Healing Our Communities
Through Constructive Disagreement
A transformational learning cohort in partnership with the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
Wednesdays from October 22 through November 19, 2025
Virtual | 12:30pm - 2:00pm ET | 9:30am-11:00am PT
In our current national and international moment, our communities feel like they are dividing along many constantly-shifting faultlines. As Jewish organizations, we can and must bring our communities together to engage with the many challenges we face every day – even when we strongly disagree.
A More Perfect Union is partnering with the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, an international leader in Jewish learning and productive disagreement, to equip our partners with the knowledge and skills they need to mend divisions, overcome toxic polarization, and foster healthier communal conversations.
Applications for this program are now closed.
If you have questions or would like to apply for a future cohort, please email [email protected].
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A More Perfect Union is convening a cohort of Jewish professionals to learn through Pardes’ Mahloket Matters framework, which draws on ancient Jewish wisdom and the latest social science to help Jewish professionals learn to facilitate constructive dialogue across differences within their communities.
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Dates: 5 Sessions from October through November 2025
October 22
October 29
November 5
November 12
November 19
If for any reason one of these dates needs to be rescheduled, we will hold a makeup session on December 3
Time: 12:30pm - 2pm Eastern / 9:30am - 11am Pacific
Location: Zoom
Application Deadline: September 21, 2025
Attendees: Representatives of organizations in the Jewish Partnership for Democracy.
Partners in the Jewish Partnership for Democracy: APPLY NOW
Not yet a partner? JOIN NOW for free so you can apply today!
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A More Perfect Union is pleased to be able to underwrite the full cost of this training so that participants can attend free of charge.
Following the cohort, participants will deploy their new skills by hosting a dialogue-based event in their community. A More Perfect Union is excited to offer $100 stipends to all participants to support these conversations.
After these programs conclude, participants will share a reflection of their community conversation and a post-program survey.
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This cohort will not be able to run with fewer than 12 participants, and will not be able to accept more than 18 participants. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
Caveat: Multiple applicants per organization are welcome; however, only one applicant per organization will be accepted first come, first served. Additional applicants from the same organization will be selected randomly to fill any remaining spots after every applying organization has had one applicant accepted.
Meet Our Instructor
RABBI
BRENT CHAIM SPODEK
Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek is a Faculty Associate Fellow for Pardes North America. He has been recognized by the Jewish Forward as one of the most inspiring rabbis in America, by Hudson Valley Magazine as a Person to Watch and by Newsweek as “a rabbi to watch.” He is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute and a Fellow of the Schusterman Foundation. Rabbi Brent has been the rabbi at Beacon Hebrew Alliance since 2010; prior to that, he served as the Rabbi in Residence at American Jewish World Service and was the Marshall T. Meyer Fellow at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York. Rabbi Brent holds rabbinic ordination and a master’s degree in philosophy from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was the first recipient of the Neubauer Fellowship. Prior to entering the rabbinate, he attended Wesleyan University and worked as a daily journalist in Durham, NC. He lives in Beacon with his wife Alison, a professor of environmental chemistry at Vassar College, and their two children.