These and Those

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

Tag Archives: USY

My Modern Jewish Thoughts

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes

From my blog: The most challenging course I am taking at Pardes is called “Critical Issues in Modern Jewish Thought.” There is no Hebrew involved. There is no Aramaic. I don’t even have to memorize birth and death dates of famous Jewish thinkers. What I do have to do, however, is think for myself. And Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Yom Yerushalayim / Haifa as Israelis

Posted on May 11, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

New Alumni Blog Post! Stef Jadd Susnow (Year Program ’06-’07, PEP ’07-’09) Writes about her inspiration to make Aliyah This time of year in Israel, you can’t really go a week without a holiday. This week we celebrated Yom Yerushalayim – the day that celebrates the unification of Jerusalem after the 1967 war. One year Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Emly Oren

Posted on March 28, 2013 by David Bogomolny

Emly Oren left Israel with her family at the age of four, but in many ways Israel never left her family. At school in Orange County, Emly was the only Israeli student; but her family continued to speak Hebrew at home, and they only watched Israeli television programs. The Orens would travel to Israel every Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Louis Sachs

Posted on July 2, 2011 by David Bogomolny

Over the course of many consecutive summers as a camper at JCA Shalom in Malibu, Louis learned about Judaism “without realizing” it. He first attended camp as a fifth grader, and returned year after year until the summer after his first year of college (as a camp counselor). “I did USY for six years, and went to Hebrew school through 10th grade, but Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Brian Stein

Posted on April 21, 2011 by David Bogomolny

Raised in the Squirrel Hill neigborhood of Pittsburgh, Brian’s fascination with Jewish tradition grew through his USY involvement. For the young man, “regional USY Shabbatons were a religious experience in a way that Hebrew school never was.” He experienced traditional Shabbat seudot, and learned about netilat yadayim, lechem mishneh, seudat shlishit, and singing zmirot. As time went on, Brian Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Sam Blumberg

Posted on January 2, 2011 by David Bogomolny

Sam had so much to share with his parents last summer, and it was his father’s first time in Israel! He felt steeped in Israeli culture; and his thinking about Jewish and Israel education had evolved after his Mechina (preparatory) year for the Pardes Educators Program (PEP). He wanted to share not only the religious and historical aspects of Israel, Continue Reading »