Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on March 1, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman
Laurie Franklin (Year ’13) sent us this poem, written as she watched a blizzard and read from Kedushat Levi: Laurie Franklin is the spiritual leader and rabbinic intern at Har Shalom. She can be reached at laurief AT har-shalom DOT org. Torah of New Snow Torah of New Snow, after Kedushat Levi White feathers of Continue Reading »
Posted on May 27, 2013 by Joseph Shamash
On my second Encounter trip, as we listened to various Palestinian speakers share their personal stories in a conference room in a Bethlehem hotel, I decided to take a stretch in the back of the room. At that point in the day, we had already listened to a number of speakers and I remember thinking Continue Reading »
Posted on May 27, 2013 by Derek Kwait
At the end of last year, I gave the world “The Kwait“ the necessarily abridged First Edition of The Practical Dictionary of the Pardes Lexicon. Now, as my Pardes experience comes to a close, I present this still necessarily abridged Second Edition, to be known as “The Kwait Shayni.” This edition, like its predecessor, is Continue Reading »
Posted on April 28, 2013 by David Bogomolny
I shared the following words at Pardes, wishing my friend Yevgenia and her family chizuk (encouragement, support) and Hashem’s rachamim (mercy). She was born with a congenital heart defect, which has always impacted the quality of her life. Last Sunday, a week ago, I was not entirely surprised to learn that she had been hospitalized. Yevgenia inspires me Continue Reading »
Posted on March 29, 2013 by Hannah Grossman
Throughout Pesach my mind has been overflowing with questions, thoughts and new insights. As I ponder what to share with you, I recall one tradition which gets my mind thinking every year. After the birkat hamazon (grace after meals) a cup set aside for the prophet Elijah is poured and we open the door for him. Continue Reading »
Posted on February 8, 2013 by Derek Kwait
The University of Pittsburgh’s Chabad House, run by two of my heroes, R. Shmuel and Sara Weinstein, is one of my favorite places on earth and one that has had an inestimable impact on my identity as a Jew. Once, when in late January 2011 they took a very rare Shabbat away, we students decided Continue Reading »
Posted on December 5, 2012 by Hannah Grossman
I have always loved exploring the connections between the Torah/Haftarah readings in respect to the holidays on which they are read. With Chanukah coming around the corner I saw an opportune time to delve into an analysis. Throughout Chanukah we read Bamidbar 7:1- 8:4, chronicling the gifts of the princes of the twelve tribes at Continue Reading »
Posted on November 8, 2012 by Derek Kwait
“Oh, so you’ve been here [almost a year/two years]! So are you planning on making aliyah?,” they say, bearing their teeth and gently lifting their eyebrows in anticipation of the upcoming hearty “Mazel tov!” they’re sure to owe me. “No.” “Oh,” this is less an expression than the sound a face makes as it falls. Continue Reading »
Posted on October 5, 2012 by Sydni Adler
During Sukkot, we celebrate God’s hand in the successes of our past years’ produce and of all the work of our hands (Deut 16:15). Before the destruction of the Temple, Sukkot was much more of a raucous, noisy, purely joyful celebration than it is today. However, today, without the Temple and without sacrifice, what remains Continue Reading »
Posted on April 11, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media
Rabbi David Levin Kruss shares two back-to-back podcast lessons with us this week: 5772 — Pesach 8th Day: Messianism Today. DLK discusses Messianism, a theme of the Haftorah for the eighth day of Pesach celebrated outside of Israel. Click here for the handout. 5772 — Shemini: Strange Fire. Click here for the handout.
