These and Those

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

Tag Archives: inspiration

[Alumni Guest Post] A Single Priceless Line

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

Aryeh Ben David (Year ’80) shares the following on the Ayeka blog: I find that good poets talk from their soul story. William Stafford gave me insight into my life in a single priceless line. Any Journey When God watches you walk, you are neither straight nor crooked. The journey stretches out, and all of Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Rosh Chodesh Adar! by Yishai Paquin

Posted on February 15, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Yishai Paquin (Year ’11-’12) is an avid photographer. Here he shares a spiritual insight that he gained through photography: Sometimes reminders come from unsuspected places. I was learning how to edit photos today when my instructor mentioned that dark layers are for light and light layers are for dark. It is the same basics for Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Ben Freedman — Building Upon my Pardes Experience

Posted on January 23, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

The semester I spent at Pardes was among the most important periods of personal growth that I’ve ever had. Upon my return to the US, when family or friends would ask about it, I could only create impressions of how I had grown or what I had truly learned. I would say, “imagine six months Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] The Beating Heart of the Jewish World

Posted on January 16, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Sara Brandes (Year ’01, Fellows ’02, Elul ’05) shares her Pardes reflections: I met my friend, teacher and fellow Pardes alumna Rabbi Shawn Fields-Meyer during the summer before I arrived at Pardes, as a participant in the Brandeis Collegiate Institute. Inspired by her teaching and hungry for more, I sought her out. When I told Continue Reading »

Abraham’s Family (A Prose Poem)

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Shanee Michaelson

This is a poem inspired by what I’ve been learning in Daniel Roth’s Chumash / Mediation class. I read it on our last day of class this semester. Abraham’s Family (a prose poem) Isaac have I loved for he has filled my days with laughter and through him God heard my cry giving me a Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Ayeka: The Cherry on my Spiritual Journey’s Cake

Posted on January 12, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

By Mira B. Shore (Summer ’09, ’10; Year ’12) As a self-identified progressive, liberal, secular Jew growing up at Jewish Day School, I spent a lot of my time and energy speaking about why prayer and G-d were NOT a part of my life. I actively ran from prayer. Once I had my bat-mitzvah, there Continue Reading »

Prayer for Comfort

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Annie Matan Gilbert

Thanks to Joseph Shamash for leading an inspiring Creative Shacharit this morning! We spent time practicing the Desire meditation from James Jacobson-Maisels’ Self, Soul and Text class, then were given paper and pens and markers to express what came up for us in the form of a drawing or a prayer, etc. Here is what Continue Reading »

Does Joseph really forgive his brothers?

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Jenna King Brill

I gave over this dvar at night seder this week: This week’s parasha is Vayechi, in which, among other things, Jacob dies and we see a scene of apparent reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. At first, this seems to be an intimate moment in which everyone comes to understand each other, and by the Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Stu Jacobs — A Special Connection

Posted on December 21, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

Parshat VaYigash has for a long time been a parsha that I have a special connection with. Not only is it my bar mitzvah parsha (20 years ago this year), but it was also the parsha the week following my wedding.  After our wedding in Los Angeles, Aviva and I, who had met in Jerusalem Continue Reading »

My holy tongue

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Avi Benson-Goldberg

Walking around Jerusalem by myself fumbling my tongue into the shapes of an ancient language taught me how to live in the modern age.  [cross-posted from my blog] I’ve had a hard time telling this. Explaining why I left the United States in the beginning of this spring–just as I started to make headway (are Continue Reading »