Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on December 8, 2013 by Itay Zaidenberg
Living in Jerusalem, it’s easy to feel like Israel is abundantly observant. But when I get off the 480 at Tel Aviv’s Arlozorov bus station, I’m immediately reminded, it’s not. And if I didn’t take the 480 so many times that I now recognize several of the bus drivers, I don’t think I would have Continue Reading »
Posted on November 2, 2013 by Candace Mittel
About Jerusalem Medley Three Unlikely Falafel Men I encountered these three men eating falafel together at a little place on Yafo. The story below mainly centers Barak (on left) who spoke to me in Hebrew, and although I understand Hebrew fairly well, his friend and “PR person” Adam (on right) insisted on translating every few Continue Reading »
Posted on October 31, 2013 by Heather Kantrowitz
“Yitzhak pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren.” The Torah doesn’t tell us what his prayer consisted of, only that God answered his pleas and Rivka conceived. This led me to wonder what it entailed, especially because his requests were accepted by God. One of the reasons I think Continue Reading »
Posted on September 9, 2013 by Avi Benson-Goldberg
From my blog: This summer, I tried to teach Judaics to 15 year olds for 8 weeks. It was probably a failed mission from the beginning, because the last thing any 15 year old wants to do is spend an hour inside with a 24 year old authority figure, even as patently cool and with-it Continue Reading »
Posted on August 15, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Becca Bubis (PEP 2009-11) is starting her third year of teaching in the upper school at Tarbut v’Torah, in Orange County, CA. Twelve years ago I shuddered at the thought of standing on the bimah and delivering an address on Parashat Ki Tavo to two hundred and fifty people about a topic with which they Continue Reading »
Posted on June 12, 2013 by Hannah Perlis
Here’s my Dvar from last week’s PEP Graduation! Ralph Wiggum from The Simpsons once said, “When I grow up I wanna be a Principal or a Caterpillar.” When I was younger I thought I wanted to be a supermarket cashier because you get to stand near the candy all day. I learned a lot about Continue Reading »
Posted on May 28, 2013 by Yisrael Ben Avraham
I’ll be a Pardes alum in the next couple weeks and possibly a second year student. I thought I’d write a list of random things for new and returning students to make their lives in Israel easier and enjoyable. These are in no particular order, but I cannot emphasis enough how much Ulpan Morasha chews Continue Reading »
Posted on May 27, 2013 by Tadea Klein
My dvar Torah from the Galil Shabbaton: First of all, I would like to thank Adam Masser (Spring ’12, Year ’13), who gave me the perfect set up — and we didn’t even plan it. I also am going to talk about lashon ha-rah, specifically the consequences of it. I believe that the most telling Continue Reading »
Posted on May 19, 2013 by Sydni Adler
All pictures are taken from JSPCA’s website. For the past nine months that I have been in Jerusalem, I have spent the majority of my Fridays volunteering at the Jerusalem Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA). The JSCPA is the largest animal shelter in Jerusalem, holding up to 200 dogs and 150 Continue Reading »
Posted on May 14, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Pardes is pleased to present the third episode of our new podcast series by Rabbi Daniel Landes, Unexpected Encounters: The Jewish Holidays and the Other. This episode is on Shavuot. Episode title: Shavuot–Kedushat HaKotel UE: Shavuot Click here for the accompanying handouts. Pardes thanks the Alexander Soros Foundation, the sponsor for the series.