Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on November 17, 2010 by Avi Strausberg
if in the past two parshas, there has been a severing of relationships and distancing between the members of yitzhak’s family, this week’s parsha, וישלח, tells of their coming together. previously, the rivalry and trickery involved in jacob’s maneuvering of the birthright and blessing from the rightful first-born esau, led to seeming devastion on both Continue Reading »
Posted on November 16, 2010 by Bookie
Posted on November 15, 2010 by Jean
The beginning Mishna class at Pardes is called Foundations of Judaism, which sounded, to me, suspiciously like Judaism for Dummies. However, not once has the instructor patronized us with statements such as “Pesach is when we eat matzah” or “Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the oil.” The instructor has asked us more interesting questions: If Continue Reading »
Posted on November 14, 2010 by Elizabeth
Click on these for bigger pics:
Posted on November 14, 2010 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, This past week I was struck by a passage in the parsha that reminded me of a word (actually a Hebrew root) that comes up in several parts of the Shabbat liturgy. To be honest, I was very surprised to see this word used in a context that has absolutely nothing to do Continue Reading »
Posted on November 12, 2010 by יעל
My theology of religion is encapsulated in a Mr. Potato Head. Mr. Potato Head is a child’s toy in which a plastic potato can be decorated with attachments for eyes, arms, legs, noses, mouths, and clothing items such as glasses and hats. How does this relate to religion? I look at all religions having the same Continue Reading »
Posted on November 11, 2010 by Barer
My New Voices post for this week
Posted on November 11, 2010 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s parsha, ויצא (vayetze), jacob sets out to bethuel, the house of his mother’s father, to find himself a wife, and perhaps some countless offspring in the progress. he succeeds in landing himself not one, but count them, two wives: leah, the unloved, and rachel, the loved. jacob favors rachel to such an Continue Reading »
Posted on November 11, 2010 by Shibley
From my blog: Here in Jerusalem, the average rain can be upwards of 500 mm. In the Arava, a portion of the Negev, less than 30 mm of rain fall on average. What grows with 30 mm of rain, not much. As you can see above, plant life is fairly limited. Jerusalem, which is relatively Continue Reading »
Posted on November 11, 2010 by Shibley
From my blog: No, it’s not what you think. This past Kabbalat Shabbat, I was in a youth hostel in Jerusalem, where all of the guests who are so inclined gather together, and hope to assemble enough people and know-how to create a smooth and meaningful davening. Since we are in Jerusalem, the numbers were Continue Reading »
