These and Those

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

Archive: February 2014

[Alumni Guest Post] Recipe: Roasted Vegetables

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Nataliya Naydorf

Ingredients: 2 zucchinis 1 potato 2 sweet potatoes 6 cloves of garlic 1 red pepper 1 green pepper 2 carrots 1 beet olive oil pepper salt thyme paprika basil rosemary

[Alumni Guest Post] Falling off the Kosher Wagon

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Ma'ayan Dyer

From Ma’ayan Dyer’s (Spring ’12, Spring ’13) blog: Even before the completion of my conversion three years ago, keeping kosher seemed relatively simple and came surprisingly easy. Sure, the BLT was my favorite sandwich once upon a time, and the spectrum of the many delicious treyf Italian meats were a goyish treat that I wouldn’t Continue Reading »

[Staff Guest Post] Homelands

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Falynn Schmidt

by Falynn Schmidt (Year ’99-’00), Pardes staff member, from her blog: It’s a strange thing how quickly a year can pass, but exactly one year ago today, I boarded a plane with a freshly minted aliyah[1] visa glued in to my US passport. My three-bag allowance and I got on an average plane flight, incognito, Continue Reading »

What Exactly Is Experiential Jewish Education?

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Carolyn Gerecht

This year, studying in the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators’ Program for Experiential Jewish Education (PEEP) and Yeshiva University’s Certificate in Experiential Jewish Education, I’ve been fortunate to have had many, many opportunities to answer the question, “What exactly is Experiential Jewish Education?” Typically, I respond in a couple of short sentences. “Most people think Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Passionate, Wise-hearted Artists

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Cara Abrams-Simonton

I love the imagery in Parashat Vayakhel. I love the introduction of Betzalel, Oholiab and the wise-hearted artisans who build the Mishkan and its furnishings. And I love that the people give so many donations for the creation of these precious ornaments that both Betzalel and Oholiab call out to Moshe to get them to Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Plum salad recipe

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Simone Wilk

Ingredients: 10 little plums cut into thin wedges 2 tbls cilantro chopped 1 heaping tbls tihina 1 smaller tbls silan (date syrup) 2 tbls olive oil salt and pepper to taste Directions: Cut, chop, stir and enjoy!

[Faces of Pardes] Six Word Memoirs

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman

Last week, we ushered in the Faces of Pardes week to highlight and celebrate our students’ unique stories and the diversity that exists within the Pardes community. The main activity tying together our students’ experiences to their Pardes experience was a project inspired by the Six Word Memoir movement (see here for the original incarnation: Continue Reading »

Uncircumized Lips in Song

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Max Einsohn

Have you ever wondered what Moses would have said to Pharaoh, as he led the Israelite people out of Egypt? Last week, in our Chumash class, our teacher Rabbi Levi Cooper challenged us to reflect in writing on some of the “big picture” questions that arise from our Exodus story. During class, a few of Continue Reading »

10 FAQS ABOUT BEING GAY AT PARDES

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Avi Benson-Goldberg

1. WAIT, YOU’RE GAY? I WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED! Probably I don’t get this as much as I feel like I do, but hey, we are all humans and so sometimes I go to work in my normal pants and sometimes I go to work in my garish neon-rainbow-flag leather tuchus-less chaps! This is really Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Mirror Back, Mirror Forward

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Anna Pomson

I don’t know if this only happens to me, but throughout this year I have continually been having flashbacks. Sometimes it is in the education courses, reminiscing about the strategies my teachers used, but more often than not this happens during the morning hours of the day while we study various bits of Tanach and Continue Reading »