Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on November 2, 2014 by David Curiel
One of my objectives this year is to set aside my (considerable) judgment surrounding the Israel/Palestine conflict and try to listen deeply to as many different voices within it. I also, with much humility, wish to take an active witness role in the vein of our teacher and rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who, with much Continue Reading »
Posted on October 24, 2014 by David Curiel
Lichvod R’Judith Z. Abrams, ז”ל It was a sweet irony that during a break in my Gemara shiur yesterday, I found out that my first teacher of rabbinic texts, Reb Judith, as she was affectionately called, died suddenly of a heart attack the day before. She would have appreciated that, with a patented mischievous laugh Continue Reading »
Posted on September 10, 2014 by Samantha Vinokor
Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement…get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible. – Abraham Joshua Heschel When Heschel described radical amazement, he could easily have been speaking about the initial euphoria that people experience Continue Reading »
Posted on May 21, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Tamara Frankel (PEP ’09-’11) is in her second year of teaching at Chicagoland Jewish High School. It’s one of the first sunny days in Chicago this spring and my students beg me to take them outside for class. We negotiate and decide to review our homework in class, on the board, and then go outside Continue Reading »
Posted on November 18, 2012 by Eric Feldman
Originally posted on my blog: Hey, I’ve certainly been keeping busy over the past few weeks but I’ll hone in on this most recent week since a lot has been going on recently. The first thing I’d like to say is that, although from the media explosion through internet and TV it may seem like Continue Reading »
Posted on October 23, 2012 by Eric Feldman
Originally posted on my blog: Hey, remember me? Sorry it’s been so long since I posted last, but things have been pretty busy here. I’m not exactly sure where I left off last, but I think it was somewhere around sukkot break (called one of the chagim aka festivals), so let me jump to that Continue Reading »
Posted on May 30, 2012 by Soffer
Originally posted on the Masa blog a couple weeks ago: By Jordan Soffer, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies This past Shabbat Pardes had a tiyul and Shabbaton to the Galil. Prior to the tiyul, while briefly skimming the itinerary, I imagined that this Shabbaton would be the same as every Shabbaton I have been on since Continue Reading »
Posted on May 14, 2012 by Austin C.
The following is from all of the notes I’ve taken this year during my studies at Pardes. The subject of prayer has been of particular interest to me… (first presented at the final Pardes Shabbaton) Liturgy/Prayer – Liturgy/Prayer is a basic way for us to get in touch with God, fellow Jews, Jewish values, and Continue Reading »
Posted on April 16, 2012 by Derek Kwait
“Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt,” says the Haggada. While by no means do I, like most of the people I had seder with this year, consider myself inordinately wise or understanding, I Continue Reading »
Posted on March 19, 2012 by Derek Kwait
I have been slowly making my way through Heschel’s God in Search of Man since I boarded the bus from Pittsburgh to New York en route to Pardes and Jerusalem last August. It’s going so slowly because, as usually happens when I read Heschel’s writing, it’s hard to read quickly when every sentence blows your Continue Reading »
