These and Those

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

Tag Archives: Chabad

[Alumni Guest Post] Does God Direct Our Lives?

Posted on November 13, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

Betty Hilton (Year Program, ’81-’82) gave this sermon at her temple in San Antonio, Texas about how much the Pardes experience influenced her. Sadly, she died as the result of a brain tumor about a year after giving the sermon, Dec. 2008. Have you ever wondered whether or not God is directing your life? Does Continue Reading »

Dvar Torah from Salon Pardes

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Derek Kwait

Last night I held the first-ever Salon Pardes in my living room. The Salon provides a safe, supportive environment for Pardes students to share their creative endeavors with other students and receive constructive criticism and feedback. The event was a rousing success, with more than 10 students presenting their art, poetry, photography, music, singing, writing, Continue Reading »

The Legend of the Bird Shem Tov

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Derek Kwait

My friend Simcha and I wrote this story together while bunkmates at the Ivy League Torah Study Experience in the summer of 2010. I shared it at the Tisch during the Shabbaton this weekend, and now thought I’d share it with you. Enjoy. The Legend of the Bird Shem Tov by Yehosh Mohsh & Simcha Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Rob Murstein

Posted on April 12, 2012 by David Bogomolny

Rob Murstein comes from a ‘very liturgical’ family; they attend Shabbat services every Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon until havdalah. Rob’s father is a regular Torah reader at shul, his brother studied chazzanut with their cantor, and Rob himself read Torah at shul for the first time when he was six years old; and then again at Continue Reading »

Two Sounds in One Ear

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Soffer

Originally posted on Darkeynu דרכינו: וברכה שלום, Throughout my year in Israel, I will use this blog to share what I study in the classroom, and to describe what I observe on the streets; I will discuss not only the Torah that I learn, but also the Torah that I live. I hope that in Continue Reading »

[PEP Student] From the Mountain Top…

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Tamara Frankel

Dear Friends, This past Monday I visited Mount Herzl in Jerusalem with my classmates to commemorate Yom Hazikaron, Israel Remembrance Day. We visited the graves of young soldiers who had fallen recently and those of heroic figures like Hannah Senesh. Many questions raced through my mind as we walked among the graves: Where am I 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 »

[Student Profile] Jonathan Tassoff

Posted on April 5, 2011 by David Bogomolny

On his 40th birthday, during a silent Shambhala meditation retreat on a mountain in Vermont, Jonathan (’09-’10, Fellows ’10-’11) asked himself, “what do I really want to do?” And the answer came to him, “I want to study Torah in Israel.” Soon thereafter, Jonathan applied to Pardes, and received the nicest e-mail from Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy that he had ever received Continue Reading »