Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 19, 2023 by Louis Polisson
By Rabbi Louis Polisson – Mahloket Matters Rabbinical Assembly 2022 Fellow Learn more about the Mahloket Matters Fellowship Congregation Or Atid of Wayland, MA Rosh Ha-Shanah Day 2 5783 September 27, 2022 / 2nd of Tishrei, 5783 During my second year of rabbinical school, I spent a year living in Jerusalem. One of my most Continue Reading »
Posted on February 28, 2023 by Carole Zawatsky
– Carole Zawatsky, Pardes Elul 2022 and Winter Learning Seminar 2017 Alumna, CEO of the Tree of Life, Inc. I have learned over time, and with the experiences that life has dealt me, that sometimes hitting the pause button is critical to our spiritual, and emotional growth. After a tough year and a decades long Continue Reading »
Posted on November 28, 2019 by Branden Charles Johnson
This post was written by Branden Johnson (PEEP ’18-’19. PEP ’19-’20). Ever since I was a young child, I have wanted to travel the world and see new places. There are very few places at which I would balk; and even fewer that don’t inspire some amount of curiosity in me. For better or worse, Continue Reading »
Posted on November 26, 2019 by David Berman
I was privileged to join the Pardes trip to Hebron this past week, and would like to share some personal remarks about some of what we saw and heard. I must state at the outset that all the opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect that of my employer, Pardes; it would Continue Reading »
Posted on September 13, 2018 by Mira Niculescu
The other day, my friend Hilorie told me about this wonderful technique she has been using for years in her psychotherapy practice. She tells her patients about this Seinfeld Episode in which George wanted to change things in his life. Remember George? The little fat, balding, glasses wearing and bitterness wreaking single middle-aged man, as Continue Reading »
Posted on July 22, 2018 by Mira Niculescu
Today, Tisha B’ Av, we commemorate the destruction and mourn the burning of the temple. As I open Facebook mechanically, trying to forget the hunger of a fast day, here I see it: a video shared, showing southern Israeli fields burning. Acres and acres of fields and forests and trees burning from fire kites sent Continue Reading »
Posted on March 26, 2018 by Gavi Bernat-Kunin Kornsgold
Shabbat entered with a wonderful sense of familiarity. Again we were at the Etz HaHayim synagogue in Ortakoy, honored with co-leading and energizing Friday night services and dinner with our lively songs. Joining us was an Israeli dance group who we were going to see perform Saturday night at the Carmiel dance show! This was Continue Reading »
Posted on September 3, 2017 by Mira Niculescu
Charlottesville was much more than Charlottesville. And what we can get out of it is much more than tears. A couple of weeks ago, I saw with consternation these men – these women too, blond and bold, walking martially, torches in hand, closed jaws, empty eyes, shouting the chants that too often in history have Continue Reading »
Posted on April 28, 2017 by Yaffa Epstein
This article originally appeared in The Times of Israel. Click here for the original post As we approach Yom Ha’atzmaut, my thoughts return repeatedly to a different Yom Ha’atzmaut two years ago. It was on that day when, with hope in my heart and tears in my eyes, I made the difficult decision to take Continue Reading »
Posted on January 23, 2017 by Jonah P.
We are taught: “Matching a couple is as difficult as splitting the sea.” And we are also taught: “At the moment of each person’s conception, a Heavenly Echo calls out and decrees their future partner.” Which is it? Two weeks after becoming engaged to Rebecca, as we enter our 4th year as a couple, I Continue Reading »
