These and Those

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

Tag Archives: blessing / bracha

Arba Minim

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Deborah Renert

During the formative period of Rabbinic Judaism during the 2nd Temple period, Judaism was anything but homogeneous. The reality was that here were various groups of minim or sects–including the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Essenes, etc. Their beliefs and religious behavior was often radically different from each one’s fellow sects. Classically, they differed with respect to Continue Reading »

I’ll Try to be Brief

Posted on September 4, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

From my blog today: Hello there! First blog post as a 22 year old – Sheheichanu moment? I have so many things that I want to say and just don’t think that it is going to be possible right now. I started classes at Pardes this week and have been inspired from the first moment. Continue Reading »

Yet Another Bracha

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Ben Macdonald

Two months ago, I decided to do a little experiment. For those who haven’t heard me talking about it, I decided to take 30 days and live shomer mitzvot. I started on Yom HaZikaron and ended on Shavuot and from the first day in I had a really difficult time. First off I needed to Continue Reading »

So Many Ways

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Stuart Matan Lithwick

It is so hard to believe Annie and my year in Israel is already over! We are sitting in our hostel room in Tel Aviv, taking in the sounds of the city, as we contemplate returning to Toronto, changed in so many ways. This year has been a year with so many different facets. Challenging, Continue Reading »

Connections

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Laurie Franklin

Here are the words I shared in the Beit Midrash today – Today, at this time of leave-taking, I want to talk about connections, unexpected connections. First, a little background: This week I had two divrei Torah to compose, one for DLK’s Dvar Torah workshop and one for today. The first one was for Parashat Continue Reading »

True Blue

Posted on May 27, 2013 by David Bogomolny

I shared this dvar in honor of the Robbin Landes Family @ a 7 Brachot meal for Hannah Robbin Landes & Eitan Gavson: Dear Sheryl, Rav Landes, Isaac, Hannah and Eitan, I am so touched to have the opportunity to address the five of you directly in celebration of Hannah’s & Eitan’s marriage. Thank you. 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 »

Toxic Davening

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen

From my blog: When you are praying the words “Shema Yisrael”, “Listen Israel”, but instead you hear the sound of people yelling at you. When there are more photographers and journalists than people praying. After months of hesitation and apprehension I visit the kotel for Rosh Chodesh. I go to finally see what it is like to be Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Thank You, God, For Life and Babies

Posted on April 3, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Posted by Carrie Bornstein (Year ’06) on the Mayyim Hayyim blog: My five-year old has been asking for a while if she can go swimming where I work. She loves Mayyim Hayyim, which is probably not entirely unrelated to the never-ending supply of animal crackers and pretzels. In the past few months her requests have Continue Reading »

Legacy

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Falynn Schmidt

Originally posted to my blog yesterday, March 31: Today is my mother’s birthday. She would have been 68. What a strange thing to think. Sixty-eight, so young. Such a difficult life, surreal in ways I can’t imagine and in ways I know too well. My mother was an amazing woman, as you’ve either experienced first Continue Reading »