These and Those

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

Tag Archives: diversity

Dare I Rant?

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes

From my blog: I am usually a very tolerant person, especially when people are trying to understand human diversity. I will kindly explain that, no, Connecticut is not New York and that, yes, I would rather watch reruns of “Gilmore Girls” than new episodes of “Jersey Shore.” I will gladly explain that I would much Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] My Pardes Experience by Eric Brief

Posted on March 8, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Eric Brief (Yr. 2008-09) sent us the following reflection of his year at Pardes to post on These&Those! Check out his blog to see his beautiful art and weekly divrei Torah! If I remember anything about my experience at Pardes it is that I got more than I could have ever imagined. I’m not exactly Continue Reading »

Faux Pardes Admissions Interview

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Daniella Adler

This was first presented at the Pardes Purim spiel…

do not make your self afraid at all, the world is a very narrow bridge

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen

From my blog: The important thing to remember is to not make yourself afraid at all Somehow this song, always comes back to me. In times that i least expect it…. I first came across this song at Jewish sleep away camp, singing it on the top top of my little lungs Kol Ha’olam kuloGesher Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Ben Freedman — Building Upon my Pardes Experience

Posted on January 23, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

The semester I spent at Pardes was among the most important periods of personal growth that I’ve ever had. Upon my return to the US, when family or friends would ask about it, I could only create impressions of how I had grown or what I had truly learned. I would say, “imagine six months Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Tzfat Shabbat

Posted on January 20, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

From Daniel Shibley’s (Fellows ’12) blog: Tzfat (Photo credit: tunnelarmr) The mystical city of Tzfat, in which I spent Shabbat with my parents, is renowned on numerous levels. Rich in history, Tzfat is one of the holy cities of Judaism. Atop the mountain, blasted by a stiff wind, sits a crusader fortress which lies in Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] The Beating Heart of the Jewish World

Posted on January 16, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Sara Brandes (Year ’01, Fellows ’02, Elul ’05) shares her Pardes reflections: I met my friend, teacher and fellow Pardes alumna Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer during the summer before I arrived at Pardes, as a participant in the Brandeis Collegiate Institute. Inspired by her teaching and hungry for more, I sought her out. When I told Continue Reading »

[Student Profile] Mike Backman

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Derek Kwait

When it came to picking out a college and a major, Mike knew he wanted to work with numbers and that he wanted to do something practical. So he searched and weighed the available data: He looked into economics but found it boring. He looked into physics, but thought it just wasn’t for him, then Continue Reading »

Мой Пардес находился в Иерусалиме

Posted on December 19, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

This reflection on Pardes was written by Vera Pakhomova Katsman (Fall ’10) В 2010 году я вошла в Пардес. Вообще, Пардес – это фруктовый сад, однако Пардес – это еще и мифологическое место, куда вошли четыре еврейских мудреца, а кто они были, и что с ними случилось там, узнаете потом. Я вам расскажу, как в Continue Reading »

Difficult Conversations and Active Listening

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Aliza Geller

On Wednesday, December 5th, a group of approximately 20 members of the Pardes community gathered to talk about what we could do to facilitate conversations on challenging issues among ourselves. This session was expertly led by Shoshana Rosen (Year Program ‘13) and Meesh Hammer-Kossoy. The biggest concern voiced at the meeting is that people do not necessarily have the skills to Continue Reading »