These and Those

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

Tag Archives: diversity

Four Faces of Israel

Posted on October 29, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

From my blog: Every week is full of learning, davening and communicating in a variety of forms. Field trips are taken, books are read, conversations are heard, davening is done with a mechitza, without a mechitza, people are citizens of certain places, of more than one place, people have served in the army, people continue Continue Reading »

Three Women of Jerusalem

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes

(Read it on my blog) A Haredi, a kibbutznik, and a Muslim walk into a bar. (beat) Mashiach comes!! Well, I don’t know what would actually happen; I never actually saw the three of them in the same room at the same time. And now for some context: This Tuesday, I went on a tiyul with Continue Reading »

A Name for Us / A Name for You

Posted on October 6, 2013 by David Bogomolny

I presented this dvar at our Shabbaton yesterday: Parshat Noach contains one of my favorite Biblical stories: that of the Tower of Babel. Together with you, I’d like to tease a few details out of the p’shat (the simple reading of the text), explore two midrashim (early rabbinic exegesis), and suggest a metaphor for the Continue Reading »

To Dwell Together

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Hannah Joy

From my blog: Last Tuesday before break, we had a Yom Iyun (special day of learning) for Sukkot. One of the ideas that has stuck with me throughout this holiday is that of learning to dwell together. In a session taught by Daniel Roth entitled “‘Spread your Sukkah of Peace Upon Us?!’ The Peace and Violence Continue Reading »

[PEP Graduation ’13] For the Sake of Heaven

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Aileen Heinberg

I presented this dvar torah at the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators commencement ceremony on Wednesday: Almost two whole years ago, as we were first settling in at Pardes, a classmate looked around the room at our PEP cohort and said, “Wow, we are a group of very different personalities.” And it’s true; we all Continue Reading »

To Feel – To Know

Posted on June 2, 2013 by David Bogomolny

Here is the reflection I shared at Community Lunch last week- One of the many things that I tell people when discussing Pardes is that I wanted to study here before I ever knew that Pardes existed. As a college student I started wearing a kippah publicly before I had any idea what halakha was Continue Reading »

אחד – ONENESS

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen

From my blog: Am I awake or asleep? Maybe a dreamlike state in between the two. I leave my apartment 4:45 am to continue my journey But all I am thinking about is my bed, snuggling between my warm blankets, head on my pillow. But then I thought of the people who used to walk, Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Walking the Land

Posted on April 3, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Posted by Daniel Shibley (Yr ’11, Fellows ’12): The Great Outdoors. Most digital cable and dish networks in the United States have an entire channel or two devoted to the outdoors and the numerous related activities, from hunting and fishing, to hiking and camping. Israelis, although I am not able to vouch for the television Continue Reading »

A Jewish Day of Constructive Conflict

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen

On the 9th of Adar, the Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution (PCJCR) sponsored its first annual Jewish Day of Constructive Conflict. According to the Shulchan Aruch, this was the day that the arguments of Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai deteriorated from a respectful difference of opinion into violence. Rabbi Daniel Roth prepared sources Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Hannah Grossman

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Derek Kwait

Hannah Grossman is an explorer. Her Jewish journey has taken her from the farthest ends of the earth to the deepest corners of her psyche. Yet the further she has traveled from her native New Jersey, the closer she has come to finally finding her Jewish home. Hannah grew up in West Orange, NJ to Continue Reading »