN THE STUDY OF CLASSIC TEXTS AND IDEAS OF THEIR HERITAGE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, PARDES NORTH AMERICAS MISSION IS TO DRAMATICALLY EXPAND ACCESS TO DEEP, ACCESSIBLE JEWISH LEARNING EXPERIENCES WITHIN INTIMATE COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.

profile · synthesized from sources

Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies offers immersive Jewish text study programs in Jerusalem for adults of all backgrounds and knowledge levels. Its flagship Beit Midrash Program provides flexible full- and part-time learning opportunities in Talmud, Tanakh, Jewish philosophy, and spirituality. The institute emphasizes intellectual exploration, personal growth, and community building within a non-denominational, inclusive environment.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Beit Midrash Program
Immersive Jewish text study program in Jerusalem offering full-year, semester, and short-term options in Talmud, Tanakh, Jewish philosophy, ethics, and spirituality through seminar and havruta learning
Fellowships
Specialized tracks including Jewish Education, Global Leadership, Netziv, Social Action, Research/Editor, Arts + Culture, and Shana Bet Fellowships for exceptional full-time students
Pre-Rabbinic Forum
Mentorship and skill-building program for students exploring or pursuing rabbinic ordination, offering networking and additional financial support opportunities
activities · 8 groups

What they do

  • Structured Jewish Text Study Programs 4 activities
    • Fellowship and Leadership Development Programs
      Offers fellowships for full-time students to integrate their passions with Jewish texts and contribute to the Pardes community, including the Pre-Rabbinic Forum for rabbinic aspirants and cohort-based Israel Educator Fellowship to equip Jewish educators with skills for facilitating nuanced conversations about Israel.
    • Global Online and In-Person Jewish Learning Classes
      Develops and delivers online and in-person Jewish learning opportunities worldwide, including holiday programs, one-off shiurim, limited series, public lectures, and daytime courses for adult learners. These programs are designed to cultivate lifelong engagement in Jewish life among leaders, educators, and community members.
    • Immersive Jewish Learning Programs in Jerusalem
      Offers year-long, semester, and short-term immersive programs in Jerusalem focused on Torah study, spiritual growth, and personal discovery, including seminar-style classes and traditional havruta (paired) study in Jewish texts. These programs provide structured, in-person learning experiences for students from around the world.
    • Summer and Seasonal Learning Seminars
      Runs in-person and online seasonal learning programs, including a five-day summer seminar in Jerusalem and a winter online seminar, focused on Jewish texts and the rhythms of the Jewish year. The summer program includes guided learning, havruta study, workshops, and educational trips, offered in two sessions allowing participation for two or four weeks.
  • Jewish Leadership Development 2 activities
    • Alumni Coaching and Initiative Support
      Provides coaching and mentorship to alumni developing Jewish learning initiatives, micro-grants, or local events, including through group coaching in cohort settings, to support leadership development and community impact.
    • Faculty and Educator Support Initiatives
      Recognizes faculty publications and provides the Mahloket Matters initiative to train educators in inclusive dialogue, having trained over 1,000 North American educators and more than 10,000 alumni in inclusive Jewish learning over 50 years.
  • Alumni Community Building 1 activity
    • Alumni Engagement and Ongoing Learning Programs
      Offers ongoing learning and leadership opportunities for alumni through classes, retreats, Shabbatonim, cohort programs, and community events such as Tikkun Leil Shavuot and Yemei Iyun study days, enabling alumni to both contribute to and benefit from the Pardes community.
  • Alumni Leadership and Career Support Programs 1 activity
    • Alumni Recognition and Professional Development
      Annually recognizes alumni who have achieved rabbinic ordination and supports Hillel professionals through specialized cohort experiences and scholarships during summer programs, focusing on personal and professional development.
  • Jewish Religious Education and Outreach 1 activity
    • Community Learning Initiatives and Public Programs
      Hosts public learning events including open Beit Midrash sessions, evening classes, and community-wide commemorations, and supports fellows in planning and implementing community engagement projects using the Mahloket Matters curriculum, including funding up to $400 and requiring public events or op-ed publication.
  • Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs 1 activity
    • Mahloket Matters Teens Curriculum and Programming
      Develops and provides a three-unit curriculum, Mahloket Matters Teens, integrating Jewish text study with Social-Emotional Learning to foster constructive disagreement among high school and upper middle school students. Includes educator guides, student workbooks, and slides for use in schools, camps, and youth groups.
  • Organizational Sustainability Management 1 activity
    • Program Operations and Logistics Management
      Oversees the full execution of educational programs, including registration, marketing coordination, Zoom production, and post-program evaluation, ensuring operational effectiveness across online and in-person offerings.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Expansion of Pardes Learning Communities
      Helped establish in-person and virtual Pardes seminars in Nashville, TN, in collaboration with board member Moshe Werthan, expanding the geographic reach of its learning programs.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$4.31M
Contributions & grants$3.56M83%
Program service revenue$141K3%
Investment income$599K14%
Other revenue$10K
expenses
Total expenses$5.80M
Program expenses86%
Admin / overhead6%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$1.66M
Grants paid out$3.33M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$13.76M
Cash$2.23M
Investments$8.93M
Liabilities$33K
Net assets$13.73M
Liquid reserves23.1 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue -21.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
JOSHUA CHADAJO EXEC DIR UNT 40 $267K
FAITH BRIGHAM LEENER CHIEF INNOVA 40 $163K
board members · 17
  • BRYAN KOCEN — TREASURER
  • DANIEL KRASNER — DIRECTOR
  • DAVID KUNEY — DIRECTOR
  • DEBORAH DENENBERG — DIRECTOR
  • DEBORAH SHAPIRA — DIRECTOR
  • ELAINE HOCHBERG — DIRECTOR
  • ILANA MESKIN — DIRECTOR
  • JESSICA FAIN — DIRECTOR
  • KAREN RIVO — SECRETARY
  • LIBBY WERTHAN — DIRECTOR
  • MARK LEVENFUS — DIRECTOR
  • MARK S FREEDMAN — CHAIR
  • MICHAEL GORDON — VICE CHAIR
  • MOSHE WERTHAN — DIRECTOR
  • RABBI DAVID GEDZELMAN — DIRECTOR
  • SUZANNE WACHSSTOCK — DIRECTOR
  • THOMAS K BARAD — DIRECTOR
relationships · 25

Who they work with

  • BBYO International Partner — Rachel Dingman, a faculty member of Mahloket Matters, is Senior Director of Jewish Enrichment at BBYO International.
  • Beit Hillel Partner — Nechama Goldman Barash is an active member of Beit Hillel, suggesting a professional and ideological affiliation between Pardes and Beit Hillel.
  • Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Partner — Used the Mahloket Matters curriculum in middle school rabbinics classes to improve student behavior and reduce peer put-downs.
  • Congregation B’nai Jeshurun Partner — Implemented the Mahloket Matters curriculum in a teen class focused on understanding multiple perspectives and issues surrounding conflict in Israel.
  • Covenant Foundation Funder — Provides generous support that makes the Mahloket Matters Israel Educator Fellowship possible.
  • Hillel Partner — Offers a specialized cohort and scholarships for Hillel professionals within the Summer Program.
  • JUF Funder — Provided a grant enabling fall cohorts of the fellowship to exclusively serve Chicagoland Educators.
  • Jewish Agency Government — Partnered with through Masa Israel Journey, a program established by the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency to support Jewish young adults in immersive programs in Israel.
  • Masa Israel Journey Partner — Collaborates with Masa Israel Journey to provide funding, educational enrichment, and leadership development for eligible participants in the Pardes Year/Semester Program.
  • Matan Partner — Nechama Goldman Barash teaches at both Pardes and Matan, indicating institutional connection and shared faculty.
  • Mayor of Jerusalem Government — Attended the cornerstone ceremony for Pardes Heights, indicating municipal-level recognition and support.
  • Mem Global Partner — Dammara Markowitz serves on the board of Mem Global.
  • Momentum Partner — Rabbi Jessica Minnen, a faculty member of Mahloket Matters, is a Senior Education Specialist with Momentum.
  • Monica Partner — Point of contact for program applications and collaboration on alumni engagement initiatives.
  • Monica Partner — Point of contact for program-related communications and job applications at Pardes North America.
  • Moving Traditions Partner — Jonah Peretz-Lange, a faculty member of Mahloket Matters, is Manager of Curriculum Design at Moving Traditions.
  • Nesiya Institute Partner — Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield, a faculty member of Mahloket Matters, contributes to curriculum design and educator training at the Nesiya Institute.
  • Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies Network — Part of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies network, operating as its North America branch
  • Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies Network — Part of the Pardes network offering community education and alumni engagement programs.
  • Rabbi Brent Spodek Partner — Faculty member leading the Clergy Cohort and Board Members Cohort of the Mahloket Matters Fellowship.
  • Rabbi Jessica Minnen Partner — Faculty member leading the Community Leadership Cohort of the Mahloket Matters Fellowship.
  • Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield Partner — Faculty member leading the Jewish Educators Cohort of the Mahloket Matters Fellowship.
  • Roots Partner — Nechama Goldman Barash participates in interfaith dialogue through Roots, indicating Pardes-affiliated leadership engagement with this organization.
  • The Jewish Education Project Partner — Dammara Markowitz serves on the board of The Jewish Education Project and was honored at its Spring Gala.
  • UJA-NY Partner — Dammara Markowitz serves on UJA-NY’s Jewish and Israeli Committee.
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Accessible and Inclusive Lifelong Learning
    methodology: adaptive_access_and_scalable_impact
    By meeting learners where they are geographically and developmentally, and offering diverse, intellectually rigorous formats, the organization expands access to Jewish learning, because inclusivity and adaptability sustain engagement across identities, locations, and life stages.
  • Jewish Learning for Personal and Communal Growth
    methodology: jewish_learning_as_tool_for_personal_and_communal_growth
    By using Jewish wisdom as a tool to access meaningful ideas, rituals, and communities, the organization strengthens individual lives and relationships, because text study grounded in identity and tradition fosters psychological resilience, ethical development, and communal healing.
  • Reciprocal Alumni Leadership Ecosystem
    methodology: reciprocal_alumni_engagement
    By empowering alumni to lead, create initiatives, and convene learning communities, while providing ongoing learning opportunities, the organization sustains engagement and scales impact, because reciprocal relationships foster ownership, innovation, and distributed leadership that extends Pardes’ mission globally.
  • Relational and Immersive Text Study
    methodology: immersive_community_learning
    By combining immersive community learning, havruta (paired study), and seminar instruction, the organization deepens intellectual and spiritual engagement with Jewish texts, because this relational and experiential model fosters personal resilience, belonging, and sustained lifelong learning.
  • Text-Based Constructive Disagreement
    methodology: constructive_disagreement_through_text_and_selo
    By integrating Jewish text study with social-emotional learning and the tradition of sacred disagreement (mahloket), the organization fosters constructive dialogue and conflict resolution, because engaging with diverse interpretations in a structured, relational format reframes disagreement as a path to connection and growth.