Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on September 23, 2013 by Jeff Amshalem
This Shabbat we were at lunch in the sukkah of a friend, Shmulik, whose life story reads like Israel’s. Both his parents were survivors of Auschwitz. After two years in a DP camp they tried to come to Eretz Israel on the famous SS Exodus 1947. They were stopped by the British and sent back Continue Reading »
Posted on September 19, 2013 by Ben Schneider
From: my blog The strangest prayer in the siddur is printed with Birkat Kohanim, the section of the repetition of the amidah in which the descendants of the priestly class bless the congregation. As they say their blessing, the siddur instructs one to speedily say this prayer (Koren translation): Master of the Universe, I am Continue Reading »
Posted on September 18, 2013 by Deborah Renert
During the formative period of Rabbinic Judaism during the 2nd Temple period, Judaism was anything but homogeneous. The reality was that here were various groups of minim or sects–including the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, Essenes, etc. Their beliefs and religious behavior was often radically different from each one’s fellow sects. Classically, they differed with respect to Continue Reading »
Posted on September 18, 2013 by Andrea Wiese
From my blog: Sukkot is a holiday that is really about joy. We are commanded to be happy. We build a booth outside in the elements of the weather to show God that we trust and depend on him. We are told to dwell in the booth/sukkah that we made. The rabbis interpreted this to Continue Reading »
Posted on September 18, 2013 by Laura Marder
What if you always knew exactly how long you have something or someone to enjoy? You knew that these were the precious few days or years and then they/ it would be gone. Would that change your relationship or feelings towards them/it? Would you follow the wise words of Rav Tim McGraw and “live like Continue Reading »
Posted on September 17, 2013 by Chef David
Some would say that not many, if any foods, are associated with Succot, while so many other festivals have foods that are so obviously related to them (think Kneidelach – Matzoh Balls on Pessach, Tsimmes – Sweet Carrots on Rosh Hashanah…). Many do have the tradition (minhag) to eat stuffed cabbage on Succot, the reason Continue Reading »
Posted on September 8, 2013 by Stefanie Groner
From my blog: On just under eight hours of sleep, I was somewhat alive, alert, awake, enthusiastic for meeting Alisa to go to Yakar in the morning. The mechitzah minyan was recommended to her by a friend was liberal, easy-to-follow, and singsongy. We got a little lost heading into Katamon, the area neighboring mine, and Continue Reading »
Posted on September 4, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
From my blog today: Hello there! First blog post as a 22 year old – Sheheichanu moment? I have so many things that I want to say and just don’t think that it is going to be possible right now. I started classes at Pardes this week and have been inspired from the first moment. Continue Reading »
Posted on August 22, 2013 by Ben Schneider
From: my blog Living in a new place surrounded by new people has given me a new appreciation of how great it is to move past the “coming out” stage with Jewish communities. Coming out with subtlety, in individual conversations, is exhausting, and when I’m around large groups of people who don’t know I’m gay Continue Reading »
Posted on July 19, 2013 by Charlie Carnow
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said, ‘There were no greater festive days in Israel than the fifteenth day of Av and Yom Kippurim, when the daughters of Jerusalem would go out in borrowed white dresses so as not to embarrass those who didn’t have their own” (Mishnah Ta’anit 4:7) Ask in America (and maybe across the Continue Reading »
