Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Pardes Seminars . . . ‘ Pluralistic, genuine, immersive, non-denominational, spiritual and academic’
Posted on August 25, 2019 by Larry Brooks
Pardes Executive Learning Seminars. . . ‘a major highlight and focus of my entire year’
Posted on July 15, 2019 by Carole Daman
Posted on June 10, 2019 by Charles (Chuck) Freedman, Ph.D. and Aviva Freedman, Ph.D.
This reflection was written by Charles (Chuck) Freedman, Ph.D. and Aviva Freedman, Ph.D. Pardes Community Education Participants We have been attending the Pardes Omer program every year since we made Aliyah almost 5 years ago. This year it lasted 5 weeks (between Pesach and Shavuot as the name indicates) and was, as usual, very rewarding Continue Reading »
Posted on June 5, 2019 by Julia Laibstain
This poem was written by Julia Laibstain (PEEP ’18-’19) for the closing day lunch. Machon Pardes, oh what a wonderful place! The building may be old but let me tell you.. everyone’s always “holding space” Start the week on sunday, rushing down to Rahel And if one more person’s late, she just might Continue Reading »
Posted on June 5, 2019 by Amalia Mark
This blog was written by Amalia Mark (PEEP ’16-’17, Year ’18-’19) “I am a product of my upbringing; a world of black hats and streimels, a world of Hassidic tales, a world of Eretz Yisrael not Medinat Yisrael, and a world of gendered lines.” Two years ago, I stood in the same spot, at this Continue Reading »
Posted on May 28, 2019 by Alex Griffel
Over the last few weeks, a palpable depression seems to have set in the 3rd floor of 29 Pierre Koenig. Maybe depression is too strong of a word; melancholy might be better. Perhaps that’s just me, but everyone I talk to about it concurs that things have felt different. The year is ending, and Continue Reading »
Posted on May 28, 2019 by Branden Charles Johnson
This has been the most difficult blog post to write this year. As I type these words, I can’t even believe they’re describing reality. That we just returned from the final Shabbaton of our year at Pardes feels like the awkward punchline to a joke someone told back in September. “This year is going to Continue Reading »
Posted on April 8, 2019 by Jason Gusdorf
I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri in a reform Jewish household. My seminal Jewish experiences were my Bar Mitzvah and Jewish Summer camp, which I attended for 7 years. OSRUI was formative in my identity and I have a deep love for the institution, the friends I made, and the time I spent there. Continue Reading »
Posted on April 3, 2019 by Daniella Silverstein
Last week Pardes students enjoyed three days of exploring the Golan, drinking in the scenery. Rainy plains covered in wildflowers, mountains built of rocks, green for days, a shout of exaltation spilling across the landscape. We met crumbling and rebuilt temples, abandoned war bunkers, and UN personnel manning the Syrian border. And through it all Continue Reading »
Posted on April 3, 2019 by Danielle Plung
The first time I traveled to the Golan Heights was as a child, one July, on my first trip to Israel with my parents and brother. We were surrounded by brown, seemingly barren, mountains with straw-like grass, parched in the summer sun, and, when our tour guide said that this was his favorite part of Continue Reading »
Posted on March 26, 2019 by Mina Pasajlic
If anyone would have asked me if anything about my life would be different after the year at Pardes – I would have probably said something like: “Well, I’m guessing I will know a little bit more than I do now and hopefully I’ll be more confident when teaching anything Jewishly in the future”. And Continue Reading »
Posted on March 6, 2019 by Lee Lasher
It is a privilege for Cheryl and me to sponsor and dedicate today’s learning at Pardes in honor of our Children, Gabrielle and Jake Moskovitz, David Lasher and Jake Lasher. We hope and pray that our children will always know and feel how much we love them and that they should cherish the importance of Continue Reading »
