Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on September 30, 2012 by Naomi Zaslow
When I was first applying to Pardes, (two years ago!) it took me a while to come to terms with the fact that we have no campus. Pardes is located above a Mazda dealership, on the border of the Talpiyot Industrial Zone. In my dreams, I had imagined studying gemara in some leafy quad and lounging in a hammock between classes, soaking up in the exotic Jerusalem air. The reality was that Pardes’s “מקום” (place) left a lot to be desired.
After my first year at Pardes, I decided to come back as an Educator – keeping me in this מקום for the next two years. Three years in all, learning at a Mazda dealership.
But it’s cool. I’ve started to see קודש (holiness) in our place. That קודש is so palpable, touchable, real, that it shows up on film.
