Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on January 3, 2012 by Eliyahu B.
Here is a dvar tzedek I wrote and gave to my Social Justice class today on our last day of class: Shalom classmates. I am here before you today to share with you my views on humanism and universalism, two topics which have been prominent in my way of thinking for many years, at Continue Reading »
Posted on December 11, 2011 by Suzi
By Suzi Brozman You’ve seen her face, always smiling and earnest. You may have noticed her occasional parrot-hued head coverings. But I’ll bet you don’t know that the parrot motif is part of the clown persona she uses in an off-duty activity—Karen is a medical clown (more about that later!) She’s officially the Assistant to Continue Reading »
Posted on November 7, 2011 by Heligman
Too often the shades of our life are drawn and God’s magnificent colors are missed. I am taking on this project as a means to stop and enjoy God’s brilliance. For the month of November, each day I will document the evening sunset from the Pardes Beit Midrash. I hope you will stop and notice 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 »
Posted on September 25, 2011 by Avi Strausberg
in this week’s double parsha nitzavim and va’yelech, we edge closer and closer to our separation with moshe and our coming together in the land of israel. as God runs through His final instructions with moshe, He reveals that no sooner than moshe dies and the people enter the land, they are going to sin, Continue Reading »
Posted on September 23, 2011 by Mary Brett Koplen
I originally posted this on my blog after my summer session at Pardes… and I will hopefully be studying with you all next year. I had such an amazing experience this summer, and I can’t wait to be back! In the three weeks I studied at Pardes, I learned more than I ever knew I Continue Reading »
Posted on September 12, 2011 by Shibley
Since arriving in Israel last July, I have repeated numerous times the phrase, “The only thing worse than an Israeli driver is an Israeli driver in training.” They fly or creep down my street with the big lamed on top of the car. Sometimes multiple students are in the back seat. The instructor often has Continue Reading »
Posted on July 23, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, This week I read the parsha ‘cover to cover’ and am stumped. There is a lot to talk about in the parsha: the status of women in Jewish (biblical) law, a gruesome (and vengeful) battle against idolators and the decision of two tribes to settle outside the Land of Israel. But somehow as Continue Reading »
Posted on July 16, 2011 by Tamara Frankel
Dear Friends, Tonight I am writing to you from my backyard in Toronto. It’s not exactly Jerusalem, but the weather is pleasant as the sun sets and the birds are chirping. Literally. I can’t really tell if I’m ‘acclimatized’ to Toronto – not just in the meteorological sense – but so far, so good. Now Continue Reading »
Posted on June 16, 2011 by Zach
I know a lot of my posts have been about how holidays are celebrated in Israel, but I hope you’ll bear with me through one more. I promise, no more! Last week we celebrated Shavu’ot – the “Festival of Weeks” and the forerunner to Christian Pentecost. Like most Jewish holidays, it was originally an agricultural Continue Reading »
