Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on September 9, 2012 by Laura Marder
This past Shabbat my roommates and I had the privilege to host new students for Shabbat dinner, as did many other returning students. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that I was starting at Pardes and being welcomed into the community. I remember vividly showing up the first day and feeling overwhelmed and so comfortable at the same time. I had a terrific and relatively smooth transition because of fellow students and staff that welcomed me. Transitioning is such a difficult time if you don’t feel support, so I was happy to be able to return the favor. While sitting at the Shabbat table looking around at new and old friends I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I was to be sharing such a special time with such amazing people. As topics flew around and got scooped up in excited debates and questions the buzz of the future of Judaism filled the dining room. How amazing to have at my table future Jewish Educators, Rabbis, and learned community members. As the night progressed I began to see the “new people” as my colleagues at Pardes now. I have really enjoyed the beginning of this semester and starting to get to know everyone. I really look forward to remembering everyone’s names and getting to know everyone on a deeper level.
