These and Those

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

Tag Archives: personal growth / transformation

Taking a Year Off On

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Tamy Jacobs

Imagine sitting in the shade on a Saturday morning. There’s a bit of a breeze. We just finished davvening (praying) and had a snack. It’s our final Pardes Shabbaton. We are in Tavor Alon at a retreat center. Everyone is relaxed and happy. We’ve broken into small groups to reflect back on the past year. Continue Reading »

End of Year Thoughts

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Rachel Dingman

I looked back on a blog post I wrote in 2014–my first summer here at Pardes. The blog post was titled “I’ve been saying watermelon a lot”. This phrase comes from an amazing Shabbat meal I had at Yaffa Epstein’s house. Everyone started singing and I looked around filled with confusion. Yaffa said “Sing along, Continue Reading »

Questions

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Estella Gabay

Before I got on the plane to Israel, I had many doubts. It wasn’t my first time in Israel, but my purpose was different from my previous visits. I was hesitant this time, overwhelmed. I am from Istanbul. I am Jewish, living in a Muslim community. Am I living a Jewish life? I ask that question to Continue Reading »

Coming Out: My Mom Isn’t Jewish

Posted on August 7, 2016 by George Altshuler

My father is Jewish, but my mother isn’t. A literal reading of halakha, or Jewish law, would suggest that I’m not Jewish. But my mother and father made a decision before I was born to raise my sister and I as Jews. I had a bris and a bar mitzvah, attended Hebrew School and confirmation classes, Continue Reading »

We Are All in This Together

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Yuliya Mazur

This blog has been cross-posted from this link. Here at Pardes I like all of my teachers. Otherwise I wouldn’t have taken their classes, right? But a person whose class and relationship with I treasure the most, is definitely Yaffa Epstein. Yaffa is the reason I am coming to Pardes for the second year and Continue Reading »

Rabbi Meir Schweiger – An Inspiration to Families Worldwide and His FSU Adventures

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Miriam BenSander

Imagine my family – a Jewish family, a respected family in FSU Moscow in 1983 … When I was an adolescent my parents decided to return to our Jewish roots and begin to observe traditions again – in a time when that was dangerous. They studied for themselves and tried to teach us, their children – Continue Reading »

Coming Out Jewish

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Ma'ayan Dyer

This blog was originally posted on the author’s personal blog, Lost in Jerusalem. In the eternal words of every human being since the beginning of spoken language, life is not fair. It never has been and never will be. Not that we will ever shut up about it. Perhaps I should back-up a bit and Continue Reading »

The Magic of Torah

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Elana Weiner

If I were to be accused of avodah zarah, it would be to name among the mortal world a God of Audre Lorde. Since I first met her words, I have found meaning and comfort in them. One of my favorite quotes of hers aptly describes what I have learned here at Pardes: “Your silence will not protect Continue Reading »

Shmita

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Maya Zinkow

When I thought about what I could say to encapsulate two years spent in this special place of learning and growth, I thought about the Maya of two years ago, how she might be unsure of where, even, to begin. There was always the parsha to look to, but if she were to close her Continue Reading »

Leap Year

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Becca Shrier

In the Gregorian calendar, a leap year occurs every four years, adding one day to the month of February. In the Jewish calendar, a leap year occurs seven times in a 19-year cycle, creating an “extra” month – Adar Aleph. Occasionally, both leap years sync up – which they did this year, 2016. This poses Continue Reading »