These and Those

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

Archive: May 2013

[Alumni Guest Post] A Holy Stranger with Open Arms

Posted on May 1, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Alissa Thomas (Spring ’11) blogs about relating to Jewish Converts, inspired by her own father: There is nothing like seeing my father dressed head to toe in all white. His soul hearkens to the time of the Kabbalistic rabbis who, draped in white clothing, would sing Kabbalat Shabbat in the fields. I imagine my father in his Shabbat white Continue Reading »

Purim Art Piece

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Tadea Klein

Drawn for the holiday arts project.

Torah Balance

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Stu Jacobs

Yesterday was a special day at Pardes. Not because Meir was roaming the halls with a mass of students, singing at the top of his lungs, although that was part of it. Not because there was dancing in the beit midrash, although that was part of it as well. The occurrences above, while special, have Continue Reading »

Okay, so setting goals isn’t my strong suit…

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Ma'ayan Dyer

From my blog: Previously, on Lost in Jerusalem, I made the grand pronouncement that I was setting for myself no less than three goals in an attempt to be healthier, happier, and perhaps something more of a writer than a poser who talks about how nice it would be if I were a writer. If Continue Reading »

Should our students be allowed to study Torah on an iPad?

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Ilan Weismark

From my blog: Should our students be allowed to study Torah on an iPad? Does it change the Kedusha of the text? For thousands of years Jewish tradition was rooted in the oral passing of history. In the first and second century when Yehuda HaNassi compiled the Mishna, he changed the future of Jewish education. Continue Reading »

Hachnasat Sefer Torah

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Annie Matan Gilbert

Today at Pardes, we had the honour and the pleasure of dancing our new sefer Torah, (donated in honour of a recent Bat Mitzvah) around the school. We heard lovely divrei Torah from Pardes student, Dr. Aileen Heinberg and from Rav Landes. There was some mention made of the fact that a Hachnasat Sefer Torah Continue Reading »

My Happy Lag Ba’Omer Painting!!

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Hannah Grossman

[Guest Post] Why (not) Pardes?

Posted on April 28, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Melissa Gutierrez posted this at Redefining Rebbetzin… Next year, she’ll be a Fellow at Pardes, along with her husband Dustin! Pardes Logo – Post by Melissa Since moving to Israel nearly nine months ago, I cannot count the number of times I have had the following conversation with people I meet once it has been Continue Reading »

Yevgenia Baron Probst

Posted on April 28, 2013 by David Bogomolny

I shared the following words at Pardes, wishing my friend Yevgenia and her family chizuk (encouragement, support) and Hashem’s rachamim (mercy). She was born with a congenital heart defect, which has always impacted the quality of her life. Last Sunday, a week ago, I was not entirely surprised to learn that she had been hospitalized. Yevgenia inspires me Continue Reading »

I’m compact!

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Avi Benson-Goldberg

From my blog: i shaved this face and it was actually really difficult. electrical razor, you are not my friend. Thanks to MASA Israel, I’ve had the chance to confirm for myself, in excruciating and extensive detail that Israel is a pretty small country. Like, really small. Usually we mean that the landmass of Israel Continue Reading »