Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on June 5, 2014 by Eva Neuhaus
In preparing the people for revelation (Exodus 19), God tells Moshe that God will appear to the people at Sinai, then describes the necessary stipulations: “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothes.” Then another mention of God’s coming to Mt. Sinai, followed by more constraints: “On the Continue Reading »
Posted on May 21, 2014 by Hannah Joy
From my blog: (I know, I know. I haven’t blogged in months. And my year here will be over in less than three weeks. Unreal.) This past Shabbat was the final Pardes shabbaton. Here are some thoughts I shared at the tisch Friday night. Parshat Bechukotai deals with blessings and curses. It opens with the Continue Reading »
Posted on May 18, 2014 by Andrea Wiese
My dvar Torah from the Final 2013-14 Shabbaton: In Leviticus 26:42 (ויקרא כו:מב): וְזָכַרְתִּי, אֶת-בְּרִיתִי יַעֲקוֹב; וְאַף אֶת-בְּרִיתִי יִצְחָק וְאַף אֶת-בְּרִיתִי אַבְרָהָם I will remember the brit of Yakov, even the brit of Yitzchak, and even the brit of Avraham. What I want to focus on here is that the text doesn’t just say Avot… it Continue Reading »
Posted on April 22, 2014 by Eva Neuhaus
the relationships we have with our parents form a template for our relationship with the Divine. i grew up giving my parents a very hard time, constantly bucking their authority. we fought all the time. this power struggle is present in my relationship with God, as it is in my relationships with everyone and everything. here Continue Reading »
Posted on March 20, 2014 by Lisa Motenko
You are what you eat. For Jews, this adage rings especially true because we follow strict dietary laws that strengthen our relationship with G-d, as well as distinguish us from other nations. Growing up I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted – except for pig. Like many assimilated American Jews, my family did not keep kosher, but Continue Reading »
Posted on March 6, 2014 by Max Einsohn
This week we begin reading the third book of the Torah, Sefer Vayikra. This book, commonly known by its Greek name Leviticus, consists of laws of sacrifices, ritual purity, and kashrut. Sefer Vayikra is also referred to as “Torat Cohanim” relating to this book’s emphasis on the laws and behavior of the Priests, or Cohanim. Continue Reading »
Posted on March 1, 2014 by Emet Ozar
I shared these parting words at community lunch on Thursday, and Jess posted them to her blog: In this week’s parsha, Pekudei, Moshe and the Israelites are continuing to work hard to complete the Mishkan according to Gd’s specifications. At the end of the parsha, the very last chapter of the book of Shemot, the Continue Reading »
Posted on February 28, 2014 by Taylor Winfield
This week I read from the Torah for the first time. I stood up in front of my closest female friends, and sang the words of our people. I had been preparing for weeks, and I expected the moment to come with a high, a relief, a joy. But instead a seed inside of me Continue Reading »
Posted on February 27, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman
This week’s parasha, Pekudei, is the last portion in the Book of Shmot (Exodus), and the final section in a series on the building of the mishkan, or tabernacle, in the desert. As such, I think it would be instructive to look back at the idea of “God’s house” in an earlier segment of the Continue Reading »
Posted on February 26, 2014 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: What is the purpose of a story? To be re-written, of course! Below, I have composed a re-telling of one of the most famous stories in Jewish tradition. It is originally found in the Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Bava Metzia, page 59), and I recently learned it from a new angle with one Continue Reading »