Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on July 11, 2014 by Joseph Levin-Manning
Hi! I’m Joe, currently a Hillel professional from Baltimore, Maryland. I initially came to Pardes this summer partly because I was told that it would be a truly rewarding experience and because I felt that I need to study some Jewish text in a “formal way”. What I have experienced so far at Pardes has been tremendous. I am finding myself enjoying studying things like Talmud and Mishna. I was nervous about coming initially because I never spent so much time in a foreign country nor traveling alone before. Pardes has really provided a community for me to learn and feel a part of a family. Even though this is a challenging time to be here with everything going all I still feel supported and safe. Both times the sirens have gone off, I found myself surrounded by people from Pardes, both students and faculty. Whether it was seeing the staff at the supermarket or outdoor concert or seeing messages on Facebook or email asking how we were and giving us the chance to connect and express our feelings. I am so thankful that I am able to do Pardes this summer, I know that I only have 2 weeks left but I’m already scheming about a way to come back in the future.