These and Those

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

Tag Archives: Academia

I first fell in love with midrash…

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Deborah Galaski

Here’s a little bit about my article: “For the Sake of the Righteous:Divine Love and Human Responsibility in Bereshit Rabba” I first fell in love with midrash when I read a passage in Bereshit Rabba, describing the moment when God created the first human being. I was in my second year of graduate school, where Continue Reading »

Post-Modernity’s Footnote to Modernity

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Barer

I just had the immense privilege of watching Footnote (הערת שוליים) with some fellow Pardesniks followed by a discussion with faculty who have intimate personal knowledge of the culture being described in the film.  First, I highly recommend watching the trailer and, if you are even remotely interested, watching the movie before reading what I Continue Reading »

Rodef Shalom course

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Dr. J. Golden

I first learned about this wonderful program through the Pardes newsletter.  I was in Brazil at the time and had already missed the first class, but I immediately wrote to see if it would still be possible for me to join the course.  I also invited my M.A. student, Joshua Barer, to enroll in the Continue Reading »

Learning Lishma

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Barer

[Cross-posted from my blog] In Jewish culture, there is a high value placed not just on learning, but on learning lishma — learning for its own sake (a source for this would be much appreciated).  This is not a familiar concept for secular academics, where knowledge gained has a practical purpose, even if that purpose Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Michael Rutenberg Schoenberg

Posted on December 5, 2011 by David Bogomolny

Michael (pronounced Mee-kha-el) originally hails from Portland, Oregon, where he was the only person in the whole city who had shoulder-length payos (sidecurls), and he was often mistaken for a girl until the age of eight or nine because many people did not know what payos were. His parents, two Reform rabbis, had followed a Chassidic Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Deborah Galaski

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Barer

Deborah grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, where her family was active in a local chavura, as well as a Conservative shul. When Deborah was eight years old, her mother decided to attend the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC), and her family moved to the Philadelphia area. While studying at RRC, her mother also became very involved Continue Reading »