These and Those

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

Tag Archives: religion

Of Religious Atheists

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Barer

“Why do you wear a Kippah?” “What could you possibly get out of davenning [prayer]? “Why grow an itchy beard for a month?” These questions, and others like them, have all been asked of me, specifically in light of the fact that I do not believe in God.  They are all valid questions, and have Continue Reading »

Week 32: Passover

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Derek Kwait

“Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt,” says the Haggada. While by no means do I, like most of the people I had seder with this year, consider myself inordinately wise or understanding, I Continue Reading »

Week 30: The Golan Tiyyul

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Derek Kwait

Tuesday through Thursday, we were in the Golan. Unlike our last two tiyyulim, the Golan, Israel’s back 40, is the anti-desert; especially now, in the springtime, the place is so overflowing with life and water and cow dung, you can’t take one step outdoors in the entire region without stepping in one of the three. Continue Reading »

Week 29: Role-Playing, or Jesus, Death, and All Their Friends

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Derek Kwait

(X-posted from my home blog, Yinzer in Yerushalayim) Sunday night Pardes made history as the first yeshiva ever to host the launching event for a new edition of the New Testament. The Jewish Annotated New Testament, co-edited by friend of Pardes and Gene Wilder look-alike, Mark Z. Brettler, is actually a lot like the original Continue Reading »

Rest in Peace, Alexander Zaitzev. Rest in peace Judaism?

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Anton L. Gershteyn

  2 minutes ago one of my most beloved friends, Alexander Zaitzev died. 23 years old. Sasha was one of the most reasonable, kind and open-hearted human beings I met in my life. Sasha was humble, but eager to fight for justice, loving and caring. He did not need any religion or any God to Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Deborah Galaski

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Barer

Deborah grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, where her family was active in a local chavura, as well as a Conservative shul. When Deborah was eight years old, her mother decided to attend the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC), and her family moved to the Philadelphia area. While studying at RRC, her mother also became very involved Continue Reading »

RAINING

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Suzi

Wrote this last night: It’s RAINING in Jerusalem Thanks to all the Jews who’ve been praying for this–but couldn’t you have asked it to wait until I got home? Though it was fun walking up Ben Yehuda and watching everybody dancing in the downpour, getting soaked and not caring one tiny bit about it…the youngsters, Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Heed the Call

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, I must tell you that it feels a little strange to write this email to you from the other side of the ocean. Thank God, I arrived safe and sound in New York on Wednesday (even though I had to wait for almost an hour in the INTERNATIONAL customs line!) But, once I Continue Reading »

“Only in Israel”

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Zach

Not so long ago, I was walking along Pierre Koenig Street near my house, and got to a red light at the intersection across from Pardes.  It was pretty deserted at that time of night, with only a few cars and pedestrians out.  While I was waiting, a van pulled up next to me, completely Continue Reading »

R. Melchior speaks at Pardes!

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Shivonne

Rabbi Melchior visited us at Pardes today, hosted by the Peace & Conflict Track. The students present for his talk ended up arriving a bit late to their afternoon classes because none of us wanted him to leave 🙂 The subject of his talk was whether or not religion could/should play a role in conflict resolution. Here’s my favorite quote: “If you Continue Reading »