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
Personal Reflections: Who Am I? The Complexity of Identity in the 21st Century
Posted on July 15, 2020 by Beryl Levinger
Posted on June 15, 2020 by Tamy Jacobs
We had a heatwave here in Jerusalem a little over a week ago. One day, I decided to go and sit under a shady tree, three little schoolboys joined me, tzitzit flying as they danced around on the grass. Rolling around, laughing. Not a care in the world. Remember that feeling? Not Continue Reading »
Posted on June 4, 2020 by Joseph Blumberg
This article was written by year program student Joe Blumberg (Summer ’18, Year ’19-’20). As an aspiring Jewish educator, my time at Pardes was everything I could have asked for. I learned how to read a page of Gemara, I met brilliant teachers and role models, and I continued to deeply explore my own Jewish Continue Reading »
Posted on May 31, 2020 by Yehudit Reishtein
These Closing Circle remarks were delivered by Yehudit Reishtein (Summer 19, Year ’19-’20, Community Education) Last August, one of the first things that jumped out at me when I arrived at Pardes was a feeling of being the statistical outlier. At Opening Circle, just about everyone in the room—students and teachers alike—was younger than me. Continue Reading »
Posted on May 31, 2020 by Lara Rodin
This was delivered at the 2020/5780 closing circle, by Lara Rodin (PCJE ’18-’20). אָדָם צָרִיךְ לְהַחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הֲנָאָה מִמֶּנּוּ A person must be grateful to a place in which they derived benefit (Breishit Rabbah 79:6) I have derived much benefit from my time at Pardes. I am so grateful to my peers Continue Reading »
Posted on May 4, 2020 by Elaine Friedberg
This reflection was written by Elaine Friedberg, Pardes Community Education Participant. My husband and I have been attending Pardes Community Education (CE) classes for about eight years. We find the classes extremely stimulating and appreciate that Pardes courses allow us to choose from a wide variety of subjects including Halacha, Tanakh, Jewish History, Parsha Continue Reading »
Posted on February 23, 2020 by Rebecca Swartz
Rebecca Swartz traveled to Jerusalem for the first time in twenty years to participate in the Pardes Winter Learning Intensive. In a week dedicated to exploring Identity through Jewish texts, Rebecca uncovered the power of seeing her full self. What did I expect to discover during my time at Pardes for the Winter Intensive? While Continue Reading »
Posted on February 21, 2020 by Rebecca Schisler
Rebecca Schisler is a Pardes Year Program Student and the Arts and Culture Fellow. She reflects on what brought her to study this year at Pardes. She delivered this “Take 5” on Thursday, February 20. Pardes has been given permission to publish it. I was invited to speak to kick off recruitment week, which got Continue Reading »
Posted on February 13, 2020 by Amanda Avnery
This blog post was written by Amanda Avnery (Year program ’20) The generation that drank the routine of exile and subjugation more than any generation before it…the generation that its entire existence is to be a bridge from the destruction and exile to a life of freedom and independence…” (Katznelson, Davar Newspaper, 1934). This quote Continue Reading »
Posted on February 13, 2020 by Emuna Keswick
This blog post was written by Emuna Keswick, the 2020 Pardes Communications Fellow and Year Program student (’19-’20). When people would ask me what I was doing in Israel, and I would reply that I had was living on a kibbutz up north, spending my days playing with children and cows. Typically, they would then Continue Reading »
Posted on February 6, 2020 by Aviva Melissa Frank
The Many Faces of Me: Exploring Identity in a Post Modern World. Students from around the globe gathered at Pardes in January this year to ask big questions about identity, and to see what Jewish texts and stories from our tradition have to offer on this topic. Here is a reflection offered by Pardes student Continue Reading »
