Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on June 6, 2014 by AdAm Mayer
My PCJE graduation speech: Thank you to all of my most amazing and wonderful peers and colleagues. You all have inspired me and taught me so much! Thank you to Judy, Gail, and all the incredible and supportive faculty, mentors and teachers at Pardes! You are true enablers! And Thank you to my wife Chana Continue Reading »
Posted on May 29, 2014 by AdAm Mayer
Here are my parting words from the final community lunch of the year: גּלֵעינַי וְאִַבּיָטה נְִפָלאוֹת, ִמתּוָֹר ֶתָך “Roll open my eyes that I might look at wonders from your Torah.” t’hilim 119:18 (Psalms) And aren’t they wonderful! The principle of בטל ב60 Imagine you are making a kosher meatloaf. If one small piece of non-kosher ground meat falls into your kosher meatloaf, as long as Continue Reading »
Posted on February 3, 2014 by Jeff Amshalem
This past week, while I was substitute teaching a halakhah class here at Pardes, I mentioned by way of introduction that as well as being a proud and very busy member of the Pardes Educators Program, I am also, in that context, a member of the Kollel here. People immediately asked, what is this Kollel Continue Reading »
Posted on December 31, 2013 by David Bogomolny
I count myself among those who wouldn’t quite know how to begin a conversation with G!d without a great deal of practice and forethought. What would be worth saying? What would bring G!d to listen? Traditional Jewish prayer works for me – it’s expected of me, ostensibly by G!d, regardless of my awkward reluctance, and Continue Reading »
Posted on October 31, 2013 by Ahava Zarembski
This is a song of gratitude and request As I flow into the next phase of life May I integrate all of the various pieces of myself May I share it with others may I share it with myself May I stand in fullness in all of the fragments That once shattered into being And Continue Reading »
Posted on October 6, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Daniel Shibley reflects: Our parasha last week, Noah, contains the famous story of the flood. However, I would like to focus instead on two words that border the flood narrative. The words in question appear in a number of other places in the Torah. More often than not, the appearance of these words is immediately Continue Reading »
Posted on October 6, 2013 by David Bogomolny
I presented this dvar at our Shabbaton yesterday: Parshat Noach contains one of my favorite Biblical stories: that of the Tower of Babel. Together with you, I’d like to tease a few details out of the p’shat (the simple reading of the text), explore two midrashim (early rabbinic exegesis), and suggest a metaphor for the Continue Reading »
Posted on August 30, 2013 by David Bogomolny
We currently find ourselves in the Hebrew month of Elul, counting down the days to Rosh HaShanah (the Jewish New Year). Traditionally, many Jews recite Psalm 27 every morning during the month of Elul and through the High Holy Days, and I’d like to bring our attention to the final pasuk (verse) of this psalm: Continue Reading »
Posted on August 1, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media
Peter Stein (Kollel 2009-11) sent us these words of Torah on Parshat Re’eh – In this week’s Torah portion Re’eh, we find the commandment concerning the ir nidachat, a city consigned to destruction because its inhabitants have turned to idolatry. The Torah commands that should an Israelite city ever arise where the citizens go astray Continue Reading »
Posted on April 29, 2013 by Stu Jacobs
Yesterday was a special day at Pardes. Not because Meir was roaming the halls with a mass of students, singing at the top of his lungs, although that was part of it. Not because there was dancing in the beit midrash, although that was part of it as well. The occurrences above, while special, have Continue Reading »
