These and Those

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

Tag Archives: commemoration

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 »

Spiritual Stolpersteine

Posted on January 21, 2014 by David Bogomolny

oh no. My plane on the runway at Ben Gurion International Airport, I’d just realized that I’d forgotten my tefilin (phylacteries) in Jerusalem. calm down. you’ll deal with this. think about it — lots of people in the group will have their tefilin with them… My internal voice of reason was reassuring, but I felt Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Ha’azinu – Transitioning

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Cara Abrams-Simonton

This week marks many significant transitions in my life. I return to study at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies for my second year of intensive text study in a Beit Midrash. I celebrate my Hebrew birthday for the first time in my life, כ”ח באלול, turning the much anticipated 30. I honor my father’s Continue Reading »

“Peak Attack”

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Eva Vadasz

I shared these words in the beit midrash on the last day of the 2012-13 Pardes year I dressed up in white. Because whenever I am preparing to do something big, I always wear white. This is a principle of mine since I have known Zsolt Erőss. Zsolt – a Hungarian mountain climber. Zsolt, who Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Peter Avniel Salzman of Blessed Memory

Posted on May 24, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Alicia Jo Rabins (Year ’99, Fellows ’00) wrote the following in memory of her friend Peter Avniel Salzman z”l A few weeks ago, when the current Pardes students asked me to write something for this blog, I planned to write about how the two years I studied there changed my life. How I was, at Continue Reading »

[Faculty Guest Post] In Memorium: Michael Rosenak z”l

Posted on May 19, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

In Memorium: Michael Rosenak z”l – Rabbi Daniel Landes The loss of Mike Rosenak is of particular significance to the world of Jewish education, and certainly to Pardes. Mike was an early leader of Pardes and saw and promoted its promise. From my vantage point, he was interested in two large ideas. The first was Continue Reading »

Ghosts in the night

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Abayiss

Tonight is the night.   No, I am not OK. No, you can not help. No, you do not understand. No, I am not alone.   Tonight is the night I dread all year. All the ghosts that have been pushed into the shadows (with the exception of the occasional visit) come out. Tonight is their Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Yom Ha… Season as Israelis

Posted on April 12, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

New Alumni Blog Post! Stef Jadd Susnow (Year Program ’06-’07, PEP ’07-’09) and Matt Susnow (Year Program ’06-’07) Write about the “Yom Ha…” Season in Israel… it’s a truly special experience being in Israel for these national holidays. This week marked the beginning of one of the most poignant times on the Israeli national calender, Continue Reading »

In Pain, but Numb.

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Ma'ayan Dyer

From my blog: Monday was my second Yom HaShoah in Israel. I was standing in the middle of the partition in the road on Rivkah and Pierre Koenig to get a good view of the people stopping their cars and getting out to pay their respects to the dead when the wail of the memorial Continue Reading »

The Sirens Blared

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Heather Kantrowitz

From my blog: There are certain moments in my life where everything has come to a screeching halt. Most of these have just been moments when my personal world, or maybe my family or community, has stopped. Today (Yom HaShoah), I experienced an entire country ceasing all activity – learning, work, driving, shopping – and Continue Reading »