Blogs posts and reflections from students and alumni
studying at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Have a story or reflection to share? Email us: info@pardes.org.il
Why I am Fasting Today – A Reflection on Yitzhak Rabin z”l Yarzheit 5782
Posted on October 18, 2021 by Dani Satlow
Reflections on the Rabbinic Seminar: Enjoying Torah Best in the Marketplace
Posted on October 17, 2021 by Audrey Honig
Rabbinic Israel Seminar Tiyul 2021: Pardes Shabbaton Reflection Parashat Lech Lecha
Posted on October 17, 2021 by Hannah Greenberg
Posted on July 27, 2021 by Jeff Hurok
This teaching was written by first time PLS participant Jeff Hurok. To learn more about the Pardes Learning Seminar program, which runs during the summer and winter, please visit www.pardes.org.il/seminar. I have wanted to attend a summer Pardes Learning Seminar for a few years. I don’t recall the first time I heard about Pardes, but Continue Reading »
Posted on July 15, 2021 by Elaine Hochberg
This post was written by first-time PLS participant Elaine Hochberg. To learn more about the Pardes Learning Seminar program, which runs during the summer and winter, please visit www.pardes.org.il/seminar. Where do I begin? I spent five days last week with Pardes for the first time. The experience was revelatory. A few weeks previously, the new Continue Reading »
Posted on July 12, 2021 by Cindy Scheinfeld
This teaching was written by first time PLS participant Cindy Scheinfeld. To learn more about the Pardes Learning Seminar program, which runs during the summer and winter, please visit www.pardes.org.il/seminar. Several months ago I became interested in studying Torah. It’s not something I have done before. I grew up in a secular home with limited Continue Reading »
Posted on May 18, 2021 by Aviva Melissa Frank
Resilient: re·sil·ient | \ ri-ˈzil-yənt \ a: Withstanding shock without permanent deformation or rupture; b: Tending to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change. A Journey of Resilience: A Case Study of Yosef ben Yaacov If we look to the Tanach, we see a Biblical ancestor/character who faced tremendous hardship yet remained resilient. Continue Reading »
Posted on May 10, 2021 by Judy Kupchan
This blog was written by Judy Kupchan. Judy is a recent olah to Israel from Chicago. She is a retired CEO of the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning and a Jewish educator for more than 40 years in the US. She and her husband Marshall Kupchan are Omer series participants. The Omer series Continue Reading »
Posted on May 2, 2021 by Carole Daman
This blog piece was written by Carole Daman (Year ’73-’74, Spirituality Retreat ’13, ’14, ’15, ’17, ’18, WPLS ’08, ’09, PLS ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16 ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20). Sefer Vayikra begins with an invitation and ends with a warning of alienation. According to Ramban, the Sefer sets forth laws meant to protect the Continue Reading »
Posted on February 9, 2021 by Lexie Botzum
Rabbah was called the uprooter of mountains, while Rav Yosef was called Sinai; Rabbah for his sharp and discerning pilpul, Rav Yosef for the unbelievable expansiveness of his Torah knowledge. Which is preferable as a rosh yeshiva, the gemara on Horayot 14a asks? Sinai. But Rav Yosef deferred to his colleague. We’re told of Rav Continue Reading »
Posted on January 26, 2021 by Carole Daman
This blog piece was written by Carole Daman (Year ’73-’74, Spirituality Retreat ’13, ’14, ’15, ’17, ’18, WPLS ’08, ’09, PLS ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16 ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20). Each year a Day of Learning is dedicated in memory of her late mother, Rose Grossman Goldberg / Brayna Raizel bat Avraham z”l. The following Continue Reading »
Posted on December 27, 2020 by Miriam Lorie
This was written by Pardes alumna Miriam Lorie (PCJE ’16-’17). This is a “retrospective” version of an original blog she posted for this website in 2017 when she was studying in the PCJE Experiential Educators program. It has a new introduction and closing and includes a select excerpt from the former piece. She will be Continue Reading »
Posted on December 17, 2020 by David Schapiro
This article was written by PCJE (PEEP) student David Schapiro. Chanukka ohr Channuka ohr Chanuka ohr Hanuka ohr Hanukka ohr Hannukka ohr Chanukkah? Pick your favourite! We are in the middle of the festival, which despite its recency has accumulated a wide range of – not only ways to spell it – but also halachot Continue Reading »
