Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on July 11, 2014 by Rachel Bikofsky
To the incoming Pardes student who’s watching the news and feeling anxious, I know how it is. You’re reading the headlines about everything going on in Israel and you’re thinking, “Wait, am I sure I want to go over there?” Allow me to be the voice that speaks insistently in your ear and says, “Yes, Continue Reading »
Posted on March 28, 2014 by Jessica Jobanek
The Talmud teaches, “Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh” (Shavuot 39a) — all Israel is responsible for one another. I have rarely felt this more profoundly than on March 16, Shushan Purim, when I joined several of my fellow students here in Jerusalem in reading portions of Megillat Esther over Skype for the Jews in Crimea. Continue Reading »
Posted on January 30, 2014 by Dorielle Parker
Daniel Roth presented our ‘Judaism and Conflict Resolution’ class for Jewish Educators with this assignment, and below is the modern ‘Third Story’ that I wrote about Jacob and Esav: It is written: “And he kissed him” (Genesis 33:4) Do you remember your first kiss? Awkward braces, chapped lips, a pulse fast enough to make a Continue Reading »
Posted on January 3, 2014 by Alanna Kleinman
From my blog: One week ago I spent two days in Bethlehem with a group of 15 American Jews, on a trip run by Encounter (http://www.encounterprograms.org/). Immediately after the trip, I knew I had to write about it. I won’t pretend that I can accurately convey my experience in words, or share everything with you. Continue Reading »
Posted on December 11, 2013 by Sydni Adler
I start every personal statement with some variation on the same story: One afternoon in high school, I came home to find my two-year-old brother running around the house, screaming the Shema. Earlier that day, Jacob had learned the prayer in preschool, and now he was yelling it, laughing it, dancing it, while running circles Continue Reading »
Posted on November 18, 2013 by Nataliya Naydorf
It was odd telling family and friends back home that I was excited to go to a Brit Milah. “I just can’t wait to witness a circumcision!” never seems to resonate well with most people for some reason. In truth, while I was excited, I was also apprehensive. Prior to the ceremony, our Chumash Level Continue Reading »
Posted on October 15, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
From my blog: You can’t really know me at this point and not know that I spent a summer in Uganda working for the American Jewish World Service or AJWS. If that’s the case, we should talk some more! AJWS is a non-profit organization supported mostly by American Jewry that works to realize human rights and Continue Reading »
Posted on October 13, 2013 by Hannah Joy
From my blog: This past week’s Torah portion, Lech Lecha, made me think of my own decision to take a year to study in Israel. The first verse reads as follows: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ. Vayomer Hashem el-Avram Lech Lecha me’artzecha umimoladetecha umibeit avicha el-ha’aretz asher ar’eka. “And Continue Reading »
Posted on June 13, 2013 by Andrea Wiese
From my blog: The sunset this evening brought an end to my thirty days of wearing tzitzit. Like any Jewish ritual/mitzvah that I have taken on, I started out by “trying it out.” So I thought this was a good approach to wearing tzitzit also. Thirty days, why not? They say that is how long Continue Reading »
Posted on June 12, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: Forty-eight hours ago, I was in a different country. And no, I did not drive across the border from Mexico to Texas. During the past few weeks, I’ve done a lot of personal journaling, because a lot of what’s happened is just that – very personal. Consequently, less has ended up on Continue Reading »
