These and Those

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

Tag Archives: Zionism

Zionism Tiyul- 2017: “Oh God, Make it Last Forever”

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Rachel Dingman

“Oh God, make it last forever…” Hannah Senesh writes as she sits on the shore line of Caesara and I can’t help but feel those words in the depth of my soul. I’ve felt this many times on our tiyulim…when we see the beautiful landscape of the Arava; when we are literally able to touch Continue Reading »

[PCJE] The Heart of Israel

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Samantha Vinokor

I struggle deeply with my feelings about Jerusalem. For years, I felt like I didn’t “get it.” I didn’t understand that feeling that I heard people talk about. That sense of holiness, of connection to God, which they only experience here. While others longed for Jerusalem, my mythical city was Tel Aviv. The fast-paced, modern Continue Reading »

[PCJE] Opening my Heart in Jerusalem

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Samantha Vinokor

Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement…get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible. – Abraham Joshua Heschel When Heschel described radical amazement, he could easily have been speaking about the initial euphoria that people experience Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] I’m scared. I’m terrified. I’ve been taught to keep quiet.

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Alanna Kleinman

I cried during services last Shabbat. I cried out of frustration and fear. I cried because the Rabbi told the sanctuary that liberal voices speaking out against Israel were anti-Semitic and hateful. I cried because I was told to shut up, that there’s only one way to support a land I had come to call Continue Reading »

Why Swarthmore’s Hillel Should Not Become “Open”

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Suzanne Singer

I wrote this to Swarthmore’s Hillel in hopes that it would engage them in responding to me. I have heard nothing. I expect that some Pardes students may be interested and want to challenge/ agree/ expand my thoughts. In Support of Hillel “Guidelines” Why Swarthmore’s Hillel Should Not Become “Open” On December 8, 2013, Swarthmore’s Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Emulating my Grandparents

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Ariel Eliach Forman

This week’s Parsha, Parshat Kedoshim uses the literary device of an “inclusio”. It starts and ends with the same line. דַּבֵּר אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם–קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ: כִּי קָדוֹשׁ, אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.   and ends with: וִהְיִיתֶם לִי קְדֹשִׁים, כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְהוָה;   In the middle, the parsha talks about all the ways and laws Continue Reading »

At a Crossroad, Where do You Turn?

Posted on December 18, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

From my blog: I find it fascinating how quickly our lives can change, often times without us even realizing it. On top of that, how quickly we can change the lives of others, of future generations, surely without them realizing it. It’s a rainy day outside, so you take the bus to work instead of Continue Reading »

Together in Our Wanderings

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Sean Ference

My dvar Torah from the Galil Shabbaton: In our parsha, we are given a vivid description of the Israelite’s journey through the wilderness, and what this vast undertaking entailed. Their journey would begin when the divine cloud would lift off the Mishkan; only then would the Israelite camp begin to move. How long Israel stayed 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 »

Why I am Making Aliyah

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Liviah Landau

April 15th, 2013 It’s Erev Yom HaAtzma’ut and just a few days ago I had my first meeting with Nefesh b’Nefesh, an agency that works for North American Jews intending on immigrating to Israel. My application is in, and a few more papers are needed, but the decision has been made. I am making Aliyah Continue Reading »