These and Those

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

Tag Archives: change

End of Year Thoughts

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Rachel Dingman

I looked back on a blog post I wrote in 2014–my first summer here at Pardes. The blog post was titled “I’ve been saying watermelon a lot”. This phrase comes from an amazing Shabbat meal I had at Yaffa Epstein’s house. Everyone started singing and I looked around filled with confusion. Yaffa said “Sing along, Continue Reading »

“Are you crazy?” They ask.

Posted on August 12, 2014 by Alana Bandos

All summer long (not the Kid Rock song), my peers, my parents’ peers, my aunt and uncle, my bosses and their neighbors, the random lady painting my nails, my SCUBA instructor, the guy from Verizon selling me a new phone, and just about everyone else has been asking me this one question: “Are you crazy?” Continue Reading »

Torah Study on an iPad? Yes? No? Absolutely!

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Cara Abrams-Simonton

From my blog: As a Master of Jewish Education student I have been introduced to many educational theories, developmental psychology and pedagogical practices. In addition to all these areas we also focus on the place of 21st century learning in today’s educational world, which of course includes the discussion of technology’s role in education. Currently Continue Reading »

Pekudei and Time to Go Forward

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Emet Ozar

I shared these parting words at community lunch on Thursday, and Jess posted them to her blog: In this week’s parsha, Pekudei, Moshe and the Israelites are continuing to work hard to complete the Mishkan according to Gd’s specifications. At the end of the parsha, the very last chapter of the book of Shemot, the Continue Reading »

What is so Disrespectful about my Public Voice?

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Taylor Winfield

This week I read from the Torah for the first time. I stood up in front of my closest female friends, and sang the words of our people. I had been preparing for weeks, and I expected the moment to come with a high, a relief, a joy. But instead a seed inside of me Continue Reading »

My Trip to Germany

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Benjamin Friedman

“Without a profound simplification the world around us would be an infinite, undefined tangle that would defy our ability to orient ourselves and decide upon our actions…. We are compelled to reduce the knowable to a schema.” -Primo Levi The above quotation by Holocaust survivor Primo Levi says something profound yet simple about human nature Continue Reading »

More Than Four Faces of Israel | Part 3

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Sarah Pollack

From my blog: A few weeks ago, an actress came to Pardes to do a kind of skit, stereotyping Four Faces of Israel, or four different people that one will inevitably encounter in Israel. She portrayed the narratives of a Haredi woman, a settler, a kibbutznik and an Arab woman. Somehow, every experience that I have, Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Pardes didn’t change my life

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Vicki Raun

Alum Vicki Raun (Year ’11, Fellows ’12) continues to study at Pardes in the evenings, and this is her personal reflection: Pardes didn’t change my life and I don’t expect it to in the future. Which is why I continue to take classes and attend Night Seder. Yes, I moved 7,626 miles [according to Google] Continue Reading »

The Strangest Kiddushin of them all

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Ben Schneider

From my blog: I’ve been learning a lot about traditional Jewish marriage this semester. In Gemara classes on tractates Kiddushin and Ketubot, we’ve been talking about how a man betroths a woman and what the language of the Ketubah indicates about their rights and obligations. There are also more esoteric topics: A man can encourage Continue Reading »

Think about the cycles…

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Andrea Wiese

I presented this on our ’14 trip to Turkey: The first commandment Bnei Israel was given as a people was: שמות יב:ב הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים: רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם, לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה. Exodus 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Continue Reading »