These and Those

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

Tag Archives: Masa Israel Journey

To Capture a Moment

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Hannah Joy

From my blog: This past Tuesday night was the Masa Israeli Cultural event at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.  Top Israeli artists of all kinds were brought in for us to hear from, and the night culminated in an incredible performance by the Voca People. I chose to go to the session with Alex Levac, a Continue Reading »

Masa Hillel Fellowship: Building the Jewish Community’s Leaders

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Lisa Motenko

Originally posted on the Hillel Int’l Blog: This past summer I left Berkeley Hillel, where I was on staff for four amazing years, to head to Israel.  I didn’t grow up in Jewish day school, or have extensive experience in Israel – so my time had come to spend a year immersing myself in Jewish text Continue Reading »

Birkat Hamazon

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Rory Sullivan

It took me eight years to get back to Pardes. During a Birthright trip my freshman year of college, we sat in the Beit Midrash, the great big room filled with tables of four chairs each and books lining every wall. We studied a text that I don’t remember. What I do remember is liking Continue Reading »

[Alumni/Staff Guest Post] Down the Stairs of Your Local Coffee Shop

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Jenna King Brill

It was maybe five minutes after I first walked into the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies’ beit midrash that I thought: “Woah. The people here are incredible!” Anyone you talk to who has spent time at Pardes will tell you that it is the people who make it such a unique and wonderful place. It Continue Reading »

“And Receive Every Man with a Pleasant Countenance”

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes

From my blog: Yesterday, Pardes had a MASA adventure. Oh boy, oh boy. Teaming up with HUC (Hebrew Union College), CY (Conservative Yeshiva), and JTS (Jewish Theological Seminary), we commandeered four buses and headed to Tel Aviv. The point of the adventure? To learn about “Jewish Renewal” in Tel Aviv. Contrary to my previous belief, Continue Reading »

MASA Security and Diplomacy Shabbaton 11/22-11/23

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Benjamin Friedman

The following are a few notes about my experience at the MASA Security and Diplomacy Shabbaton, which took place in Jerusalem from November 22-23. I attended with several other students from the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, (where I am a year-student enjoying financial support from MASA), and can, on the whole say that it Continue Reading »

What animal is the JFNA like?

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Ben Schneider

This past week, I had the privilege of being a member of the Masa delegation to the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly. The JFNA is the largest Jewish charity, and I believe the largest charity of its kind in the world, and its primary purpose is to raise money and distribute it in Continue Reading »

Lollipops and Gumdrops

Posted on September 1, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

From my blog last week: A little over a year ago, on August 9, 2012, I went to a conference called the Hillel Institute in St. Louis. It was my first introduction to the many, many Masa Programs that I would spend the next year convincing people to participate in. The conference had many different participants including: Continue Reading »

Behind the Scenes: Q&A With Two Inspirational Pardes Students

Posted on August 7, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

From the Masa Israel Community website: Earlier this year, a group of students from the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies got together to make a video to tell the world what Pardes is all about. We sat in the Pardes beit midrash (study hall) in Jerusalem and interviewed two students who starred in the video Continue Reading »

How Pardes Changed My Life: A Reflection

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Daniella Adler

I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to come to Pardes this year. It is taken me on a journey of Jewish learning and spiritual growth that has exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations. Around March of 2012 I was working three jobs, I felt tired and disconnected from myself. I was missing Continue Reading »