These and Those

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

Tag Archives: circumcision / brit milah

Carving out Freedom

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Naomi Bilmes

From my blog: וְהַ֨לֻּחֹ֔ת מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים הֵ֑מָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּ֗ב מִכְתַּ֤ב אֱלֹהִים֙ ה֔וּא חָר֖וּת עַל־הַלֻּחֹֽת “And the tablets were a work of God; the writing was the writing of God; it was carved on the tablets.” (Exodus 32:16) Moses has smashed the first set of tablets. He has pleaded with God to spare the Jewish people or Continue Reading »

Questioning Tradition

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Alanna Kleinman

A recent lunchtime discussion about the ceremony of Brit Shalom caused me to question a tradition I found meaningful and quite honestly, took for granted. Brit Shalom is a naming ceremony for newborn Jewish boys that does not involve circumcision. A family can choose to create their own ceremony, or look to templates that already Continue Reading »

A Bris to Remember

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Nataliya Naydorf

It was odd telling family and friends back home that I was excited to go to a Brit Milah. “I just can’t wait to witness a circumcision!” never seems to resonate well with most people for some reason. In truth, while I was excited, I was also apprehensive. Prior to the ceremony, our Chumash Level 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 »

Humorous Purim Videos

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Ben Macdonald

Here are the videos that I made for the 2013 Purim Shpiel: 1.

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 »

וירא

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Barer

This week’s parsha is chalk-full of troubling stories, from the Akieda, arguably the most challenging section of the Torah, to the destruction of Sdom and Amorah, to the episode of Lot and his daughters.  What caught my attention while reading the parsha, though, was a subtler play on language related to rhetorical questions.  There are Continue Reading »