A story is told of a man named Akiva who could neither read nor write at the age of 40. He was bothered by the fact that people viewed him as ignorant and unlearned. His wife, Rachel, who was disowned by her father when she married him, and Akiva’s teacher, Rabbi Eliezier ben Hyrkanos, recognized his potential and supported him in reaching his educational goals. He went on to become one of the most learned Torah scholars. It is said that Rabbi Akiva was able to raise himself to a very special place in heaven where he could see G-d and angels. This special level in heaven was an orchard called Pardes.
It is not a coincidence that Pardes Jewish Day School in Scottsdale bears the same name as the mystical orchard in heaven. Rabbi Akiva’s teacher and his wife supported, encouraged and challenged him to reach his goals, which led him to become a sage and a great educator. Nearly 2,000 years later, the faculty and staff of Pardes Jewish Day School have dedicated themselves to teaching students a rich and rigorous curriculum while considering the individual needs of each child. Pardes students are asked to become critical thinkers as they explore their learning through both a secular and Jewish lens.
Just as Rabbi Akiva’s success was impacted by his surroundings, students at all grade levels are inspired to embrace the Jewish values and heritage that surround them on a daily basis, enabling them to develop a true depth of character as to how they treat peers and other people in the world. Founded by Rabbi Bonnie Sharfman, Pardes Jewish Day School was born from two compelling desires. The vision was for Pardes to provide an outstanding general educational experience integrated with Jewish studies and to build a strong foundation in Jewish and Hebrew language learning that would help children develop a positive sense of their Jewish selves as well as the knowledge base to be comfortable and confident in their place in the world.
“I wanted something different for my children. I wanted a different environment with top-notch academics and where children could live and breathe Jewish values. Children don’t compartmentalize their lives like adults, so the opportunity to integrate Jewish learning with the general-studies learning made sense,” explained Sharfman, who at the time was the director of education at Temple Solel.
Over the past 21 years, Pardes has grown from a single kindergarten class of 12 students at the Solel School on the campus of Temple Solel to 290 students on a new, beautifully renovated facility on the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus. It was early in the creation of the school that the name was changed from the Solel School to Pardes Jewish Day School.
Pardes’ Middle School was established in 2002 on the campus of Temple Kol Ami, while kindergarten through grade four remained at Temple Solel. In 2003 Bonnie Sharfman stepped down as head of school to attend rabbinical school, and the board of directors selected Jill Kessler to become the new head of school, a position she holds today. Enrollment continued to grow, necessitating a move to Congregation Beth Israel and then to a five-acre campus on Paradise Lane in Phoenix, where the school enjoyed eight wonderful years. The opportunity to relocate to a permanent home on the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus led to a capital campaign in 2013-2014 and the construction of a new middle school building, a third kindergarten classroom, five additional offices and a beautiful playscape with outdoor learning opportunities.
“Our new campus provides unlimited possibilities for our students, whether learning inside our state-of-the-art middle school rooms or in our new outdoor amphitheater. The campus design intentionally supports student learning,” says Kessler. Pardes’ new location also enables students and families to take advantage of the amenities at the JCC. Students use the indoor basketball courts during PE, especially during the hottest parts of the school year. Additionally, many Pardes students enjoy the after-school programming options through the JCC’s Club J.
“Our new location provides a myriad of opportunities for our students to take advantage of all of the amenities on the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus. It’s wonderful that our kindergarten through grade-four students can be walked over by counselors from the Jewish Community Center and spend time in fun and meaningful activities after school. Our students in grades five through eight enjoy the freedom of walking to the JCC after school to have a snack at the cafe, have some social time and work on homework. The sense of independence gained by being with friends in a safe environment is important for adolescent development,” Kessler says.
While the physical campus is important and adds to the overall learning environment, it is the in-depth learning, discussing, questioning and analyzing taking place daily in every classroom that is the hallmark of a Pardes education. Dedicated and experienced teachers challenge students to become critical readers, writers and thinkers while applying best practices of differentiated learning in both secular and Jewish studies. Pardes’ academic excellence has been recognized nationally both in the Jewish day school and independent school communities. Pardes has been the recipient of grants from The Avi Chai Foundation in New York, The Legacy Heritage Foundation in New York and The Jewish Community Foundation in Scottsdale.
“Grants from national and local funding sources are a result of their confidence in both the lay and professional leadership of the school. Each grant is implemented with the utmost dedication to advancing the mission and vision of the school,” says Kessler.
There is nothing more exciting than knowing we are helping to cultivate the next generation of Jewish leaders in our community,” she adds. “We are grateful for the support we have been given and will continue to provide excellence to our students.”
Bethany Spector is director of admissions and marketing at Pardes Jewish Day School. She can be reached at 480-991-9141 or [email protected].
Pardes Jewish Day School | 12753 N Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale | 480-991-9141 | pardesschool.org
