These and Those

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

Archive: March 2011

Five Minutes for Shalit

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Pious Antic

Living in Israel, it’s impossible to escape the national preoccupation with the plight of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who was abducted by Hamas in 2006, and continues to be held hostage today. Today, advocates for Shalit’s release called for people all over Israel to come outside at exactly eleven o’clock and block traffic for Continue Reading »

The Individual

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Shibley

Let me begin this brief post by expressing explicitly that I believe wholeheartedly in communal prayer as a viable and necessary outlet of group expression. Furthermore, please do not leave your respective minyanim in a situation where they will be without a minyan, just for the sake of this post. Nor should those saying kaddish Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] Heed the Call

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, I must tell you that it feels a little strange to write this email to you from the other side of the ocean. Thank God, I arrived safe and sound in New York on Wednesday (even though I had to wait for almost an hour in the INTERNATIONAL customs line!) But, once I Continue Reading »

Waking Up

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Shibley

It is well documented that on Friday afternoons in Jerusalem, and other cities throughout Israel, the country begins to slow down, and in some cases shut down for Shabbat. Walking through the open air markets on a dark Shabbat evening is quite strange. Hours earlier vendors were hawking their wares, bellowing at the top of Continue Reading »

“Only in Israel”

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Zach

Not so long ago, I was walking along Pierre Koenig Street near my house, and got to a red light at the intersection across from Pardes.  It was pretty deserted at that time of night, with only a few cars and pedestrians out.  While I was waiting, a van pulled up next to me, completely Continue Reading »

Alumnus Ben Barer published

Posted on March 11, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media

Check out Ben’s article in Canada’s Jewish Independent! Read about Hillel UBC‘s event: We R Israel, held at Temple Sholom. Good job, Ben!

A different Green

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Shibley

Green! United States’ currency and Ireland might come to mind. I have a new green I’d like to propose, the green of the Golan Heights, where I was last week on a three day tiyul with pardes. At this time of year, after some of the much needed rainfall has fallen, the Golan is absolutely Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Austin Weisgrau

Posted on March 10, 2011 by David Bogomolny

Austin (Spring ’11) had planned to begin his university studies at Reed College this year, but then he learned of Where There Be Dragons (WTBD). Before graduating high school in 2010, Austin had led a fairly predictable life. He grew up in San Diego, attending temple services on Friday evenings before having family Shabbat dinner. As a child, he Continue Reading »

R. Melchior speaks at Pardes!

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Shivonne

Rabbi Melchior visited us at Pardes today, hosted by the Peace & Conflict Track. The students present for his talk ended up arriving a bit late to their afternoon classes because none of us wanted him to leave 🙂 The subject of his talk was whether or not religion could/should play a role in conflict resolution. Here’s my favorite quote: “If you Continue Reading »

ויקרא, vayikra

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Avi Strausberg

  parshat vayikra is basically consumed with the bloody details of offering korbanot (sacrifices) and sin-offerings to God.  throughout all the different variations of how we may sin and what we need to do to be forgiven, over and over, we’re instructed to lay our hands upon the animal to be sacrificed directly before its Continue Reading »