These and Those

Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem

Tag Archives: holidays

Dvar Torah – Parsha Netzavim/Rosh Hashana

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Eric Feldman

What would you do if you were greater than you are? In Judaism, hypothetical situations are occasionally used in order to put ourselvest in a certain mindset – for example, on Passover, we imagine what it would have been like to have been slaves in Egypt.  And now, with these weeks of transformation upon us, Continue Reading »

Who says art projects are for kids?!

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Laura Marder

In our busy daily lives we are programmed as adults to subdue some of our pure emotions in order to be socially acceptable. Sometimes if not addressed through meditation, prayer, alone time etc ..our pure self can be pushed so far below the surface that even we forget who it is we really are. On Continue Reading »

Shabbaton Dvar Torah, for those of you asked (and those who didn’t!)

Posted on September 16, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

When we arrive at Nitzavim, we know we are coming to the end of the Five Books of Moses. Only a few parshiot remain: Vayelech, Ha’azinu and V’zot Habrachah. Each of these is like the tone of a closing bell that announces the end of our wanderings b’midbar and the beginning of a new journey Continue Reading »

My ניצבים Shabbaton Dvar Torah

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Abayiss

Shabbat Shalom everyone, I hope you are all enjoying our first Shabbaton, communal weekend, so far, resting from the past week, and gathering energy for the next one. This week’s Torah Portion opens with the words “אתם ניצבים היום כולכם”, “Ye are standing this day, all of you” (דברים כ”ט, ט’, Deut. 29:9). All of Continue Reading »

My Dvar Torah from the Shabbaton

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Shanee Michaelson

“Atem Nitzavim Hayom Kulchem.” You stand this day, all of you. All of us are standing together today in Jerusalem. From small towns, larger cities, from North America and from Europe. Having grown up in different Jewish denominations, or unaffiliated, whether Ashkenazic or Sephardic, Reform or Orthodox,We have come here together, to this unique country Continue Reading »

My dvar Torah from the Shabbaton

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Andrea Wiese

Since we’re in the season of teshuva, I wanted to share some a very wise and inspiring Rabbi (Michael Hattin) once wrote, “teshuva is…a gradual awakening of the mind and soul to God’s call, a measured but steady process of self-evaluation and reflection, a plodding and sometimes faltering series of steps that includes dead ends, Continue Reading »

Shofar and God’s Love of Israel

Posted on September 10, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

by Rabbi Alex Israel Cross-posted from his blog Thinking Israel On the one hand, the cycle of the Jewish year is predictable and familiar: The solemnity of Yom Kippur, the smells and feel of the Sukka and the 4 species, the warmth and intimacy of Hannuka, Purim’s raucous frivolity, the tunes and tastes of Seder Continue Reading »

Alumni Spotlight: Jen Taylor Friedman

Posted on June 17, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

As some of you may know, Th&Th loves Pardes alumni blogs! And when we find them, we like linking to them from the side menu of our blog… and sometimes we even get nosy enough to interview our alumni, and spotlight them here in a Th&Th blog post. So it turns out that the soferet Continue Reading »

Week 39:

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Derek Kwait

(X-posted from my home blog, Yinzer in Yerushalayim) So this is it. The end. It’s over. After Shabbat, I’m going to see everyone again in the fall at best, never at worst. Still, this is ultimately what I signed up for, to become a Pardes Alum. I’m almost positive that from the moment I touch Continue Reading »

Week of Majesty

Posted on May 29, 2012 by AdAm Mayer

Originally posted to my blog last week before Shavuot: This week was the week of Joyceee It was also the week of Majesty I barbequed, I went to different natural springs, and I danced! I was at a baby naming 🙂 and now we will always be reminded how much of a Blessing Jerusalem is! We Continue Reading »