These and Those

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

Tag Archives: marriage

Essence of the Awe

Posted on March 11, 2013 by David Bogomolny

I discovered the following text during an Ayeka session, and found it very challenging… then, in spiritual havruta, I fought with myself to think about this with an open mind, and I’d like to share my subsequent thoughts further below. אור ישראל, הרבי מסאלאנט Ohr Yisrael, Rav Yisrael of Salant מהו מהות של יראת שמים? “What is Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Friends for a Lifetime by Sarah Levy

Posted on February 20, 2013 by The Director of Digital Media

Sarah Levy (Mechina ’07, PEP ’08-’10) shares a personal reflection about Pardes: A friend of mine once told me that she felt all of her friends fell into one of three categories: Friends for a reason (and once that reason no longer existed, neither did the friendship) Friends for a season (and once that time Continue Reading »

Not a Hypothetical Situation

Posted on December 14, 2012 by David Bogomolny

We spent last Shabbat with a friend and his partner. He is a Jewish convert who is currently not halakhically observant, but his Jewish identity is very important to him, and his attitude towards Jewish tradition and halakha is very respectful. His partner is a woman whose father is halakhically Jewish, but she is not halakhically Jewish herself. Therefore, she must go through Continue Reading »

I Am That I Am

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Mary Brett Koplen

Originally posted on my CowBird: I AM THAT I AM. Julie is 52 and plays the dulcimer. She is a teacher and a doodler. She strikes a note. “Listen up, Israel,” the first note says to the next. Danielle is 20 and is Pro-Israel, Pro-Palestine, Pro-Peace. She tells me: “To get to the Holy Western Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] R. Julie Gordon – ‘A Tale of Two Sisters’

Posted on November 22, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

ויצא If Leah were alive today, this is what I think she would tell us. “‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’1 Rahel and I are twins2 born five minutes apart. I am the older sister, and like any set of twins, we had our good days and we had Continue Reading »

[Alumni Post] In memory of Dr. Daman, late husband of Carole Daman (Pardes ’74)

Posted on October 14, 2012 by Carole Daman

Today (Sunday) we are learning in memory of Dr. Harlan Daman, late husband of Carole Daman (Pardes ’74) From Carole Daman (Year Program, ’74): My late husband Harlan Daman, Tzvi Hirsch ben Dovid Aryeh, was a wonderful husband and father to Gila who had attended Pardes with me for a few days at a time Continue Reading »

Redefining Rebbetzin

Posted on October 6, 2012 by The Director of Digital Media

This is worth a read. We’d be totally remiss not to mention that Dustin Gutierrez’s (Year Program ’12-’13) wife Melissa is an avid blogger in the Jewish Blogosphere! She writes from the perspective of a modern-minded, traditional Jewish woman. It’s a really great blog 🙂

A Month of Firsts!

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Stuart Matan Lithwick

(Cross-posted from my blog) Hello world! This is the first post of my first ever blog on my first studymoon with the first person in my life, Annie. This first month has gone by so incredibly fast, and so much has happened, I hope I can capture at least some of it here. Jerusalem is Continue Reading »

A poem from before

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Annie Matan Gilbert

I am a returning student this year.  I was in the Year Program in 2009-2010.  My goal that year was to attain the skills I needed to be accepted into rabbinical school.  It was an incredible, eye and heart-opening year that changed my life.  When I returned to Toronto, I found my besherte and indeed Continue Reading »

And you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart

Posted on May 8, 2012 by aliza

וארשתיך לי לעולם, וארשתיך לי בצדק ובמשפט ובחסד וברחמים.  וארשתיך לי באמונה, וידעת את הי And I will betrothe you to me forever and always, and I will betrothe you to me in righteousness and in justice and in loving-kindness and in compassion.  And I will betrothe you to me in faith and belief and Continue Reading »