These and Those

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

Tag Archives: courses

Levinas and Lao Tzu

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Michael

I gave this as a speech to the Social Justice Track a few days ago. People seemed to like it, so I thought I’d post it for everyone to read… The 29th section of the Tao te Ching: Do you want to improve the world? I don’t think it can be done. The world is Continue Reading »

The Best of David Levin-Kruss

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Jean

The beginning Mishna class at Pardes is called Foundations of Judaism, which sounded, to me, suspiciously like Judaism for Dummies. However, not once has the instructor patronized us with statements such as “Pesach is when we eat matzah” or “Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the oil.” The instructor has asked us more interesting questions: If Continue Reading »

Religion of Mr. Potato Head!

Posted on November 12, 2010 by יעל

My theology of religion is encapsulated in a Mr. Potato Head. Mr. Potato Head is a child’s toy in which a plastic potato can be decorated with attachments for eyes, arms, legs, noses, mouths, and clothing items such as glasses and hats. How does this relate to religion? I look at all religions having the same Continue Reading »

Baruch Feldstern's Chumash Class

Posted on November 4, 2010 by David Bogomolny

The dalet-hei Humash class recently engaged in an exercise that might be of interest to other students and teachers, for its pedagogic value and/or because it is related to this Shabbat’s parasha. As part of studying the account of Yaakov’s acquiring Esau’s birthright – Gen. 25:29-34 – we read all the comments of Rashi and Continue Reading »

Thrills and Struggles with RAMBAM by Vicki Raun

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Eryn

It was my first class with Rav Levi Cooper and my study partner and I were moving slowly, looking up nearly every word in our Hebrew-English dictionaries when the thrill of the moment overtook me as I realized that I was actually reading and translating RAMBAM – Maimonides, the great Jewish scholar – from Hebrew. Continue Reading »

Tikkun Olam by Elizabeth Chipkin

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Eryn

This semester at Pardes, I am a participant in the “Social Justice Track.” The “Social Justice Track” is so named because it is more than a class that meets for a prescribed period of time each week. We do meet as a class, to read, to debate and to understand classical texts. However, we also Continue Reading »

What I learned at Pardes This Week #3: Tefilin

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Pious Antic

I’ve started doing series of posts called “What I learned at Pardes This Week”  on my blog (1, 2), and I thought I’d cross-post the latest one (3) here… enjoy! — One of the strangest and yet most everyday of mitzvot (commandments) is that of laying tefilin. Every day Jewish men (and in some liberal Continue Reading »

Abraham Stood Here

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Jean

September 14 was the first time that our Chumash class was scheduled to last four and a half hours. Everyone was a bit dismayed at the prospect, so after chevruta study, Rav Meir took us on a quick march to the Tayelet, a promenade that overlooks a stunning view of Jerusalem. (Note well: he also Continue Reading »

'Self, Soul & Text' Class at Pardes

Posted on February 20, 2010 by David Bogomolny

Pardes is a very academic institution, which puts tremendous emphasis upon Jewish text study. Morning classes alternate between Talmud (or Mishnah) study & Chumash study, and the afternoon classes, which are subject-based, are also grounded in Jewish texts (Tanakh, Mishnah Berurah, Midrash, etc.). Unlike some other traditional Jewish learning institutions, Pardes does not aim to Continue Reading »

Beliefs as Truths

Posted on December 22, 2009 by David Bogomolny

R. Levi Cooper, my Chassidut (Chassidism) teacher, has consistently inspired me with his wisdom. I’ve heard some of my own thoughts echoed back to me in Levi’s particularly articulate and reasoned way, and other insights of his have seeded entirely new contemplations in my mind. In discussing the history of the Chassidut, RLC taught us Continue Reading »