These and Those

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

Tag Archives: Rosh HaShana

Of Honey, Horns and Bamboo Roofs

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Miriam Lorie

This post was originally posted on miriammuses.com. Click here for the post. The past month in Jerusalem has been quite an experience. It has been the month of Tishrei, in which some of Judaism’s major festivals fall. Think a cross between the summer holidays (country-wide) and Christmas with all its traditions and cheer, throw in Continue Reading »

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Ori Bieder

On the morning of Rosh Hashanah, Rivka went into the bedroom to wake her son and tell him it was time to get ready to go to the synagogue, to which he replied in a dull voice, ‘I’m not going.’ ‘Why not?’ Rivka demanded. ‘l’ll give you two good reasons Mother,’ he said. ‘One, they Continue Reading »

Apocalypse, or Opportunity?

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

I’m not going to lie. The energy here in Jerusalem and at Pardes in the past 10 days has been rather high-stress. On the one hand, I think that it’s warranted, considering that the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are meant to be an intense time of reflection and reparation, a time Continue Reading »

Ha’azinu and Music and Community (and me)

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Sarah Marx

In the last week, hovering on the edge of Rosh Hashanah, I’ve heard and sung songs that shook me to my core. In the coming weeks, I’ll be faced with many more – liturgy for the High Holidays, its passion and fear barely contained by the melodies’ majesty, or zemirot sung around the Shabbat table. Continue Reading »

[PCJE] Parshat Nitzavim-Va’Yelech: We’re in this together!

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen

Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah. דְּבָרִים כט:ט “אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם: רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם, כֹּל, אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל”. “Today you are all standing before the Lord your God, your leaders, your tribal chiefs, your elders, your law enforces, every Israelite man.” Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Parshat Nitzavim-Va’Yelech – You’ve got to keep going!

Posted on September 17, 2014 by David Wallach

This Shabbat in synagogue (or at the shabbaton, woot!), we will read the joint parshiot of Nitzavim and Va’Yelech. The Jewish calender has it that Parshat Nitzavim always falls out before Rosh Hashana. A coincidence like this causes us, the readers of the Torah, to ask, “so nu? What’s the connection? Why must this parsha always fall out before Continue Reading »

[PCJE] Ki Tavoh: First Fruits and New Beginnings

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen

Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah, Ki Tavo. דְּבָרִים  כו:ב, ה ב  “וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל-פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ–וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא; וְהָלַכְתָּ, אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם… ה וְעָנִיתָ וְאָמַרְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי, וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה, Continue Reading »

Two minutes on the clock.

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

The month of Elul is a wake-up call. As the month before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, it is a chance to do some very serious soul searching and think about what/who/how I want to be in the coming year. We have been discussing this idea in each of my classes – what does Continue Reading »

Pomegranate Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Heather Kantrowitz

These cookies are perfect for Rosh Hashanah – the pomegranate seeds burst in your mouth and provide a sweet start to your new year. Bake them for friends, family, or just yourself. Enjoy!!! Ingredients ½ cup butter, room temperature ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed ½ cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Belated D’var Torah: Parashat Noah

Posted on October 6, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Daniel Shibley reflects: Our parasha last week, Noah, contains the famous story of the flood. However, I would like to focus instead on two words that border the flood narrative. The words in question appear in a number of other places in the Torah. More often than not, the appearance of these words is immediately Continue Reading »