These and Those

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

Tag Archives: The Western Wall / The Kotel

(Me)inyan Surprise

Posted on February 12, 2013 by David Bogomolny

Over the course of the past several years, I’ve come to learn that it’s not entirely clear whether praying in a minyan is halakhically required or not. Granted, most sources agree that praying in a minyan is at least encouraged & laudable… but ultimately, my halakhic obligation is to pray the correct services (morning, afternoon, evening) at the correct times. Outside of Continue Reading »

Rosh Hodesh Adar at the Kotel

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Andrea Wiese

From my blog: We went to the Kotel (Western Wall) to pray this morning for Rosh Hodesh Adar. It started last night organizing taxis for everyone from Pardes who wanted to go. This morning, I woke up at 5:30…I made the decision to wrap my arm tefillin and wear my coat over it. I wrapped Continue Reading »

Song of Clarity

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Eric Feldman

From my blog: In this weeks parsha, Beshalach, one of the most famous events in all of the Tanakh occurs when God splits the Red Sea through the staff of Moses, allowing the Israelites to finally escape the centuries-long enslavement in Egypt and become a free people. The result of their freedom is that the Continue Reading »

a new struggle i didn’t see coming

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Andrea Wiese

From my blog: “An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. I know this sounds naive, Continue Reading »

Snow day = best day of my life

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Andrea Wiese

From my blog: We were all awake long before we finally received the email from Pardes to tell us that school was canceled. We all knew, there was a blizzard coming down outside our windows! The city had already shut down the afternoon before because of some hail. We quickly rallied and got a group Continue Reading »

Snowing in Jerusalem!

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Ilan Weismark

[Alumni Guest Post] Coming Home

Posted on January 2, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

By Mira B. Shore [Summer ’09 and ’10, Year ’12] It has been 7 months since I was in the Pardes Beit Midrash. 7 months since I walked the streets of Jerusalem, honoring my ancestors and being part of the Jewish story. 7 months since I actively and constantly questioned my religion, my spirituality, and Continue Reading »

Women of the Wall Up Close

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Aliza Geller

Originally posted on my blog: I need to start by saying that I love Israel, I am a zionist and I also believe in egalitarian Judaism. I am still able to love Israel, even though there are a number of problems related to how much sway the religious right has with the Government of Israel Continue Reading »

Women of the Wall Rosh Chodesh Tevet

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Andrea Wiese

Originally posted on my blog: I recently learned about Women of the Wall and their struggle for equality at the Kotel, the Western Wall, the most significant religious site for Jews. Every Rosh Chodesh they go to the Kotel to pray together in a minyan (technically, a group of 10 Jewish men, but for them, Continue Reading »

I Am That I Am

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Mary Brett Koplen

Originally posted on my CowBird: I AM THAT I AM. Julie is 52 and plays the dulcimer. She is a teacher and a doodler. She strikes a note. “Listen up, Israel,” the first note says to the next. Danielle is 20 and is Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestine, Pro-Peace. She tells me: “To get to the Holy Western Continue Reading »