These and Those

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

Archive: January 2015

“You Never Need Nobody”

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Suzanne Hutt

This week’s parsha, Shemot, is the first in the Book of Exodus. It tells of the beginning of Moshe’s life and the story of Passover. In the beginning of the parsha, we hear of Pharoah’s evil decree, in which he commands the midwives to kill all of the male Hebrew babies. The midwives, however, do Continue Reading »

Miracle, Revisited

Posted on December 25, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

“5…4…3…2…1…Do you believe in miracles??!” That’s one of the most blood-pumping, invigorating moments in one of my very favorite movies, Miracle, about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. The miracle in the movie is that the inexperienced, comparatively young U.S. team could beat the seemingly invincible Soviet team. When we talk about miracles, we often Continue Reading »

I Say a Little Prayer for__________

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

I. The first time I stood in front of the Kotel, almost exactly a year ago, I was so overcome with emotion and awe that I felt completely at a loss for words. I couldn’t think of a single thing to pray for. I sensed that I was supposed to pray, that of all places, Continue Reading »

Thanksgiving in Israel

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

During my second Shabbat in Israel, some friends and I bumped into a couple that one of my friends knew from back home. It was near midnight on Friday night and the couple had just been accidentally locked out of their apartment. As it turned out, my friend’s roommate was out of town, so he Continue Reading »

Apocalypse, or Opportunity?

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

I’m not going to lie. The energy here in Jerusalem and at Pardes in the past 10 days has been rather high-stress. On the one hand, I think that it’s warranted, considering that the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are meant to be an intense time of reflection and reparation, a time Continue Reading »

The Small Stuff (Shabbaton Dvar)

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

When I learned that the theme of this Shabbaton would be “Building Community,” I asked Meesh if I could speak about something that I am extremely passionate about, and thankfully she said yes. But before I get to that, I want to talk about what we are, all of us, which is basically a room Continue Reading »

Confessions of a Pyromaniac

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

I haven’t always been obsessed with fire. In fact, when I was younger I used to be terrified of it, to the point where I would hide in the pantry closet when anyone in my family lit birthday candles. It’s a long story, but let’s just say it had to do with a Passover hametz-burning Continue Reading »

Two minutes on the clock.

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

The month of Elul is a wake-up call. As the month before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, it is a chance to do some very serious soul searching and think about what/who/how I want to be in the coming year. We have been discussing this idea in each of my classes – what does Continue Reading »

A drop in the bucket.

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Suzanne Hutt

The first thing you should know is that I live in a cistern. A cistern that has been converted into a multi-level, modern apartment, but a cistern nonetheless. Sometimes I sit on the couch and gaze up at the skylight, musing to myself that not so long ago, this whole thing would have been filled Continue Reading »