Meet Pam Alcala,
Founder of Rooted and Rising Holistic Jewish Education

Pam Alcala is the visionary founder of Rooted and Rising, a consulting firm established to synthesize the wisdom of Jewish tradition with the essential frameworks of modern psychology and pedagogy. Driven by a mission to cultivate environments where tradition, identity, and personal well-being flourish, Pam is uniquely credentialed to lead institutions through the complex challenges of 21st-century Jewish education.

 Pam's vision is to be the essential partner for Jewish formal and informal educational settings, empowering them to cultivate environments where tradition, identity, and personal well-being flourish, enabling every individual and organization to reach their full potential.

 Pam’s expertise is built on a rare combination of educational, therapeutic, and strategic communications experience, making her the definitive voice for holistic growth:

 

The Synthesis of Expertise

  • Proven Field Experience: Pam brings over eight years of dynamic experience across the full spectrum of Jewish educational settings. This includes deep expertise in formal education (leading curriculum development, family education, and B'nei Mitzvah instruction) and critical insights into informal education (spanning youth engagement, teen programming, and camp leadership). This dual perspective ensures Rooted and Rising’s solutions are effective and sustainable in any communal environment.

  • ·Social-Emotional Foundation (The SEL Pillar): As an expert in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and community resilience, Pam is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and holds specialized certification in Trauma-Informed Creative Arts Therapy. This therapeutic background provides the deep psychological foundation necessary to integrate SEL competencies and faculty wellness into Jewish values (Middot), ensuring programs are "Rooted" in tradition and responsive to the mental health needs of today’s learners.

  •  Conflict Competence & Curriculum Design (The Israel and Jewish Education Pillar): Pam also holds a Master of Arts in Education and Human Development, Israel Education from The George Washington University. This academic focus reinforces her ability to design and implement Nuanced Israel Education curricula. Her professional experience as an Israel Curriculum Coordinator has further equipped her with the tools to train staff on Conflict Navigation, empowering organizations to facilitate difficult, multi-narrative conversations with intellectual honesty and institutional safety.

  •  Recognized Thought Leader & Inclusive Experience Designer: Pam’s innovative work has been recognized by the field, most notably with the Robert M. Sherman Young Pioneers Award for Educational Innovation (2023) from The Jewish Education Project. Drawing on diverse training and experience with different populations (including Spanish-speaking and JOC communities), Pam excels at spotting the unique needs of learners and organizations, enabling her to design and tailor holistic, inclusive, and highly relevant educational experiences for every community.

 With fluency in Spanish and high competence in Hebrew, coupled with a strong background in content, marketing, and communications, Pam is positioned not only to consult on curriculum but also to equip leaders with the strategic messaging and organizational resilience needed to thrive. She is dedicated to transforming fragmented educational systems into unified ecosystems of sustainable and meaningful growth.