Tovah Leah Nachmani teaches Tanakh, Biblical Hebrew, and prayer at Pardes, also serving as the Student Faculty Advisor. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Tovah Leah graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Indiana University with a degree in Near Eastern Languages and Literature. She moved to Israel in 1991, where she received a degree in Tanakh and Jewish Thought and teaching certification from the Herzog Institute.
Tovah Leah has written and guided experiential learning programs for decades, for Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations. She is also a holistic health practitioner, promoting physical and emotional health. Tovah Leah and her husband Gabi live in Gush Etzion, are the grateful parents of seven children, and are the active, loving grandparents of many grandchildren.
Among the mitzvot of warfare, the Torah warns and prohibits soldiers from uprooting fruit trees, stating: כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה – for the human being is a fruit tree (Deuteronomy 20:19). You read correctly: the human being is not “like”…
Jewish calendar, Tu Bishvat
What did Moshe get wrong—and why was the consequence so severe? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Tovah Leah Nachmani explore Parshat Chukat against the backdrop of Israel’s current war with Iran. They reflect on the mysterious sin of Moshe…
Tanakh, Torah, Bamidbar (Numbers), Chukat, Podcast series, Pardes Parsha Podcast
Why does Moshe mix harsh rebuke with a profound sense of hope in his final speech? In this episode, Tzvi Hirschfield and Tovah Leah Nachmani delve into Parashat Va’etchanan and into the complex layers of Moshe’s final message, where deep love…
What is our responsibility to the rest of the world, and how might that impact the image that we want to project to humanity at large? Tovah Leah Nachmani joins us in the studio this week to discuss Yitro, an…
Podcast series, Pardes Parsha Podcast, Tanakh, Torah, Shemot (Exodus), Yitro
What are the three kinds of leadership the Torah requires the Jewish people to create when they become Sovereign in their own Land? What are their roles and the potential dangers inherent in the powers they hold? In this week’s…
Tanakh, Torah, Devarim (Deuteronomy), Podcast series, Pardes Parsha Podcast, Shoftim
Originally published June 18, 2015, with the conclusion of the 2022-2023 academic year, we’ve decided to bring this article back as a reminder to all of us that the Torah learning goes on. Who’s Carrying the Torah? The noisy din…
Self & spirituality, Personal transformation, Reflection, Spirituality, Tanakh, Torah
Parashat Chayei Sarah and Preparing for Thanksgiving. Credits: Tovah Leah Nachmani and Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield – Pardes Faculty
Tanakh, Torah, Bereishit (Genesis), Chayei Sarah, Podcast series, Pardes Parsha Podcast
Parashat Vayakhel 5782: Repairing Even the Worst Ruptures Description: Even after warning against all forms of constructive creativity in the Ten Commandments, the Torah explicitly warns now against using fire on Shabbat. Legal ramifications aside, the prohibition against fire cautions…
Podcast series, Pardes Parsha Podcast, Tanakh, Torah, Shemot (Exodus), Vayakhel
Parashat VaYechi 5782 – The Blessings of Rebuke Description: There are things we have to hear and there are things we have to say. What enables us to receive words of critique with an open heart? What critical tips can…
Tanakh, Torah, Bereishit (Genesis), Podcast series, Pardes Parsha Podcast, Vayechi