Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on May 31, 2013 by Laura H.
Here are the words I shared at Community Lunch: I spent a lot of time going back and forth in my head about whether or not to give a dvar Torah today. I have learned so much over the last two years, how would I choose something to talk about? What would I say to Continue Reading »
Posted on May 27, 2013 by Derek Kwait
At the end of last year, I gave the world “The Kwait“ the necessarily abridged First Edition of The Practical Dictionary of the Pardes Lexicon. Now, as my Pardes experience comes to a close, I present this still necessarily abridged Second Edition, to be known as “The Kwait Shayni.” This edition, like its predecessor, is Continue Reading »
Posted on May 16, 2013 by Derek Kwait
Jewish Dating Tips #1: If we call ourselves single, we make ourselves lonely—A single is a person shipwrecked on an island. Adam HaRishon, the first man was single. Nobody else has been single since. When you feel alone and single, make your life more meaningful. Start appreciating those around you. Use the most precious gift Continue Reading »
Posted on April 28, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Melissa Gutierrez posted this at Redefining Rebbetzin… Next year, she’ll be a Fellow at Pardes, along with her husband Dustin! Pardes Logo – Post by Melissa Since moving to Israel nearly nine months ago, I cannot count the number of times I have had the following conversation with people I meet once it has been Continue Reading »
Posted on April 12, 2013 by Derek Kwait
Never underestimate the impact of one good deed, on the doer at least as much as on the recipient. I went on Birthright through Hillel in late December 2008. During one of our pre-Israel orientation sessions, they told us we would have the opportunity to pack suitcases filled with clothes, shoes, toys, etc.at the JCC Continue Reading »
Posted on February 26, 2013 by Derek Kwait
My skit from the Purim Shpiel. Script is included below the video.
Posted on January 27, 2013 by Laura H.
Dear Marla and Ben: I feel connected to you even though I never knew you. The moment that you were killed was a powerful moment in my own personal narrative relating to Israel. I was scheduled to come to Israel for a semester of high school in the fall of 2002. All summer, I was 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 December 30, 2012 by David Bogomolny
This week we are starting the sefer (book) of Shemot (Exodus), which literally means ‘names’. The weekly parasha is also called Shemot. I mention this because the first name that comes to my mind when I read this parasha is ‘Isra Yaghoubi’ (Year ’08-’09, Fellows ’09-’10). She was my first Chumash havruta, and she left me Continue Reading »
Posted on December 9, 2012 by Derek Kwait
Maybe it’s because I grew up feeling like one, or maybe it’s just some genetic Jewish thing, but for whatever reason, I’ve always sympathized with the outsider. When I went on the Tale of Three Cities tiyyul the two weeks ago, I didn’t know what to expect, except that we were going to meet three Continue Reading »
