Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 2, 2013 by Annie Matan Gilbert
Among the many blessings I have experienced this year is the Ayeka course facilitated by David Bogomolny. I share here some of my favourite take-aways from the course (handily preserved in my writing exercises and reflections.) This module was about bringing God back to the conversation. I felt like it gave me a place to 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 28, 2013 by Stuart Matan Lithwick
Hello! I spent the entirety of last week doing very little but learning so much! Annie and I went on the week-long Jewish meditation retreat, taught by Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels (think Self, Soul, and Text), and Rabbi Jeff Roth, at Kibbutz Hannaton. Over the entire week, we could not talk to anyone except for participating Continue Reading »
Posted on March 19, 2013 by David Bogomolny
“I assume that you’d consider yourself a ḥozer beteshuva, right?” As somebody who was raised by parents who self-identify as traditional, ḥiloni Jews, and chose himself to live a life committed to and guided by halakha, I’ve come to expect some form of this question from people in conversations about Jewish faith and practice. But this term Continue Reading »
Posted on March 19, 2013 by Leah Kahn
Leah Kahn is a Campus Professional Fellow within The Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution, a current student within the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators and former Director of Engagement, University of Chicago Hillel from 2005-2011. I know from firsthand experience that Hillel professionals are very busy managing multiple projects at once and don’t Continue Reading »
Posted on March 14, 2013 by Annie Matan Gilbert
From my blog: This piece is a response to a prompt by Melila Helner Eshed in a class at the Shalom Hartman Institute. Stories within stories Clamping shut and Breaking open With sharp, jagged edges That draw blood And push me back So I stay at arm’s length But inside, if I stretch the skin Continue Reading »
Posted on March 11, 2013 by David Bogomolny
I discovered the following text during an Ayeka session, and found it very challenging… then, in spiritual havruta, I fought with myself to think about this with an open mind, and I’d like to share my subsequent thoughts further below. אור ישראל, הרבי מסאלאנט Ohr Yisrael, Rav Yisrael of Salant מהו מהות של יראת שמים? “What is Continue Reading »
Posted on March 8, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Daniel Shibley (Year ’11, Fellows ’12) blogs honestly and openly about his thoughts on being drafted into the Israeli Defense Forces after making Aliyah: Israel Flag (Photo credit: Felix_V) Sacrifice. Building of the Mishkan takes center stage in the parasha this week. Moshe asks the Israelites to give to the construction project, to sacrifice some Continue Reading »
Posted on March 3, 2013 by David Bogomolny
I often find myself reflecting upon something that my father shared with me about his early impressions of Israel after he made Aliyah from Moscow in ’74. He told me about his being a security guard on Mt. Scopus before the Hebrew U. campus had been fully constructed, and gazing from his post across the Continue Reading »
Posted on March 2, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Aryeh Ben David (Year ’80) shares the following on the Ayeka blog: I find that good poets talk from their soul story. William Stafford gave me insight into my life in a single priceless line. Any Journey When God watches you walk, you are neither straight nor crooked. The journey stretches out, and all of Continue Reading »
