These and Those

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

Tag Archives: life in Israel

Houses from Within – Free tours Nov. 4-5/Big discounts for students at Israel Museum

Posted on October 21, 2011 by The Director of Digital Media

Hi Everyone: Two items: The first won’t interest you unless you like at least one of the following: Design, art, architecture, technology, engineering, Jewish History, Muslim history, Jerusalem history… Houses from Within is a change to get free guided tours of homes, buildings, and major projects in Jerusalem. It’s Nov. 4 and 5, and takes Continue Reading »

Sukkot

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Shibley

Immediately following Yom Kippur, the hammer blows could be heard echoing behind my building. I was mightily surprised when I heard those construction noises following a fast, “who could be working now?” I thought, before realizing we had begun the transition to Sukkot. All over town sukkot of all varieties began popping up on sidewalks, Continue Reading »

Week 5: Days of Awe

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Derek Kwait

(X-posted to my home blog, Yinzer in Yerushalayim,) Rosh HaShana was amazing. The services at Yedidya (which is a lot like YPS except much bigger, and, frankly, younger) were filled with singing and soul, and I got to attend lots of fantastic meals– in terms of both food and company–at the homes of a Pardes Continue Reading »

Week 4: The Learning Curve

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Derek Kwait

(X-posted to my home blog, Yinzer in Yerushalayim.) Just after I posted last Friday, it all hit the fan. The entire day post-posting forced it to hit home in a big way for the first time that I really am in a foreign country now. It is also when I fell in love, twice over. Continue Reading »

kimchi chronicles

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Naomi Zaslow

For the last two weeks I’ve been adjusting to my new life in Jerusalem. After two years in Korea (South, not North) I’m suffering from culture shock of the radical sort. Take for example: Hummus instead of Kimchi with every meal- Hebrew and Arabic replace Korean and Konglish- Sticky sweet wine with no Soju in Continue Reading »

Driving Lessons

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Shibley

Since arriving in Israel last July, I have repeated numerous times the phrase, “The only thing worse than an Israeli driver is an Israeli driver in training.” They fly or creep down my street with the big lamed on top of the car. Sometimes multiple students are in the back seat. The instructor often has Continue Reading »

Observations

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Shibley

A few years ago, I had the privilege and the pleasure of living in Manhattan while I was learning at Yeshivat Hadar. New York is well known as a center of culture, arts, business, and the like. There is also a significant population of weirdos in New York, as in any city. I developed two Continue Reading »

The Gever

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Shibley

I originally posted this on my blog on August 17: In Israel, one social role is occupied by the gever. The gever (literally, man), is a mythical man who exudes machismo and confidence. A man who wears sunglasses indoors and/or at night, who unbuttons at least two buttons on his shirt. A gever shows very Continue Reading »

Shrine of the Book – Postcard Commentary #6

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Daniel Weinreb

5. The entryway symbolizes the transition from the mundane to the sacred Entrances are a big part of life in Israel as much as liminal states that a person moves through from one part of his life to another. The liminality begins when you duck your head to board the El Al plane unless you happen to Continue Reading »

Shrine of the Book – Postcard Commentary #5

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Daniel Weinreb

4. The entrance to the Shrine’s underground level, similar to entrances to ancient sanctuaries. It’s not only the confluence (conflation, overlap and confusion) of ritual and secular life that makes life in Jerusalem out of the ordinary. Another aspect of life in Israel in general (b’gadol as Israelis say) are the layers of history piled one Continue Reading »