Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on February 20, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, What a week of learning, both inside and outside the walls of Pardes! A particular highlight for me was picking oranges for an organization called Leket Israel, which provides for Israeli children who are hungry and/or do not received proper nutrition. This volunteering project was organized by Pardes students in loving memory of Continue Reading »
Posted on January 9, 2011 by Shibley
Quick story. Last week I boarded the bus bound for the shuk. I was startled to find that the cost of a cartisia (multi-ride bus ticket) had increased since my last purpose. While discussing this with the driver, all of the Hebrew that I have accumulated vanished from my brain, leaving me stumbling for words, and sounding Continue Reading »
Posted on December 15, 2010 by Zach
After the overview of my Chanukkah break, I wanted to go into a bit more depth about one of my day excursions. A good friend of mine, Zak, a Palestinian Christian who owns a shop in the old city, and I were talking, and I mentioned that I wanted to see some of the West Continue Reading »
Posted on December 13, 2010 by Zach
Yet again, it’s been way too long since my last post. I seem to start every post that way… maybe I’ll get better at this eventually. Instead of giving the normal Christmas break that American schools give, Pardes, and Israel in general, has a winter break for the eight days of Chanukkah. Chanukkah this year Continue Reading »
Posted on December 5, 2010 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, Happy Channukah! I’m very excited to be celebrating in the illuminated (and unseasonably warm) city of Jerusalem this year. The ‘holiday season’ here is NOTHING like what it is in Toronto. I mean, the local bus has a sign that says “Channukah Sameach” (“Happy Channukah”) on it. Enough said. Before I share what Continue Reading »
Posted on February 16, 2010 by David Bogomolny
This will likely be my final note on the Pardes ’10 Poland Trip. We’ll see. Much of what I’ve reflected upon has been inspired by R. Levi Cooper, and I’m particularly appreciative of his emphasis on the wealth of Eastern European Jewish culture before the Shoah. We spent much of our final day touring the Continue Reading »
Posted on February 13, 2010 by David Bogomolny
Auschwitz I (the main Auschwitz camp) has been turned into a museum. I have photographs of the museum displays at Auschwitz I… photographs of human hair and human hair woven into cloth, of spectacles, frames, and lenses, of tallitot (plural form of tallit), of bowls, plates, and cups, of prosthetic limbs and canes, of suitcases Continue Reading »
Posted on January 24, 2010 by David Bogomolny
I had intended to post daily from Poland, but the schedule left me exhausted; I didn’t sleep for more than five hours at any time… late nights and early mornings (particularly for those who woke up to daven Shacharit)… trekking through the bone chilling cold and snow of Poland… travelling back and forth by bus Continue Reading »
Posted on November 24, 2009 by Naomi Adland
Two weeks ago, my grandfather passed away. He had been ill for a long time, and it was not a sudden death, but it has been nonetheless a difficult experience. At his funeral, my uncle shared a story about my grandfather that has become something of a mantra for me in the last few weeks: Continue Reading »
Posted on November 18, 2009 by Natalie C.
Last Friday, after three consecutive days of hiking in the Negev, I woke up at 6:30 am. Rather than sleep in, my roommates and I rolled out of bed, boarded a bus, and travelled up north to a kibbutz near Rehovot. Our mission? To “rescue” clementines that would have been left to rot in the Continue Reading »