Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 9, 2013 by Heather Kantrowitz
From my blog: There are certain moments in my life where everything has come to a screeching halt. Most of these have just been moments when my personal world, or maybe my family or community, has stopped. Today (Yom HaShoah), I experienced an entire country ceasing all activity – learning, work, driving, shopping – and Continue Reading »
Posted on April 8, 2013 by Jeff Amshalem
From my blog: Excerpts from R. Ze’ev Wolf of Zhitomir’s teachings on Counting the Omer, from Or haMeir. וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת Count for yourselves, from the morrow of the rest day from the day you bring the omer as a wave offering, seven weeks. Leviticus 23:16 The essence of Continue Reading »
Posted on April 4, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
It is usually considered good practice to connect one’s Dvar Torah about the Parshah to some current event or to an upcoming holiday. As such, I want to find some segue between this week’s Torah portion – Parshat Shemini – and Yom HaShoah – Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will be commemorated in Israel next Monday. Continue Reading »
Posted on April 3, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Posted by Ben Barer (Fall ’10, Fellows ’12): Having only one seder last year, while in Israel, followed by having two this year, has led me to reflect on why this custom is maintained, and how best to perpetuate it as a meaningful one. Like the other holidays that are celebrated one extra day outside of Continue Reading »
Posted on March 29, 2013 by Hannah Grossman
Throughout Pesach my mind has been overflowing with questions, thoughts and new insights. As I ponder what to share with you, I recall one tradition which gets my mind thinking every year. After the birkat hamazon (grace after meals) a cup set aside for the prophet Elijah is poured and we open the door for him. Continue Reading »
Posted on March 29, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen
From my blog: When I asked him why he made the haggadah he took a step back and gave me a weird shocked face, and said, “no one has asked me that question.” I also looked surprised, “no one has ever asked you why you wanted to make a haggadah?” He replied, “Well, not tonight.” Continue Reading »
Posted on March 27, 2013 by Naomi Bilmes
From my blog: “So I was walking down the sidewalk one day, and a bus hit me in the head.” Such are the stories you hear at a lunch table in Israel. But we’ll come back to that. In more recent news, I just finished celebrating my first day of Pesach in Israel. And let Continue Reading »
Posted on March 26, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Chaya Kaplan-Lester (Year ’97-’98) shares this beautiful Passover insight: Why are there so many 4’s in the seder? First, dimensionality. You take a point, it has no dimension to it. You add another point and you have a line, the dimension of length. You add a 3rd point and you get length and height. But Continue Reading »
Posted on March 25, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Posted on March 25, 2013 by Heather Kantrowitz
From my blog: I would like to take this opportunity to wish girls and women everywhere a happy Passover – a Passover that is filled with freedom. Freedom from “I’m not good enough” and “why doesn’t he* like me.” Freedom from wanting your life to be like a T-Swift love song, freedom from not “going Continue Reading »
