These and Those

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

Tag Archives: family

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Parshas Toldos: Family Wounds and Holy Missions

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Yocheved Retig

Parshat Toldot finds us smack in the middle of a generations-long family dynamic concerning favoritism and absenteeism that has yet to be resolved or recognized. The dynamic comes to a climax when Rivkah Imanu compels Ya’akov Avinu to deceive his father into receiving the blessing that Hashem pre-ordained for Ya’akov (כה:כג), but that Yitzchak intended Continue Reading »

July 4th – Old Family/New Family

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Leah Lesch

From my blog: The closing dinner for the Pardes Executive Seminar was held last night at the picturesque Khan Theater and it was not surprisingly a fitting close to a remarkable week. I’m sad that my time here has come to an end; but in some ways it feels like a beginning. I have amassed Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Life as a Jewish Mama

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Farrah Udell

Farrah Udell (Year ’11) blogs about life as a new mom on Reflective Mama. She lives with her husband Jeff and son Isaac in Kansas City; and loves baby giggles, social entrepreneurship, coffee dates, and great chevrutas. Find her on Twitter @farrahudell. I used to daydream about building our Jewish family. I would bake challah Continue Reading »

Bittuling out the bittul?

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Sam Stern

From my blog: These past couple of weeks have been full of “reflection time.” Teachers want to meet to discuss how the year went, administration wants you filling out evaluation forms to express your feelings, and every single student seems to have stopped mid-sentence and screamed out, “In 2 weeks, I’ll be in America.” It’s Continue Reading »

Why Swarthmore’s Hillel Should Not Become “Open”

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Suzanne Singer

I wrote this to Swarthmore’s Hillel in hopes that it would engage them in responding to me. I have heard nothing. I expect that some Pardes students may be interested and want to challenge/ agree/ expand my thoughts. In Support of Hillel “Guidelines” Why Swarthmore’s Hillel Should Not Become “Open” On December 8, 2013, Swarthmore’s Continue Reading »

Finding Self in Love & Torah

Posted on May 18, 2014 by Andrea Wiese

My dvar Torah from the Final 2013-14 Shabbaton: In Leviticus 26:42 (ויקרא כו:מב): וְזָכַרְתִּי, אֶת-בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב; וְאַף אֶת-בְּרִיתִי יִצְחָק וְאַף אֶת-בְּרִיתִי אַבְרָהָם I will remember the brit of Yakov, even the brit of Yitzchak, and even the brit of Avraham. What I want to focus on here is that the text doesn’t just say Avot… it Continue Reading »

Honoring my Ancestors

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Eva Neuhaus

Most of my family on both sides was killed in the Holocaust and those who were left scattered all over the globe. I spent many years feeling that in order to honor my family members who were murdered, I had to suffer as well. There was a certain threshold of delight past which it felt Continue Reading »

My SermonSlam on ‘Amalek’

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Candace Mittel

Best dad in the world.

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Andrea Wiese

From my blog: Last Thursday I received an email from my dad. (This is normal, we email a lot.) The email said, “i am getting plates and bowls for you, do you need separate silverware? please let me know your dietary needs. what do you want to eat while you are here? what can you Continue Reading »

[Staff Guest Post] Homelands

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Falynn Schmidt

by Falynn Schmidt (Year ’99-’00), Pardes staff member, from her blog: It’s a strange thing how quickly a year can pass, but exactly one year ago today, I boarded a plane with a freshly minted aliyah[1] visa glued in to my US passport. My three-bag allowance and I got on an average plane flight, incognito, Continue Reading »