Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on September 20, 2011 by Andrea Wiese
As most Jews know, the High Holidays are quickly approaching, and with that is Yom Kippur, a 24 hour fast day with no food or water (or coffee). And for me, with it comes dread. I just don’t like it, I get a headache, it’s uncomfortable, etc. Technically we’re not suppose to wear make up Continue Reading »
Posted on April 23, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, Moadim l’simcha! (This is a special greeting for the interim days-chol hamoed-between the Yom Tov at the beginning and end of Pesach, or Sukkot.) I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the crunchy taste of matzah this Passover. I was fortunate to spend the Seder with my friends and my sister Continue Reading »
Posted on April 5, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s parshat metsora, we continue to delve in-depth into the procedure of ridding a leprous person of his eruptive affections. after reading pages and pages of how to determine whether a person is unclean and therefore off-limits to society, i was bewildered when i arrived to the conundrum of how to detect a Continue Reading »
Posted on April 2, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Much ink has been spilled over the seemingly cryptic laws of ritual purity and the illness of tzaraat recounted in Parshat Tazria. Actually I learned this week from Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (of the UK) that the original translation of the disease of as “leprosy”. This is a misnomer since the biblical disease of tzaraat Continue Reading »
Posted on March 29, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
this week’s parsha, parshat תזריע, focuses on the nitty gritty details of how the cohen diagnoses someone as unclean, either as result of some scaly infection, inflammation, or good ol’ leprosy. after analyzing the tell-tale signs on the skin, more than not, the confirmed or even suspected leprous person is sent out of the camp Continue Reading »
Posted on March 21, 2011 by Joel D.
Interested in disabilities? Check out the text of Jessica’s [Take 5], and check out some online resources that she recommends!
Posted on March 19, 2011 by J. Belasco
Below is the text of my Take 5, which will hopefully get posted soon in VIDEO format. I’m happy to continue this conversation with anyone who would like to. I want to talk about my own experience of disability and, in a broader sense, about the disability rights movement (which I think is a really Continue Reading »
Posted on February 14, 2011 by Shibley
My apologies for the long delay between posts. I was privileged to be visited by my parents followed by a battle with the flu, which has become in the inspiration for this post. While I was sick with the flu, I was fortunate enough to receive get well wishes from a number of teachers and Continue Reading »
Posted on February 9, 2011 by Joel D.
By Faith Brigham “Barefoot and exposed I walk along a shoreline. With the clumping of a million grains of sand, my toes tingle Reminding me of my human-ness. My body-ness. The limitless of these grains tickle my brain as they tickle my limited body. A conch shell lies before me. My eyes gravitate towards its Continue Reading »
Posted on December 9, 2010 by Michael
I think there is a general misunderstanding about the difference between physicality and sensuality. The physical world is extremely holy. The elements fire, water, air, earth are absolutely mysterious in Origin, as they come directly from the creation of Gd’s word. It is the improper orientation towards physicality that is sensuality, in other words being Continue Reading »
