Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 22, 2014 by Eva Neuhaus
the relationships we have with our parents form a template for our relationship with the Divine. i grew up giving my parents a very hard time, constantly bucking their authority. we fought all the time. this power struggle is present in my relationship with God, as it is in my relationships with everyone and everything. here Continue Reading »
Posted on April 13, 2014 by Naomi Zaslow
Over the last week, I and most of my fellow PEPers, have been traveling around the States, doing model lessons for schools in hopes of gainful employment. One of my favorite model lessons that I’ve done focused on the Passover Seder and the way that we tell our story of leaving Egypt year after year. Continue Reading »
Posted on April 11, 2014 by Sarah Pollack
From my blog: A few weeks ago, an actress came to Pardes to do a kind of skit, stereotyping Four Faces of Israel, or four different people that one will inevitably encounter in Israel. She portrayed the narratives of a Haredi woman, a settler, a kibbutznik and an Arab woman. Somehow, every experience that I have, Continue Reading »
Posted on April 9, 2014 by Carolyn Gerecht
A few weeks ago, an email came across my inbox (and probably yours, too) from David Levin-Kruss. “Ask me about this great opportunity to do Shabbat in Beer Sheva,” read the subject line. “City of Abraham, City of Opportunity.” I read it and figured, “Yeah, why not?” I had never been to Beer Sheva before, Continue Reading »
Posted on April 8, 2014 by Eli Freedman
On Passover night, we ask many questions. Here is one you may have never asked: why did the Egyptians want to subjugate the Israelites into slavery in the first place? What can we learn about ourselves by connecting Torah, the history of its interpretation, and Jewish conflict resolution theory? Welcome to the Pardes Center for Continue Reading »
Posted on April 7, 2014 by Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez
From my blog, Redefining Rebbetzin: There has been a lot of talk online over the past few months about Orthodox Feminism – ranging from how it is not possible, to how oppressed we are, to why we stay Orthodox. The posts on the latter topic seem to come mostly from women who grew up within Continue Reading »
Posted on April 6, 2014 by Alanna Kleinman
From my blog: A few nights ago I went to a music and light festival in the old city. Earlier that day, I signed a contract for my job next year- working with Jewish communities in the South, based in Jackson Mississippi. I’ve become aware of what little time I have left in Israel, and Continue Reading »
Posted on April 5, 2014 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: (No, not cleaning the kitchen in my underwear. I’m not that much of an exhibitionist. And it wasn’t even my kitchen, so cleaning in my underwear might have been a wee bit inappropriate.) Thank goodness for Passover, the holiday without which most Jews would never clean their kitchens. But in preparation for the holiday that requires Continue Reading »
Posted on April 4, 2014 by Aliza Geller
There is a good chance that I won’t be returning to Pardes after Passover. So, during community lunch yesterday, I said a few words, an option given to anyone who wants to reflect on their experience at Pardes. Here is what I said: Roughly two hours ago I walked into the Beit Midrash to return Continue Reading »
Posted on April 4, 2014 by Yisrael Ben Avraham
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. In this case, the the offer was to fork over a sizable amount of cash to raise money for Ezrat Avot’s new building and in return get a 6 course meal prepared by a posse of Michelin star chefs. Ezrat Avot was started by Rabbi Shlomo Gamliel z”l Continue Reading »
