These and Those

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

Tag Archives: creation / creativity

Scribe Life

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Erika Davis

This was originally posted on the author’s blog, Black, Gay and Jewish: A gay black woman’s discovery of her Jewish self. I’m not sure if it’s purposeful, but after two weeks of study it’s nice to see ways in which the classes that I’m taking overlap with one another. Scribal Arts, a sort of elective, Continue Reading »

Two Yerushalmi Poems

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Sarah Marx

This blogpost was originally published on the author’s personal blog, Ramblin’ Maidel. Inspired by Jerusalem, as always, and its characters, and its millennia of liturgical music. The Electrician’s Psalm Unhemmed Creator, spinner of the world, Today beneath Your power lines a man Crouched down, his battered palms burnished like leather, His skin limp with the Continue Reading »

The 103 Worlds

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Sarah Marx

At Thursday’s Pardes open mic, I shared a version of the story (midrash? heresy?) below. Tonight, I wasn’t sure whether or not it would be appropriate to post it on the blog — after all, I can hear fireworks and gunshots in the distance, and I feel as though I should be writing about that Continue Reading »

[PCJE] Bereshit: The Nature of Creation

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen

Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah. בְּרֵאשִׁית ב:ט וַיַּצְמַח יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים, מִן-הָאֲדָמָה, כָּל-עֵץ נֶחְמָד לְמַרְאֶה, וְטוֹב לְמַאֲכָל וְעֵץ הַחַיִּים, בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן, וְעֵץ, הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע “The Lord God made grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasant to look at and good to Continue Reading »

(PCJE) .דע על מה אתה עומד

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Geo Poor

There was a wise man who wanted to deliver a speech, so he thought and he prepared himself and he stepped forward and built a Stage.

God Said to the students of Pardes

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Misha Brenner

My words from the final Community Lunch of the 2013-14 Year Program, based off the song “21 Questions” by 50 cent: Mishmei DiRavi Misha Mishum HaRav NateDogg, Zichron LiVracha: Amar Hakadosh Baruch Hu LiTzurba DiPardes… Girl, it’s easy to love me now, but would you love me if I was down, and out, would you Continue Reading »

To Capture a Moment

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Hannah Joy

From my blog: This past Tuesday night was the Masa Israeli Cultural event at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.  Top Israeli artists of all kinds were brought in for us to hear from, and the night culminated in an incredible performance by the Voca People. I chose to go to the session with Alex Levac, a Continue Reading »

Birkat Hamazon

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 »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Emulating my Grandparents

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Ariel Eliach Forman

This week’s Parsha, Parshat Kedoshim uses the literary device of an “inclusio”. It starts and ends with the same line. דַּבֵּר אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם–קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ: כִּי קָדוֹשׁ, אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.   and ends with: וִהְיִיתֶם לִי קְדֹשִׁים, כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְהוָה;   In the middle, the parsha talks about all the ways and laws Continue Reading »

Only one more week is not enough with these students!

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Laura Marder

I am having so much fun with my 7th graders at Hannah Senesh Community Day School. We are learning Bmidbar 13 and 14. These chapters really speak to where the students are in their lives. They, like Bnai Yisrael are close to embarking on a journey to a new land…. The HIGH SCHOOL! The 8th Continue Reading »