These and Those

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

Tag Archives: pluralism

Cheshvan: The Silence After Love

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Mira Niculescu

The silence after love: stretching space for all to be.  A Kavannah for the month of Cheshvan Last Tuesday morning was the first day of Rosh chodesh Cheshvan 5777. All of us at Pardes, faculty and students, alumni and guests, were invited to a communal morning davening, to welcome in the new month all together. Continue Reading »

A Grey Kotel

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Andrea Wiese

I originally posted this on the Grey Zone Blog: I have felt to be in a Grey Zone before. There have been times that I felt that I didn’t fit in. But last Rosh Chodesh at the Kotel with Women of the Wall may have made me feel to be in the “greyest” zone of Continue Reading »

One month was not long enough

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Ilana Arje-Goldenthal

When I received my acceptance letter from Tel Aviv University (TAU) Law School to do a semester of exchange, I was surprised that the semester only began on February 16th. I calculated the time between completing the fall semester in Toronto and beginning the winter semester at TAU, and realized that I would have over Continue Reading »

To Dwell Together

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Hannah Joy

From my blog: Last Tuesday before break, we had a Yom Iyun (special day of learning) for Sukkot. One of the ideas that has stuck with me throughout this holiday is that of learning to dwell together. In a session taught by Daniel Roth entitled “‘Spread your Sukkah of Peace Upon Us?!’ The Peace and Violence Continue Reading »

To Feel – To Know

Posted on June 2, 2013 by David Bogomolny

Here is the reflection I shared at Community Lunch last week- One of the many things that I tell people when discussing Pardes is that I wanted to study here before I ever knew that Pardes existed. As a college student I started wearing a kippah publicly before I had any idea what halakha was Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Toward God’s Love

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Rabbi Julie Gordon

R. Julie Gordon (PEP ’12) recollects: Here are some of my thoughts after my experience davenning with Women of the Wall (WOW) on May 10, 2013. I was exhilarated on the day after my bat mitzvah when I learned how to lay tefillin through the wisdom and care of Bert Cooper, z”l, our Albert Lea, Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Developing Myself

Posted on May 21, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Robyn (Year ’08, PEP ’10) is a third-year teacher. She teaches High School Judaics at the Emory/Wiener School in Houston, where she will continue in the fall. My name is Robyn Miller. Typically, May is not a good time to ask me about my life as a teacher. I’m about to finish my third year Continue Reading »

Rosh Chodesh Sivan 5773 at the Kotel

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Laurie Franklin

I went to the Kotel on Rosh Chodesh Sivan expecting to pray, and I did. I was surprised that I could focus on prayer in the volatile atmosphere; the hullabaloo made me concentrate even harder than usual. “Ozi v’zimrat Yah” never had greater meaning for me than it did on Friday morning as I stood Continue Reading »

Dr. Micah Goodman: “What the Israeli elections teach us about Israeli society”

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Ruthi Wicks

Just a couple weeks ago, Dr. Micah Goodman of the Ein Prat Academy visited us at Pardes to address the student body at shiur clali. His insights into Israeli society were stimulating and refreshing. His analysis, based on the election results, that Israeli society is moving towards Jewish pluralism and openness was inspiring and very Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Ben Freedman — Building Upon my Pardes Experience

Posted on January 23, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

The semester I spent at Pardes was among the most important periods of personal growth that I’ve ever had. Upon my return to the US, when family or friends would ask about it, I could only create impressions of how I had grown or what I had truly learned. I would say, “imagine six months Continue Reading »