These and Those

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

Archive: November 2013

A Bris to Remember

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Nataliya Naydorf

It was odd telling family and friends back home that I was excited to go to a Brit Milah. “I just can’t wait to witness a circumcision!” never seems to resonate well with most people for some reason. In truth, while I was excited, I was also apprehensive. Prior to the ceremony, our Chumash Level Continue Reading »

Creating Together

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez

Today is the fourth annual Global Day of Jewish Learning and this year’s theme is “Creating Together: Jewish Approaches to Creativity and Collaboration.” Two very broad and important things in my life, and as I sit here attempting to consolidate them with my experiences at Pardes this year, their coalescence becomes so obvious to me. When Pardes’s weekly Continue Reading »

What animal is the JFNA like?

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Ben Schneider

This past week, I had the privilege of being a member of the Masa delegation to the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly. The JFNA is the largest Jewish charity, and I believe the largest charity of its kind in the world, and its primary purpose is to raise money and distribute it in Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Striving to Taste Bread

Posted on November 16, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Eryn London (Summer ’06 & ’07, Community Education ’10, Year ’10-’11, Hourly ’11-’12) made Aliya from New Jersey three years ago. She is currently studying in the Manhiga Hilchatit Program at Midreshet Lindenbaum, which is a 5 year advanced Halacha learning program. Beyond learning she also runs activities at a nursing home, teaches theatre, and Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Finding Blessing in Struggle

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Dita Ribner Cooper

During a hike outside of Jerusalem on our first Pardes shabbaton I found myself walking behind two people that had just met. Like all first meetings go, they each introduced themselves, asked where the other was from, and where the other person was living during his/her year in Pardes. It was the beginning of what Continue Reading »

Shtetl Nostalgia

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Jeremy Borovitz

I’ve been suffering for some years now from a self prescribed disease known as “Shtetl Nostalgia.” Perhaps unique to 4th generation Ashkenazi Jewish Americans of the Galician frontier, it mainly consists of an intense longing for a time and a place that I never knew and that wasn’t nearly anything like I imagine. Yet I’m Continue Reading »

The Patriarch’s Plea, or: Abraham’s Moment of Doubt and Pain

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Benjamin Friedman

Performed on the Negev tiyulduring the Talent Show: I sat in fire with my faith I smashed the idols of my race I left the land of father’s rules To wander far and play the fool Against great doubts I had to fight All to be keep your vision bright To keep you fixed within Continue Reading »

Sarah does Chayei Sarah

Posted on November 11, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

From my blog: Newsflash, last week was not the week that we read Chayei Sarah. However, it doesn’t mean that I can’t write about it this week! A few weeks ago, Pardes took students on two tiyulim, trips. One tiyul, which I went on, I already wrote about. The other tiyul was to Hebron, a city about an hour Continue Reading »

Just a bunch of stones

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Sam Stern

From my blog: Well, angelfish, the solution to your problem is simple. The only way to get what you want is to become a human yourself. It was 1:53PM Monday afternoon as I stood outside of Pardes dialing the Jewish Agency. When the call ended 4 minutes later, I felt so distant from this country Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Thanksgivukkah

Posted on November 9, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Yisrael Campbell (Year ’01, Fellows ’02) stars in this parody: