Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on May 14, 2014 by Meira Cohen
The place: a little shtieble near my house in New York. The time: the holiday of Simchat Torah. I am accompanying my brother and his two children to hakafot, the joyous circle dancing celebrating our people’s connection to the Torah. As I walk into the women’s section past the sign delineating proper and modest dress Continue Reading »
Posted on May 4, 2014 by Sarah Pollack
From my blog on Thursday: It was about three weeks ago that my mom was flying to visit me in Israel. Another blog about that to follow, hopefully soon. She flew from Miami to Tel Aviv, through Rome. She highly recommends this flight because you get to Rome in the morning, have breakfast, fly to Continue Reading »
Posted on April 28, 2014 by Rory Sullivan
It took me eight years to get back to Pardes. During a Birthright trip my freshman year of college, we sat in the Beit Midrash, the great big room filled with tables of four chairs each and books lining every wall. We studied a text that I don’t remember. What I do remember is liking Continue Reading »
Posted on March 9, 2014 by Deborah Renert
People have asked me why I chose to attend the annual AIPAC conference in Washington, DC. After all, I live in Israel now. Also, I missed classes, and I really do not like missing Pardes classes. On one level, I am very interested in the relationship between Diaspora Jews and Jews living in Israel. Do Continue Reading »
Posted on March 6, 2014 by Max Einsohn
This week we begin reading the third book of the Torah, Sefer Vayikra. This book, commonly known by its Greek name Leviticus, consists of laws of sacrifices, ritual purity, and kashrut. Sefer Vayikra is also referred to as “Torat Cohanim” relating to this book’s emphasis on the laws and behavior of the Priests, or Cohanim. Continue Reading »
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 »
Posted on February 7, 2014 by Jessica Baverman
There has been a lot of hype around women wearing tefillin lately (see here, here, here, and here). Since I just started taking the “Women and Mitzvot” class, this is a topic that I have followed. I’ve also been intrigued by the whole idea of tefillin for a while now. For most of my life, I saw tefillin as Continue Reading »
Posted on February 3, 2014 by Jeff Amshalem
This past week, while I was substitute teaching a halakhah class here at Pardes, I mentioned by way of introduction that as well as being a proud and very busy member of the Pardes Educators Program, I am also, in that context, a member of the Kollel here. People immediately asked, what is this Kollel Continue Reading »
Posted on January 30, 2014 by Andrea Wiese
Last week’s Parsha ends with Moshe going up to HaShem on Har Sinai to receive the tables with the teachings and commandments. Our Parsha starts with HaShem telling Moshe to instruct B’nei Yisrael to bring “me” (HaShem) gifts which Moshe will collect. דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִקְחוּ-לִי תְּרוּמָה: מֵאֵת כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִדְּבֶנּוּ לִבּוֹ, תִּקְחוּ אֶת-תְּרוּמָתִי. (שמות Continue Reading »
Posted on December 25, 2013 by Alana Bandos
Together in Paris. That’s what Anastasia’s grandmother says to her before their family is torn apart in the hit animated feature film Anastasia (which is not actually a Disney movie). It’s on the necklace the young girl wears through to adulthood and it helps her reclaim her true identity as heir to the Russian throne. Continue Reading »