We are proud to profile our incredible students and showcase their unique interests, backgrounds and achievements! Mazal Tov to this week’s Pardes Students of the Week!
Shoshanna Nambi Leah Datz Makai Dorfman
SHOSHANNA NAMBI
“One of the most provoking phrases at Pardes is “one day you’re going to be the most knowledgeable Jew in the room”. I have been this Jew many times, and yet I didn’t have so much to offer. I want to know more. I want to understand how we came to be who we are now as a Jewish people.
“Pardes is a special place; it’s where the different Jewish perspectives meet. I hope that, when we leave this incredible place, we can bring its Torah teachings into our daily lives, into our communities, that we are able to listen to each others’ views and perspectives, and understand with respect and patience. As Jewish people, we have not done so much of this in along time.”
I’m from the Abayudaya community in Uganda. I was raised by my grandparents who held the love of Judaism, tradition and Israel so dear. Despite the fact that they never went to school, they were the biggest advocates for education and its no coincidence that I’m here.
After my college degree, I worked as a community heath educator before I moved to Uganda’s capital ,Kampala, to work as an administrator in an agriculture company that’s provides training to farms and irrigation.
LEAH DATZ
“I was looking for an open place where I could (re)learn Judaism as a woman and Pardes met this goal. Learning Halakha in an environment that is open-minded and where learning is seen as important but not coercive has encouraged me to learn even more, made me excited to continue learning, and opened new horizons for me that I didn’t think of previously.
“One moment that I’ve loved at Pardes was when, on the second night of Hannukah, after speaking, eating and candle lighting, we broke out in dancing! The sudden genius of the moment flooded me with strong feelings of friendship and camaraderie that overwhelms me to this day.“
Leah was born and raised in an Ultra-Orthodox home in Jerusalem. As an adult, she changed the course of her life and began searching for the Judaism that felt more authentically hers. Today, Leah works in a group home for adolescent girls-at-risk, travels the world, and continues to explore her connection to Judaism.
MAKAI DORFMAN (Experiential Education Student)
“After my bar mitzvah I was not very connected to the Jewish community or to Jewish learning for many years. For a long time I believed that text study was too “heady” and didn’t contribute to the real personal growth and transformation that I was looking for. When I began to study Jewish texts, I often found it challenging to take a step back and find ways to apply their ancient messages in my life- in my outlook, my behavior, my relationships, etc. Although, this challenge still exists for me in many contexts, Pardes is providing me with the skills to integrate my learning into my life in a practical and influential way. For once in my life, I feel that I have a healthy and loving relationship with Torah that has brought forth meaning and change in my life. Being empowered and inspired by text in a way that allows me to be my best self has been a beautiful and priceless gift that Pardes has given me.”
Over the past nine years, Makai has worked in Various educational settings in the Minneapolis Jewish community. He worked in Jewish day school after school programs, Hebrew school for children with special needs, Jewish day camps, and preschools. He is now studying to receive his Masters in Jewish Education through JTS while in the Pardes Experiential Educator’s Program.