Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 13, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: I have Haredi cousins. I did not know this until last Friday night, enjoying couch-conversation with one of said cousins before Shabbat dinner. “So what do people in this neighborhood call themselves?” I asked, wondering (after seeing all the black hats and streimels) which sect of Ultra-Orthodoxy I had resigned myself to Continue Reading »
Posted on April 11, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen
From my blog: When you are praying the words “Shema Yisrael”, “Listen Israel”, but instead you hear the sound of people yelling at you. When there are more photographers and journalists than people praying. After months of hesitation and apprehension I visit the kotel for Rosh Chodesh. I go to finally see what it is like to be Continue Reading »
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 »
Posted on April 11, 2013 by AdAm Mayer
I was sitting in the chadar ochel (dining hall) during lunch yesterday with a number of Pardes students, and Zvi Hirschfield turns around from the next table and decides to poll our small group: “Lashon Hara –an aveira [sin] or just good advice?” As to be expected from any gathering of Pardes students, there was Continue Reading »
Posted on April 5, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Whitney Fisch (Year 2008-09) shares a personal challenge of hers, regarding the role of women in Judaism: Whitney Fisch grew up within the Reform movement in Marietta, GA. She started her career in Jewish communal work at the University of Georgia Hillel as the Jewish Student Life Coordinator, which led her to other positions in Continue Reading »
Posted on April 3, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Posted by Ben Barer (Fall ’10, Fellows ’12): Having only one seder last year, while in Israel, followed by having two this year, has led me to reflect on why this custom is maintained, and how best to perpetuate it as a meaningful one. Like the other holidays that are celebrated one extra day outside of Continue Reading »
Posted on March 28, 2013 by David Bogomolny
Emly Oren left Israel with her family at the age of four, but in many ways Israel never left her family. At school in Orange County, Emly was the only Israeli student; but her family continued to speak Hebrew at home, and they only watched Israeli television programs. The Orens would travel to Israel every Continue Reading »
Posted on March 18, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Damian (PEP ’04-’06) is currently teaching elementary schoolin Even Yehuda, Israel, and taught for four years at TarbutV’Torah before making Aliyah with his family. The time I spent with friends and teachers studying the wisdom of our people at Pardes was a magical time in my life. I was a student, learning every day with Continue Reading »
Posted on February 22, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Please enjoy this Dvar Torah by Mordechai Rackover (PEP ’03)! Mordechai Rackover is a Pardes Alum, a member of the PEP 3rd Cohort. He currently lives in Providence, RI with his wife Nechama Lea and their four kids. He is the associate university chaplain for the Jewish community of Brown University and the Rabbi of Continue Reading »
Posted on February 15, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Yishai Paquin (Year ’11-’12) is an avid photographer. Here he shares a spiritual insight that he gained through photography: Sometimes reminders come from unsuspected places. I was learning how to edit photos today when my instructor mentioned that dark layers are for light and light layers are for dark. It is the same basics for Continue Reading »
