These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Archive: June 2014

[PCJE Graduation] Learn Torah, Learn Torah, Learn Torah, Learn Torah…

Posted on June 6, 2014 by AdAm Mayer

My PCJE graduation speech: Thank you to all of my most amazing and wonderful peers and colleagues. You all have inspired me and taught me so much! Thank you to Judy, Gail, and all the incredible and supportive faculty, mentors and teachers at Pardes! You are true enablers! And Thank you to my wife Chana Continue Reading »

A Wonder-ful Question

Posted on May 29, 2014 by AdAm Mayer

Here are my parting words from the final community lunch of the year: גּל­ֵעינַי וְאִַבּיָטה­­  נְִפָלאוֹת, ִמתּוָֹר ֶתָך “Roll open my eyes that I might look at wonders from your Torah.” t’hilim 119:18 ­ (Psalms) ­ And aren’t they wonderful! The principle of ­בטל ב60 Imagine you are making a kosher meatloaf. If one small piece of non-kosher ground meat falls into your kosher meatloaf, as long as Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Spirit Dressing

Posted on February 6, 2014 by AdAm Mayer

Getting dressed in the morning is a necessary part of my day. It prepares me physically to go out into the world – If I did not have clothes, I would not be able to leave my room. It prepares me mentally and emotionally as well. I think, feel and behave differently when I dress Continue Reading »

My ‘Third Story’ Midrash Poem

Posted on January 1, 2014 by AdAm Mayer

Daniel Roth presented our ‘Judaism and Conflict Resolution’ class for Jewish Educators with this assignment, and below is the ‘Third Story’ poem that I wrote about Jacob and Esav: Esav We’re not exactly bad guys, but ever since dad died I’ve meant to get back at him, that trickster, that thief, who stole my place Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] The Eternal Search

Posted on October 10, 2013 by AdAm Mayer

So many of us are Searching – see ourselves somewhere along our Jewish Journey. This post-modern cultural phenomenon with which we are all too familiar, I would argue, is not a modern ‘phenomenon’, rather began in ~1948 (~1813 B.C.E.) with Avraham. Or to put it another way, Avraham was the first to successfully share his Continue Reading »

Thank you everyone!

Posted on May 30, 2013 by AdAm Mayer

This what I shared at the Final Community Lunch: I love Purim. Do you remember Rosh Hodesh Adar? I can still see the Pardes staff dressed up as hippies, spreading messages and cookies of peace and love. Purim is the time where the truth is revealed and the inside is shown on the outside. This Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Tongue Parmesan – by AdAm Mayer

Posted on April 11, 2013 by AdAm Mayer

I was sitting in the chadar ochel (dining hall) during lunch yesterday with a number of Pardes students, and Zvi Hirschfield turns around from the next table and decides to poll our small group: “Lashon Hara –an aveira [sin] or just good advice?” As to be expected from any gathering of Pardes students, there was Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] AdAm Mayer — Vayera 5773: Hachnasat Orchim

Posted on November 1, 2012 by AdAm Mayer

Every Shabbat when I sit down to eat dinner I start by singing Shalom Alechem, a song of welcoming angels.  The four verses of this song begin as follows: “Shalom” – a greeting, “Boachem” – bringing in, “Barchuni” – asking blessing, and “Tzetchem” – leaving.  I would like to suggest that this song can inform Continue Reading »

A 6-Word Haiku for the High Holidays

Posted on September 25, 2012 by AdAm Mayer

Divine Empathy Commitment and Repentance Recoronation

Week of Majesty

Posted on May 29, 2012 by AdAm Mayer

Originally posted to my blog last week before Shavuot: This week was the week of Joyceee It was also the week of Majesty I barbequed, I went to different natural springs, and I danced! I was at a baby naming 🙂 and now we will always be reminded how much of a Blessing Jerusalem is! We Continue Reading »