These and Those

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

Tag Archives: Aliyah

“Living in Israel and being Jewish is a struggle.”

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Andrea Wiese

When I made aliyah a year ago, I knew that I was doing so on the grounds that it would be challenging, not only financially or emotionally, but because Israel is difficult. There is nothing easy about Israel, and maybe that is where her true beauty comes from.   Pardes set up a trip for Continue Reading »

Faces of Pardes: Meet Hayim Leiter

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Suzi

By Suzi Brozman If you’ve spent any time in the Beit Midrash (and what Pardes student hasn’t?), you’ve at least seen the tall, lanky man seated in the corner, earbuds in his ears, study volume open.  And chances are good that he’s approached your table and asked, “Is everything good?  Any questions?”  If, like me, Continue Reading »

Faces of Pardes: Meet Karen Feuer

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Suzi

By Suzi Brozman You’ve seen her face, always smiling and earnest.  You may have noticed her occasional parrot-hued head coverings.  But I’ll bet you don’t know that the parrot motif is part of the clown persona she uses in an off-duty activity—Karen is a medical clown (more about that later!)  She’s officially the Assistant to Continue Reading »

Hole in my heart.

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Andrea Wiese

I just received this article about bagel shops in Chicago (Kaufmans, our favorite, taking the number one stop) from my mother in the mail yesterday. She is always sending me little things, articles, stickers, pictures, whatever she can to let me know she is thinking of me. But even though she sent me this because Continue Reading »

Israeli Driving License

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Andrea Wiese

Although I passed the driving test in June, I just received my license in the mail yesterday!! I feel like this is a great achievement in becoming “Israeli” and I feel like I had to work harder for this than just becoming an Israeli citizen!! It was worth the wait!!

Week 5: Days of Awe

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Derek Kwait

(X-posted to my home blog, Yinzer in Yerushalayim,) Rosh HaShana was amazing. The services at Yedidya (which is a lot like YPS except much bigger, and, frankly, younger) were filled with singing and soul, and I got to attend lots of fantastic meals– in terms of both food and company–at the homes of a Pardes Continue Reading »

2011-2012 Pardes Fellows (3 of 3)

Posted on September 13, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media

Let’s meet some more of this year’s Pardes Fellows!  Kalie is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and before arriving in Israel, she was completing her undergraduate degree in American Studies at George Washington University (where she also directed a hip hop dance company!). In the fall of 2010, she was gearing up to begin an M.A. in Media and Public Affairs at Continue Reading »

2011-2012 Pardes Fellows (2 of 3)

Posted on September 11, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media

Let’s meet some more of this year’s Pardes Fellows!  David was born in Jerusalem, but he grew up in New Jersey, and he lived in Washington, DC for several years before coming to study at Pardes in 2009. He completed his undergraduate education at CWRU in biomedical engineering, worked for two years as an AmeriCorps Continue Reading »

Promises, Promises

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Aviva P.

Prior to coming to Israel, my mother tried made me promise her three things: I won’t date an Israeli I won’t move to Israel/want to make aliyah I won’t become orthodox While somehow I believed that there was no reason for my mom to be concerned (1) Israelis are difficult, 2) I liked living in Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Brian Stein

Posted on April 21, 2011 by David Bogomolny

Raised in the Squirrel Hill neigborhood of Pittsburgh, Brian’s fascination with Jewish tradition grew through his USY involvement. For the young man, “regional USY Shabbatons were a religious experience in a way that Hebrew school never was.” He experienced traditional Shabbat seudot, and learned about netilat yadayim, lechem mishneh, seudat shlishit, and singing zmirot. As time went on, Brian Continue Reading »