These and Those

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

Tag Archives: inspiration

Bittersweet Goodbye

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Dita Ribner Cooper

Today is the beginning of my last week student-teaching at the Heschel school in Manhattan. I have loved so many aspects of my time here from teaching students to meeting the faculty and even observing a few PEP alumni at work! It is inspiring to see how much these alumni appreciate their experiences at Pardes Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Frostbite and Recovery by Evan Wolkenstein

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman

Evan Wolkenstein (Year ’99, Fellows ’00, PEP ’00-’02) reflects upon the 2014 Pardes ‘Spring Forward’ Retreat for Judaics Teachers (from his blog) I had no business being outside without my arms covered. But Stu and I needed to run. Clearly. That’s what we’ve always done together. Stu packed smarter than I did. He brought a Continue Reading »

Salon Pardes 2014

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Rory Sullivan

If only writing a blog post came as naturally to me as writing a song. But unlike songs, I don’t go walking around dictating blog posts to myself. Nevertheless, I really wanted to write about the Pardes Salon, because I found it so inspiring. The experience started off with an email from Candace Mittel. This Continue Reading »

Torah of New Snow

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman

Laurie Franklin (Year ’13) sent us this poem, written as she watched a blizzard and read from Kedushat Levi: Laurie Franklin is the spiritual leader and rabbinic intern at Har Shalom. She can be reached at laurief AT har-shalom DOT org. Torah of New Snow Torah of New Snow, after Kedushat Levi White feathers of Continue Reading »

More Than Four Faces of Israel | Part 3

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Sarah Pollack

From my blog: A few weeks ago, an actress came to Pardes to do a kind of skit, stereotyping Four Faces of Israel, or four different people that one will inevitably encounter in Israel. She portrayed the narratives of a Haredi woman, a settler, a kibbutznik and an Arab woman. Somehow, every experience that I have, Continue Reading »

What Exactly Is Experiential Jewish Education?

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Carolyn Gerecht

This year, studying in the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators’ Program for Experiential Jewish Education (PEEP) and Yeshiva University’s Certificate in Experiential Jewish Education, I’ve been fortunate to have had many, many opportunities to answer the question, “What exactly is Experiential Jewish Education?” Typically, I respond in a couple of short sentences. “Most people think Continue Reading »

Carving out Freedom

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Naomi Bilmes

From my blog: וְהַ֨לֻּחֹ֔ת מַֽעֲשֵׂ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים הֵ֑מָּה וְהַמִּכְתָּ֗ב מִכְתַּ֤ב אֱלֹהִים֙ ה֔וּא חָר֖וּת עַל־הַלֻּחֹֽת “And the tablets were a work of God; the writing was the writing of God; it was carved on the tablets.” (Exodus 32:16) Moses has smashed the first set of tablets. He has pleaded with God to spare the Jewish people or Continue Reading »

9 Adar: Happy Conflicts!

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Aliza Geller

Imagine that you are at summer camp. You are a rising 5th grader, and share a communal bathhouse with rising 6th and 7th graders. It so happens that whenever you go to wait in line to brush your teeth there is a 7th grader who pushes her way to the front of the line. What Continue Reading »

[Alumni/Staff Guest Post] Down the Stairs of Your Local Coffee Shop

Posted on January 26, 2014 by Jenna King Brill

It was maybe five minutes after I first walked into the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies’ beit midrash that I thought: “Woah. The people here are incredible!” Anyone you talk to who has spent time at Pardes will tell you that it is the people who make it such a unique and wonderful place. It Continue Reading »

Mission: Perplexing

Posted on January 17, 2014 by David Bogomolny

Tonight, in Berlin, I am sharing this dvar Torah with my fellow Pardesniks and other Germany Close Up participants – Shabbat Shalom, Everyone! In reviewing Parshat Yitro, I find myself drawn to the four psukim (verses) of the 3rd Aliyah – much happens in these lines – a story in and of itself! The Book of Exodus Continue Reading »