These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Archive: March 2015

Tiyul Shorashim to Turkey

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Louise Szczerb

For most young and involved Jews growing up in Israel, Europe or North America a trip to Poland is a formative part of their Jewish journey. In Israel they call it a ‘Tiyul Shorashim’, a trip designed to help you discover your roots. Although many of my mother’s mother’s family were part of the 98% Continue Reading »

Pardes Turkey 2015: The Last Day

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Bonnie Houghton

Pardes in Turkey, March 29th Sunday – With a warm gray sky contrasting the green rolling hills of Istanbul, this morning we headed bleary-eyed and smiling into our final day of this amazing experience. Having said or written tearful goodbyes to our home stay hosts, we returned to our home synagogue of Etz Ahayim to Continue Reading »

Pardes Turkey 2015: Shared History

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Ariela Haim

Today was our 5th day in Istanbul with the warm and welcoming Turkish Jewish community. For the majority of us, it was our first Shabbat in Istanbul and a rather interesting experience considering that the majority of us were also not familiar with Sephardi prayer services and keeping Shabbat without an eruv. But despite these Continue Reading »

Pardes Turkey 2015: United in Song

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Myra Meskin

After spending a few days getting to know the Jewish community here in Istanbul, we went today to the Jewish old age home, to hear their stories and to sing with them. Although we met one resident who spoke wonderful English and who told us about her studies in America and her time as a Continue Reading »

Pardes Turkey 2015 Day 3: Dor L’Dor, Connecting Generations

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Tmima Shupack

Today at 4:55am I was ushered into my day by the Muslim call to prayer from the bed of my home stay in Istanbul. This was the perfect beginning to my day, as I and the whole of our group needed to be ready at 5:30am to board the bus that would take us to Continue Reading »

Pardes Turkey 2015: Today the Heart Returns

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Geo Poor

The chuppah travels down the isle, carried by the youth of Istanbul.  Dozens of people walk with it, surrounding it on all sides as if they would prop it up with their tightly-packed selves – many shoulders for the chuppah to lean on.  On each side, the crowd, parted like the Red Sea, stands cheering Continue Reading »

Pardes Turkey 2015 Day 2: Making a Positive Impact

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Loren Berman

Today brought me back to my days as a Nitzanim (4th/5th grade) counselor at Camp Ramah in California. I am not the only one on our trip with youth group leadership experience, so I am sure others felt similarly. We did our best to bring lots of energy to the young Turkish students in order Continue Reading »

Pardes Turkey 2015 Day 1: New Friends Already

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Maya Zinkow

At our first Turkey Team meeting, Levi charged us with the magnitude of our trip, pumping us up for what he ensured would be a meaningful, fulfilling, and, yes, exhausting trip. Weeks later, we have arrived — our bags full of lesson plans, song sheets, divrei Torah, and even some Pesach goodies for the Turkish Continue Reading »