These and Those

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

Archive: April 2013

[Video] These Are Moments

Posted on April 18, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Andrew Lustig (Year ’11-’12) wrote this poem about Pardes, and a bunch of us have cameos in this video! Please share this widely! 🙂

[Alumni Guest Post] A Love Grounded in Relationships

Posted on April 17, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Lisa Narodick Colton (Year ’99-’00) reflects upon theimpact of a recent trip to Israel with her son. I was 21 years old when I first came to Israel. A summer in Tzvat begged more questions than it answered, and I returned for 15 months in Jerusalem (including Pardes) to fill in the openings. This Pesach Continue Reading »

[Video] One Wish Jerusalem

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Joseph Shamash

One Wish Jerusalem is a reminder of and a tribute to our shared humanity. Shot in one day, in Jerusalem, we invited everyone who passed us at the outdoor market and the Old City to share a wish: an honest, human wish. In a country and a city often highlighted for the complexities and conflicts Continue Reading »

Unexpected Encounters: Jewish Holidays and the Other: Yom HaAtzmaut

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

Pardes is pleased to present the second episode of our new podcast series by Rabbi Daniel Landes, Unexpected Encounters: The Jewish Holidays and the Other. This episode is on Yom Ha’atzmaut. Episode title: Yom Ha’atzmaut and the Naqba–Is a Jewish Theology of a Palestinian State Possible? Pardes thanks the Alexander Soros Foundation, the sponsor for Continue Reading »

Wearing Holy-Glasses

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Jeff Amshalem

From my blog: A teaching from Zeev Wolf of Zhitomir, Or Hameir, Parshat Kedoshim.  וַיְדַבֵּר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: דַּבֵּר אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם God spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all of Israel and say to them, ‘Be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.’”Leviticus 19:1-2 Continue Reading »

Ghosts in the night

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Abayiss

Tonight is the night.   No, I am not OK. No, you can not help. No, you do not understand. No, I am not alone.   Tonight is the night I dread all year. All the ghosts that have been pushed into the shadows (with the exception of the occasional visit) come out. Tonight is their Continue Reading »

The Photograph

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Tadea Klein

There is a little girl in a photograph A fair-haired, sweet-faced thing Her arms wrapped around the neck of a man with dark, calm eyes and the inquisitive sniffing nose of a true Jew I know that this girl in her red shirt and black velvet dress, whose earliest memory is the sound of shouting, Continue Reading »

A Peek into the Black and White World

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes

From my blog: I have Haredi cousins. I did not know this until last Friday night, enjoying couch-conversation with one of said cousins before Shabbat dinner. “So what do people in this neighborhood call themselves?” I asked, wondering (after seeing all the black hats and streimels) which sect of Ultra-Orthodoxy I had resigned myself to Continue Reading »

Sarah the Mother

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Annie Matan Gilbert

From my blog: The following snippets were written as part of a Storahtelling exercise to help us get to know the characters/voices with which we are teaching Torah. We are working with some verses from Parshat Vayera, Genesis Chapter 21, verses 8-10. In character, we were asked to answer the following questions: My biggest regret Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Yom Ha… Season as Israelis

Posted on April 12, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

New Alumni Blog Post! Stef Jadd Susnow (Year Program ’06-’07, PEP ’07-’09) and Matt Susnow (Year Program ’06-’07) Write about the “Yom Ha…” Season in Israel… it’s a truly special experience being in Israel for these national holidays. This week marked the beginning of one of the most poignant times on the Israeli national calender, Continue Reading »