Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on November 4, 2015 by Melinda Jones
If I told you I was going to study in a Yeshiva or a Seminary – or even that I was going to study Talmud – you would immediately make assumptions about the learning environment. First, it would be divided upon strict gender lines. Then there would be a dress code – at least the women would be Continue Reading »
Posted on July 14, 2015 by Rachel Opatowsky
There is something about Pardes, genuinely… inspiring. Not only are the teachers animating and knowledgeable, but the material is rich and ever-evolving. We are delving into the text of our ancestors and the books of our people. I became artistically stimulated during one of the sessions of Family Relationships in Genesis with Howard Markose when Continue Reading »
Posted on March 27, 2015 by Tmima Shupack
Today at 4:55am I was ushered into my day by the Muslim call to prayer from the bed of my home stay in Istanbul. This was the perfect beginning to my day, as I and the whole of our group needed to be ready at 5:30am to board the bus that would take us to Continue Reading »
Posted on August 1, 2014 by Rachel Dingman
I don’t formally blog, but I did spend some time reflecting on something I shared at our 2014 Pardes Summer Program Tish. Here are my reflections: At a dinner at Yaffa’s house she made the joke “sing along if you know the words, if you don’t just say Watermelon”. Needless to say, I said watermelon Continue Reading »
Posted on July 31, 2014 by Amanda Pogany
It’s been 12 years since we lost our friends Ben and Marla and this day never seems to get easier. I dread July 31st. Every year I hope that somehow we will transition from July 30 directly to August 1st. And somehow this year feels harder. Knowing that we are back in a moment of Continue Reading »
Posted on July 31, 2014 by Janu Mendel
I could seriously fill an entire book about the experiences that led me to Pardes, but don’t worry — for the sake of short attention spans (it’s okay, I have one too) — I’ll keep it brief. So long story short, I grew up in this little bubble outside of the United States. I never had Continue Reading »
Posted on July 29, 2014 by Jamie Bornstein
“Zvi ruined my life.” That was the common refrain heard in the hallways of Pardes at the conclusion of Rabbi Zvi Wolff’s class in 2005. Said with a shake of the head and a smile, we uttered these ironic words with love. We even considered making t-shirts. For several hours every week the brilliant Rabbi Continue Reading »
Posted on July 28, 2014 by Joanne Pollack-Reed
It was a gigantic leap of faith to apply and attend Pardes this summer. Forefront in my mind was if I, a 51 yr old – out of school forever- mom would be able to keep up. Would I be that student that clearly did not belong? My fears were put firmly to rest at Continue Reading »
Posted on April 28, 2014 by Rory Sullivan
It took me eight years to get back to Pardes. During a Birthright trip my freshman year of college, we sat in the Beit Midrash, the great big room filled with tables of four chairs each and books lining every wall. We studied a text that I don’t remember. What I do remember is liking Continue Reading »
Posted on April 13, 2014 by Naomi Zaslow
Over the last week, I and most of my fellow PEPers, have been traveling around the States, doing model lessons for schools in hopes of gainful employment. One of my favorite model lessons that I’ve done focused on the Passover Seder and the way that we tell our story of leaving Egypt year after year. Continue Reading »