Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
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 »
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 »
Posted on September 29, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Daniel Shibley (Year ’11, Fellows ’12) reflects: Whether you are in the diaspora or Israel, all of the holidays in this season have come to a close. Although we may joke about them finally being over and the relief therein, every year at this point, I experience a quasi-withdrawl syndrome. The following is an attempt Continue Reading »
Posted on September 17, 2013 by Stefanie Groner
I shared these parting words at Community Lunch today at Pardes: In three weeks, I will start my first-ever, grown-up, real-life job as a consultant. From my understanding, a consultant comes in as an outsider to a space, gets to know the ins and outs and upside-downs of that place, and develops creative and effective Continue Reading »
Posted on September 16, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
From my blog: I walked out of Shul on Friday night, after Kol Nidre, feeling a little bit guilty. I beat my chest, I proclaimed the words, but I didn’t feel truly connected to sins that seemed so grand. I rattled off ashamnu, bagadnu, dibarnu dofi…., but my heart wasn’t in it. I guess I fell Continue Reading »
Posted on September 13, 2013 by Eva Neuhaus
My friend Adam Mayer posed a question that stuck with me through the Days of Awe: What is the most effective way to do teshuvah? How can we forgive ourselves and others completely? Here are some of my reflections: 1. The fact that we’ve done bad things doesn’t make us bad people. Examining our shortcomings Continue Reading »
Posted on September 12, 2013 by Deborah Renert
A person has 5 senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching) and 3 additional faculties–the mental, the emotional, and spiritual. Hence, it seems that a person can experience both pleasure and engage in “averot” connected with each of these senses and other faculties. So it seems that perhaps the best way to do teshuva would Continue Reading »
Posted on September 3, 2013 by Stefanie Groner
From my blog: I had more class hours today than I attended in an average week of college. This post is a ‘typical day’ post, but you might notice this is not a ‘typical’ school in any way. Here’s what I studied: 8:30-11:15 am: In our intro to Mishneh class (early biblical commentary), we studied Continue Reading »
Posted on September 3, 2013 by Stefanie Groner
From my blog last week: Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Now, this Jewish New Year, 5774, begins this Wednesday! Party! Last night, I went to my school’s open class and service on Selichot, the art of repentance. Jews tend to harp on this theme as we finish up one year and begin to focus Continue Reading »
Posted on August 18, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: In preparation for Elul, returning to Israel, and because Torah is awesome, I presented this d’var Torah at my synagogue tonight during seudat shlishit. I thought some of you might enjoy reading it. Shabbat Ki Tetzeh Seudat Shlishit D’var Torah By Naomi Bilmes Shabbat Shalom. This week’s parsha, Ki Tetzeh, is full Continue Reading »
