Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 4, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
It is usually considered good practice to connect one’s Dvar Torah about the Parshah to some current event or to an upcoming holiday. As such, I want to find some segue between this week’s Torah portion – Parshat Shemini – and Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will be commemorated in Israel next Monday. Continue Reading »
Posted on April 1, 2013 by Falynn Schmidt
Originally posted to my blog yesterday, March 31: Today is my mother’s birthday. She would have been 68. What a strange thing to think. Sixty-eight, so young. Such a difficult life, surreal in ways I can’t imagine and in ways I know too well. My mother was an amazing woman, as you’ve either experienced first Continue Reading »
Posted on March 29, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen
From my blog: When I asked him why he made the haggadah he took a step back and gave me a weird shocked face, and said, “no one has asked me that question.” I also looked surprised, “no one has ever asked you why you wanted to make a haggadah?” He replied, “Well, not tonight.” Continue Reading »
Posted on March 15, 2013 by Derek Kwait
Hannah Grossman is an explorer. Her Jewish journey has taken her from the farthest ends of the earth to the deepest corners of her psyche. Yet the further she has traveled from her native New Jersey, the closer she has come to finally finding her Jewish home. Hannah grew up in West Orange, NJ to Continue Reading »
Posted on February 13, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: I was in the middle of writing another post, but this one needed to come out first. I spent all day hiding these words inside – please read them now and know. As many of you know, there was a shooting yesterday in College Park, MD. It was a small shooting. Only Continue Reading »
Posted on February 4, 2013 by Andrea Wiese
One thing that is very real lately at Pardes is the Jewish life cycle; particularly, the end. Last week many students traveled to Alon Shvut to support Zvi Hirschfield at the funeral of his father. And just last night, many students and people from the community gathered in the Beit Midrash for an azkara or a type Continue Reading »
Posted on January 14, 2013 by Derek Kwait
On the Sunday of Chanukah, I went with the Social Justice class to Sderot. You really can’t appreciate what it’s like there until you experience it for yourself. For those who have only heard of Gaza, Sderot is a small working-class city in southern Israel in view of Gaza made up of mostly immigrants. For Continue Reading »
Posted on January 2, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
By Mira B. Shore [Summer ’09 and ’10, Year ’12] It has been 7 months since I was in the Pardes Beit Midrash. 7 months since I walked the streets of Jerusalem, honoring my ancestors and being part of the Jewish story. 7 months since I actively and constantly questioned my religion, my spirituality, and Continue Reading »
Posted on December 28, 2012 by Laura Marder
Shabbat Shalom Pardes. I wanted to share a portion of my Dvar torah that I am giving to my Shul tonight… Shabbat Shalom, Last week as my facebook followers know I was standing on a mountain over the dead sea welcoming the Sabbath at a meditation retreat. If I close my eyes I can Continue Reading »
Posted on November 30, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media
While this week’s parsha, VaYishlach, includes some of our tradition’s high-points (Jacob struggles with an angel and prevails! Jacob’s name is changed to Israel and he is blessed with land and progeny!) as well as some of its low-points (the rape of Dinah; Reuben sleeping with his father’s handmaid, Bilhah), my favorite verse in VaYishlach Continue Reading »
