Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on December 9, 2012 by Derek Kwait
Maybe it’s because I grew up feeling like one, or maybe it’s just some genetic Jewish thing, but for whatever reason, I’ve always sympathized with the outsider. When I went on the Tale of Three Cities tiyyul the two weeks ago, I didn’t know what to expect, except that we were going to meet three Continue Reading »
Posted on September 27, 2012 by Kayla Higgins
This essay is cross-posted from The Jewish Daily Forward‘s April 13, 2012 issue. The article including this personal essay in The Forward was a collection of “It Gets Better” posts requested from young queer-identified Jews involved with Nehirim, a national community of LGBT Jews founded in 2004: “Jewish Enough” Kayla Higgins, 22 ‘It gets better” Continue Reading »
Posted on June 13, 2012 by Rabbi Julie Gordon
By Rabbi Julie Gordon, PEP ’12 Soon we will leave the security of Pardes’ Beit Midrash where if we had a question or wanted to study a text, there was always a teacher or a student interested in helping, guiding and learning with us. We all know there is so much more to learn. When Continue Reading »
Posted on May 7, 2012 by Derek Kwait
(X-posted from my home blog, Yinzer in Yerushalayim) I came to Israel wanting to learn Torah, and I have. Thank God, I’ve learned tons of Torah here and am privileged to learn more each day. But now that it’s May and I’m entering into the home stretch of my first year in Israel, I’ve gotten Continue Reading »
Posted on April 30, 2012 by Barer
“Why do you wear a Kippah?” “What could you possibly get out of davenning [prayer]? “Why grow an itchy beard for a month?” These questions, and others like them, have all been asked of me, specifically in light of the fact that I do not believe in God. They are all valid questions, and have Continue Reading »
Posted on April 22, 2012 by Derek Kwait
This is the time of year for family. Last week, when Shabbat directly followed the last day of Pesach, creating a rare 8-day Passover in Israel, Friday afternoon, I was kindly invited over the home of a local family. The Mr. and the Mrs. were born in America, but each have been here for well Continue Reading »
Posted on April 19, 2012 by Barer
This testimonial was written by Pardes alumnus Daniel Schwartz (Year ’10-’11): Jeff’s reaction to Orthodox Paradox? Noah Feldman had been too easy on the yeshivas of his youth. I can’t help but look back on the bulk of my yeshiva education with bitterness. My teachers smoothed over all the tensions that animate contemporary Judaism, petrifying Continue Reading »
Posted on April 15, 2012 by Heligman
It is with excitement that we present the new and improved community davening policy. We hope that these new guidelines will create a more inclusive davening space that will support all members of the community and remain grounded within a halachic framework. Community Davening–A Halachic Partnership Minyan Policy: A minyan is defined as Continue Reading »
Posted on March 21, 2012 by Adrienne Silver
No books (sforim) were harmed in the making of this Pardes Purim spiel video:
Posted on March 5, 2012 by Andrea Wiese
Tuesday night I drove up to Oak Brook to have dinner with Katie, Jack, and Gail at Cheese Cake Factory. I also saw Katie and Rick’s new home, which is gorgeous! Then I continued to Buffalo Grove to sleep at my cousins house to be close to the Schechter Jewish Day School that I observed Continue Reading »
