Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on June 12, 2014 by Carolyn Gerecht
My dvar Torah from PCJE graduation: To commemorate the last day of our Gemara class this year with Rahel, we looked together at a special passage from Masechet Avoda Zara, Daf Yud Tet, Amud Alef. In the passage, Levi and Rabbi Shimon are studying together with Rah-bee. When they finish the text, Levi demands that Continue Reading »
Posted on June 11, 2014 by Cara Abrams-Simonton
My PCJE graduation speech: Good evening. It is an honor to stand before you today as I graduate from the Pardes Educators Program. Over the past two years I have been privileged to study in this very Beit Midrash and in the classrooms of Pardes. In this room I have fallen in love with text Continue Reading »
Posted on June 9, 2014 by Heather Kantrowitz
My PCJE graduation speech: Chazak V’Ematz – Be strong and resolute. These are the words that Yehoshua spoke to Bnei Yisrael upon entering the land of Israel thousands of years ago. Today, I speak these words to my friends and peers as we prepare to enter new territory – the land of teaching. This fall, Continue Reading »
Posted on June 8, 2014 by Andrea Wiese
My PCJE graduation speech: My dvar Torah is based on “threes”…for example, As the third speaker, I have 3 minutes to sum up my three years at Pardes. So let’s not waste any time. Four years ago when I came to Pardes for the first time, I sat in on Tovah Leah’s Personalizing Prayer class. Continue Reading »
Posted on June 6, 2014 by AdAm Mayer
My PCJE graduation speech: Thank you to all of my most amazing and wonderful peers and colleagues. You all have inspired me and taught me so much! Thank you to Judy, Gail, and all the incredible and supportive faculty, mentors and teachers at Pardes! You are true enablers! And Thank you to my wife Chana Continue Reading »
Posted on June 5, 2014 by Laura Marder
My PCJE graduation speech: How do you take a moment to realize that you “made it” and include others with you in your joy? When I first arrived here at Pardes to embark on this journey I was terrified. Completely unsure if I would make it to the other side. Then something switched inside of Continue Reading »
Posted on March 26, 2014 by Andrea Wiese
From my blog: I was lucky that my faculty check in during student teaching landed right in the middle of my student teaching. It is really easy to get overwhelmed (especially as a second year, in my case third) with teaching, but also interviewing and juggling life. Not only was Judy a great observer and Continue Reading »
Posted on June 12, 2013 by Hannah Perlis
Here’s my Dvar from last week’s PEP Graduation! Ralph Wiggum from The Simpsons once said, “When I grow up I wanna be a Principal or a Caterpillar.” When I was younger I thought I wanted to be a supermarket cashier because you get to stand near the candy all day. I learned a lot about Continue Reading »
Posted on June 11, 2013 by Leah Kahn
Here is my dvar Torah from the PCJE Graduation ceremony! Martha Graham was one of the sages, entrepreneurs and Rebbes of modern dance. Says Graham: “I believe that we learn by practice. It is the performance of a dedicated, precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of Continue Reading »
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 »