These and Those

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

Tag Archives: home

[Alumni Guest Post] Focus on Rochel Czopnik

Posted on January 24, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Rochel Joanna Czopnik (Year ’05, PEP ’07) shares the story of how she ended up back in Poland after graduating from the Pardes Educators Program (PEP): After graduating from PEP, I was scared and quite anxious about my first job. I moved to Baltimore and for the first time was to live in the US Continue Reading »

Lost (and Found) in Jerusalem

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Ma'ayan Dyer

From my blog: After seven months in the States, living a solitary Jewish lifestyle (meaning, an incredibly hollow one, sans community), day after day of ten hour shifts of packing candy on assembly lines, sitting on my tuchus in a call center selling fruit baskets and truffles to rich elderly folks, and waitressing a few Continue Reading »

I found my heart calling to the Jerusalem stone

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Shoshana Rosen

From my blog (10/30/13): I shall follow the truths i do know to find direction to the big questions that I do not know the answers to. So here I am, Heneni, I have Been living in Jerusalem for 4 months now. The last month and a half, I have hoped to put those questions Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Coming Home

Posted on January 2, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

By Mira B. Shore [Summer ’09 and ’10, Year ’12] It has been 7 months since I was in the Pardes Beit Midrash. 7 months since I walked the streets of Jerusalem, honoring my ancestors and being part of the Jewish story. 7 months since I actively and constantly questioned my religion, my spirituality, and Continue Reading »

A Dvar Torah I wrote for my Synagogue:

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Laura Marder

Shabbat Shalom Pardes. I wanted to share a portion of my Dvar torah that I am giving to my Shul tonight… Shabbat Shalom,   Last week as my facebook followers know I was standing on a mountain over the dead sea welcoming the Sabbath at a meditation retreat. If I close my eyes I can Continue Reading »

Jerusalem Redeemed or Jerusalem L’Malah, Jerusalem L’Matah

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Tadea Klein

Jerusalem is redeemed by her ordinariness By the wait for tardy buses the fear of meshugeneh drivers the lines at the bank In rows of clothes hung out to dry, I see ordinary people, with habitual concerns Petty, of this earth, utterly familiar and utterly commonplace Jerusalem is elevated by her extraordinariness By Arab women Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] לאן?

Posted on December 11, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

Anne Hartheimer (Year ’12) wrote this poem in Hebrew. לאן? אן הרטהימר איפה הבית שלי? לא קל לענות אי אפשר לראות. מה השפה שלי? לא פשוט לדבר עם מילים שאינן במוחי מילים שבחרו אותי. אני הולכת בדרך מילה אחרי מילה הן קשות אבל עגולות וחזקות. מילים כמו אבנים יש להן ודאות. אני עוקבת אחריהן לגלות Continue Reading »

The trees are alive with the sound of silence

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Shoshana Rosen

By Shoshana Rosen How do I even begin to put into words, an experience that in its essence has no words? Just recently coming back from a silent meditation shabbaton, up north at Kibbutz Hannaton I realize only how much it impacted me by the stark reality of coming back home. Like many have said Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Getting Used to Hard Floors as Israelis

Posted on November 30, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

Hilarious Alumni Blog Post! Stef Jadd Susnow (Year Program ’06-’07, PEP ’07-’09) and Matt Susnow (Year Program ’06-’07) Write about the floors in Israel… This is so true! 😀 For those who haven’t lived in Israel I will first explain Israeli “floor culture.” Nearly all flooring in Israel is tile. Hardwood floors are few are Continue Reading »

Reading Tealeaves

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Mary Brett Koplen

Originally posted on CowBird: With Ohio in the past, I’ve counted every day I’ve been away. 37, 38, 39. Forty were the days that Noah didn’t drown. The years that Moses wandered. High above the water we float, the dry ocean heaving, bare feet pressing into ground solid but unknown. Nearness pending, but Moses never Continue Reading »