Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on March 26, 2012 by Rabbi Julie Gordon
On Thursday I completed my teaching at the Kellman Brown Academy, a medium size warm and friendly Solomon Schechter (Conservative) day school in Cherry Hill, NJ. The school has terrific staff and it was a great match for me. I was mentored by a talented fourth grade teacher who encouraged me as I deepened my Continue Reading »
Posted on March 13, 2012 by David Bogomolny
I spent last Shabbat at Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s moshav near the city of Modi’in, where my grandparents and other close family members live. This Shabbaton was particularly convenient for me because it allowed me to visit my family without worrying about rushing back to J’lem for Shabbat (especially during the winter). It was also quite Continue Reading »
Posted on January 31, 2012 by Barer
[Cross posted from my blog] Last week at Pardes marked the end of a four-part lecture series given by professor James Kugel, one of the preeminent scholars of the Bible alive today. He painted an extremely interesting picture in answering the question that titled the lectures: Has Modern Biblical Scholarship Killed the Bible? The lectures Continue Reading »
Posted on January 15, 2012 by Barer
Growing up in the Sephardi community in Toronto, Esther’s Judaism derived mainly from her mother and the weekly Shabbat dinners at her grandmother’s house. Her father, who comes from an essentially secular background, did not push for such a traditional upbringing, and Esther fondly remembers being snuck into McDonalds by her father, where he would Continue Reading »
Posted on January 13, 2012 by Barer
For this week’s parsha, I wanted to give over a small portion of a class I had the privilege of attending given by Shmuel Klitsner, talking about the strange episode at the Malon (inn), in which Hashem, or some representative, tries to kill Moshe. Shmuel drew a number of fascinating connections between this episode and Continue Reading »
Posted on November 9, 2011 by Barer
This is PEP student Rabbi Julie Gordon‘s presentation on her theological views presented today in Zvi’s Critical Issues in Modern Jewish Thought class, responding to the following questions: Where does the Torah come from? What is God’s role, if any? And how do you deal with the challenges of biblical criticism? What authority does the Continue Reading »
Posted on September 25, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s double parsha nitzavim and va’yelech, we edge closer and closer to our separation with moshe and our coming together in the land of israel. as God runs through His final instructions with moshe, He reveals that no sooner than moshe dies and the people enter the land, they are going to sin, Continue Reading »
Posted on September 20, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
parshat ki tavo, in which God reveals His master plan of divine reward and punishment, is a doozy to read. and by doozy, i mean incredibly difficult and theologically challenging. God unleases a litany of curses that will befall the israelites if they fail to obey the covenant. and lest you think “hey, this curse Continue Reading »
Posted on September 11, 2011 by Andrea Wiese
Today I had my first Personalizing Prayer class. Although the name might make it seem obvious to some, the class is suppose to help the students become more familiar with the Siddur, Hebrew prayer book, the language, and to really understand the words and meaning of the prayer. Some people would prefer a different class Continue Reading »
Posted on September 8, 2011 by Shibley
With the onset of Rosh Hodesh Elul, we will begin the twice daily recitation of Psalm 27, along with the daily blasts of the shofar. Sephardic communities begin the recitation of slichot (liturgical poems for forgiveness), and the gradual ascension from Tisha b’Av to Rosha Hashana increases its gradient. As such, I thought it would Continue Reading »
