These and Those

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

Archive: June 2017

Loving to Learn; Learning to Love

Posted on June 4, 2017 by Celeste Aronoff

This article was originally published in The Times of Israel. I planned to go to Israel for two months. I ended up staying for three years. Because Israel can do that to you so easily. She flirts with you a little, seduces you a little, and before you know it, you’re in love with Israel Continue Reading »

The Loneliness of Not Knowing

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Celeste Aronoff

This blog has been cross-posted from the blogs on The Times of Israel. The hardest part about making aliyah so far (and I know it can get a lot harder) is that I’m used to being a really, really competent adult. And suddenly, I’m not. All the cultural competency I’ve amassed, all the nuances and subtleties Continue Reading »

They Didn’t Win

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Celeste Aronoff

(This post was originally published by Celeste Aronoff in the Kansis City Jewish Chronicle http://kcjc.com/index.php/opinion/3496-they-didn-t-win). I want to tell you about the land I call home now. I made aliyah in August of this year, becoming an official Israeli, an actual citizen (though I won’t have an Israeli passport for some time still). I want Continue Reading »

In My Hands Now…

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Celeste Aronoff

I came to Pardes this year because I needed to be in Jerusalem. I was supposed to start rabbinical school in the spring, but I decided to come to Jerusalem instead for the summer to study Hebrew and deepen my Jewish experience and identity before then embarking on my rabbinical journey in August. But a Continue Reading »