These and Those

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

Archive: June 2013

[Alumni Guest Post] Nevatim Conference: More Alive, Outside!

Posted on June 20, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Lisa Bodziner is currently the special programs and curriculum coordinator at the Pearlstone Center. She received a Bachelor’s degree in comparative religions from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She then lived in Israel for four years, receiving a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education from the Pardes Institude and Hebrew College; working at an Ethiopian restaurant Continue Reading »

Culture Shock

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Aliza Geller

I don’t mean that I got home and things were different, they were but I’l get to that a little later. This summer I am working at Emma Kaufmann Camp, in Morgantown West Virginia. This is the camp affiliated with the JCC of Pittsburgh, and I have two second cousins who attended. Blue Ridge Mountains? Continue Reading »

That Freedom

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Ben Weiss

So this blog post rises out of a series of conversations I’ve had with Pardes students and faculty. There is a (mis)conception that Pardes is a bubble. It is perhaps one of the pitfalls of living in an expatriate environment. It is very easy to stick close to one’s institutional community and let things end Continue Reading »

Thirty Days of Tzitzit

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Andrea Wiese

From my blog: The sunset this evening brought an end to my thirty days of wearing tzitzit. Like any Jewish ritual/mitzvah that I have taken on, I started out by “trying it out.” So I thought this was a good approach to wearing tzitzit also. Thirty days, why not? They say that is how long Continue Reading »

[Pardes from Jerusalem Podcast] Chukat: Miriam’s Well

Posted on June 13, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

This week, Rabbi Michael Hattin discusses Parashat Chukat in “Miriam’s Well” Chukat

[PEP Graduation ’13] And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Hannah Perlis

Here’s my Dvar from last week’s PEP Graduation! Ralph Wiggum from The Simpsons once said, “When I grow up I wanna be a Principal or a Caterpillar.” When I was younger I thought I wanted to be a supermarket cashier because you get to stand near the candy all day. I learned a lot about Continue Reading »

Quietly Back and Possibly Blue

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes

From my blog: Forty-eight hours ago, I was in a different country. And no, I did not drive across the border from Mexico to Texas. During the past few weeks, I’ve done a lot of personal journaling, because a lot of what’s happened is just that – very personal. Consequently, less has ended up on Continue Reading »

[PEEP Graduation ’13] Athletes of God

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Leah Kahn

Here is my dvar Torah from the PCJE Graduation ceremony! Martha Graham was one of the sages, entrepreneurs and Rebbes of modern dance. Says Graham: “I believe that we learn by practice. It is the performance of a dedicated, precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of Continue Reading »

[PEP Graduation ’13] The Dove need not Return

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Stu Jacobs

The following is my PCJE Commencement dvar Torah from last week: 2002-2003: Pardes Year Program July 2008: Pardes Summer Session And now, 2011-2013: Pardes Educators Program I guess the only thing left to do is to talk to Robby about coming back, maybe in 2040, for the Executive Learning Seminar. But, in all seriousness, as Continue Reading »

15 Shekel Shawarma

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Tadea Klein

A little over a year ago, I went out for my first shawarma. I walked past the Kinyon Hadar, and turned into this vaguely sketchy open-wall joint that said “15 Shekel Shawarma” in big neon letters. Bogo, who was accompanying me, showed me what to order. When we were finished eating, he pulled out a Continue Reading »