Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on January 24, 2024 by Michael Emerson
This week will be the 12th yahrzeit of my mother Rose Goldberg, Bryna Rayzel bat Avraham. She was active in local Jewish organizations including Bnai Brith, the Riverdale Jewish Community Council and UJA, cochairing Super Sunday for many years. But more than anything else, she dedicated her life to her children and her grandchildren. Parshat Continue Reading »
Posted on May 2, 2021 by Carole Daman
This blog piece was written by Carole Daman (Year ’73-’74, Spirituality Retreat ’13, ’14, ’15, ’17, ’18, WPLS ’08, ’09, PLS ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16 ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20). Sefer Vayikra begins with an invitation and ends with a warning of alienation. According to Ramban, the Sefer sets forth laws meant to protect the Continue Reading »
Posted on January 26, 2021 by Carole Daman
This blog piece was written by Carole Daman (Year ’73-’74, Spirituality Retreat ’13, ’14, ’15, ’17, ’18, WPLS ’08, ’09, PLS ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16 ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20). Each year a Day of Learning is dedicated in memory of her late mother, Rose Grossman Goldberg / Brayna Raizel bat Avraham z”l. The following Continue Reading »
Posted on December 27, 2020 by Miriam Lorie
This was written by Pardes alumna Miriam Lorie (PCJE ’16-’17). This is a “retrospective” version of an original blog she posted for this website in 2017 when she was studying in the PCJE Experiential Educators program. It has a new introduction and closing and includes a select excerpt from the former piece. She will be Continue Reading »
Posted on September 21, 2020 by Carole Daman
This blog piece was written by Carole Daman (Year ’73-’74, Spirituality Retreat ’13, ’14, ’15, ’17, ’18, WLS ’08, ’09, ELS ’12, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16 ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20). Each year a Day of Learning is dedicated in memory of her late husband, Harlan Daman (Tzvi Hirsh ben Dovid Aryeh) z”l. The following is Continue Reading »
Posted on January 8, 2020 by Rabbi Joshua Katzan
This blog was written by Rabbi Joshua Katzan of Los Angeles, alumnus of the Winter 2019 Pardes Learning Seminar and Pardes Year Programs ’90-’92. “Illuminating. Challenging. Grounding. Provocative. The essence of the Pardes Learning Seminar is to practice the art of seeing ideas and Jewish text from various points of view, and to feel more Continue Reading »
Posted on August 1, 2019 by Rabbi Irv Elson
This blog piece was written by Rabbi Irv Elson, alumnus of the Pardes 2018 and 2019 Summer Programs. Many years ago, (did I say MANY”?) when I first arrived in New York to attend college, I was faced with the task of opening a bank account at a local bank. The choices were many. In Continue Reading »
Posted on February 4, 2019 by Charles Marder
I want to attempt to describe an experience that words cannot adequately do justice. When my daughter Laura suggested I come join her on her third time attending Awakening the Divine: The Pardes Spirituality retreat co-sponsored by Or HaLev: Center for Jewish Spirituality and Meditation and NYU, I said “I think so”, but I already Continue Reading »
Posted on January 9, 2019 by Hayim Herring
This post was originally published in the Times of Israel on January 2, 2019. Beginnings often provoke questions about where we find ourselves in life. Even if you attach no spiritual significance to a new secular calendar year, you may still feel a tremor of time shifting as you cross over from the past year, say Continue Reading »
Posted on May 24, 2018 by Shira M. Cohen-Goldberg
This post originally appeared in Kveller. Click here to read the original. It’s weird to be pregnant again. People ask me the sex of the baby all of the time, and I say “girl,” and they say, “Oh, and how about your other kids? Boys? Girls?” And when I’m not in the mood to give Continue Reading »