Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on October 29, 2011 by Derek Kwait
Ever since I’ve arrived here there’s been stuff I wanted to talk about but just didn’t have room for in that week’s blog post. Since this was a relatively slow week, I thought this would be a good opportunity to share some of them, but I’ll start with the biggest story from this week: *So Continue Reading »
Posted on October 29, 2011 by Eliyahu B.
Originally posted at the Peaceable Pilgrim last week: Shalom! It is Eliyahu, the Peaceable Pilgrim, here to regale you with more tales from the wonderful city of Jerusalem! Many changes are afoot, as it is a new year (according to the Jewish calendar) and as such is a time for new beginnings. The most notable Continue Reading »
Posted on October 24, 2011 by Suzi
I wrote this last Friday, after Sukkot: Someone dear to me used to say I saw the big picture bigger and the details as if through a microscope, but couldn’t see the real world as it exists in front of me. Is that why I set off happily for the shuk today, oblivious to the Continue Reading »
Posted on October 23, 2011 by Shibley
In our efforts to try and find spirituality and deep connections in prayer often lead us to take t’fillah very seriously. Generally, that is a practice which I would commend, and even recommend, since it would theoretically allow us to block out distractions and concentrate solely on our relationship with Gd. Perhaps the best example Continue Reading »
Posted on October 22, 2011 by Derek Kwait
Originally posted on Yinzer in Yerushalayim for Sukkot (6 days ago): My Mishna teacher had our class over for a party in the sukkah last night. I gave the d’var and thought I would share a slightly modified version of it with you: I remember last year, a member of my synagogue remarked that whereas the Continue Reading »
Posted on October 14, 2011 by Shibley
Immediately following Yom Kippur, the hammer blows could be heard echoing behind my building. I was mightily surprised when I heard those construction noises following a fast, “who could be working now?” I thought, before realizing we had begun the transition to Sukkot. All over town sukkot of all varieties began popping up on sidewalks, Continue Reading »
Posted on October 12, 2011 by Derek Kwait
(X-posted from my home blog Yinzer in Yerushalayim) There is nothing like Yom Kippur in Israel. During a community guest lecture about 2 weeks ago, Jeremy Benstein, director of the Heschel Center gave us a chart showing Israeli energy usage hour-by-hour during Yom Kippur, it virtually flat-lines For 25 hours, the entire country shuts down. Continue Reading »
Posted on October 9, 2011 by Soffer
Originally posted on Darkeynu דרכינו: וברכה שלום, Throughout my year in Israel, I will use this blog to share what I study in the classroom, and to describe what I observe on the streets; I will discuss not only the Torah that I learn, but also the Torah that I live. I hope that in Continue Reading »
Posted on October 4, 2011 by Barer
Judaism, one could argue, is obsessed with marking time as sacred, normal, or anywhere in between. At this time which Judaism demarcates as particularly sacred — we are in the middle of the Aseret Ye’mei Teshuva, the Ten Days of Repentance — it is hard not to be caught up in the spiritual fervour that Continue Reading »
Posted on September 26, 2011 by Shibley
The lead-up to Rosh Hashana is in full swing, slichot start in a few hours. Each morning except for Shabbat and erev Rosh Hashana we have heard, and will hear the blats of the shofar, it awakenings us, and reminding us of the importance of the upcoming days. Aside from intensifying the tshuva process, that Continue Reading »