About Pardess
Through ritual and meditation, the rabbis of the Talmud sought to enter, if only for a moment, the Garden of Eden.
Pardess, meaning Orchard in Hebrew, is the name used for this spiritual destination.
Vision
We envision a world where diverse networks of spiritual communities do the deep healing work of soul tending and earth mending.
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Mission
We seek to nurture a Jewish spiritual community of members and friends, both near and far, that grows out of the sweetness of generations co-creating and experiencing ritual, arts and learning together; that works alongside our neighbors in the pursuit of social justice; is consistently willing to take creative risks; and is especially inclusive of Jews who identify as LGBTQ+, Jewish-adjacent folk and non-Jewish allies.
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Aims
Together with our rabbinic guide, Pardess friends and families contribute energy, creativity and presence to Pardess offerings, both in-person and online. These offerings include: Observance of the traditional Jewish holidays, Learning Programs, Social Justice Work and Spiritual Activism, and Life Cycle Events.
Pardess is an intentionally inclusive, creatively experimental, generationally connected Jewish community. Based in Kitsap County, Washington, we welcome individuals and families from diverse backgrounds and with varying relationships to Jewish tradition. We gather to celebrate and honor the cyclical weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual
touchstones of the Jewish lunar calendar in various locations including members' backyards, beaches and community parks.
Land Acknowledgement
With great reverence and appreciation, we acknowledge that the Pacific Northwest land on which we gather in Kitsap County and Bainbridge Island is within the aboriginal territory of the Suquamish People (People of the Clear Salt Water). Expert fishermen, canoe builders, basket weavers, the Suquamish, as have their ancestors for thousands of years, live in harmony with the lands and waterways alongs Washington's Central Salish Sea (Puget Sound) and protect the land and the waters for future generations.
