These and Those

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

Tag Archives: Midrash

D’ror and Disability (Behar Sinai)

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Jonah P.

Ever a hyper-literate people, even in grief and death, we customarily learn mishnayot in honor of a deceased parent on the anniversary of his or her death. To this end, I would like to share some mishna learning in honor of my biological father, who died 10 years ago today, a man who has had Continue Reading »

The 103 Worlds

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Sarah Marx

At Thursday’s Pardes open mic, I shared a version of the story (midrash? heresy?) below. Tonight, I wasn’t sure whether or not it would be appropriate to post it on the blog — after all, I can hear fireworks and gunshots in the distance, and I feel as though I should be writing about that Continue Reading »

[PCJE] Lech-Lecha: Hearing the Call

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Binyamin Cohen

Night Seder Chevrutas Binyamin Cohen and David Wallach join together to reflect on this week’s parshah. בְּרֵאשִׁית י”ב:א “וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ” ‘God said to Abram, “Go away from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.”’ (Gen. Continue Reading »

[Alumni Guest Post] Why Were the Jews Given the Torah?

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman

X-posted from Eryn’s blog post: Eryn London (Summer ’06 & ’07, Community Education ’10, Year ’10-’11, Hourly ’11-’12) made Aliya from New Jersey three years ago. She is currently studying in the Manhiga Hilchatit Program at Midreshet Lindenbaum, which is a 5 year advanced Halacha learning program. Beyond learning she also runs activities at a Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] Pillars of New Homes

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Josh Pernick

“I’m not totally sure what the appropriate response is” was all that I could come up with in the moment. How could I effectively convey my feelings towards my friend, who had just informed me that she was going to be moving halfway across the country? While moving to new cities has become a way Continue Reading »

[PCJE Dvar Torah] A Brilliant Partnership – by Aviva Golbert

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Hirsch Fishman

This week’s parasha, Pekudei, is the last portion in the Book of Shmot (Exodus), and the final section in a series on the building of the mishkan, or tabernacle, in the desert. As such, I think it would be instructive to look back at the idea of “God’s house” in an earlier segment of the Continue Reading »

Uncircumized Lips in Song

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Max Einsohn

Have you ever wondered what Moses would have said to Pharaoh, as he led the Israelite people out of Egypt? Last week, in our Chumash class, our teacher Rabbi Levi Cooper challenged us to reflect in writing on some of the “big picture” questions that arise from our Exodus story. During class, a few of 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 »

Thoughts on Constructive Conflict and the Pew Study

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Deborah Renert

As I reflect on Rabbi Daniel Roth’s introduction to “Constructive Conflict ‘for the Sake of Heaven’…” I cannot help but also reflect on the Pew Study, and the Pew Survey program which took place here at Pardes this past December. The Pew Research Center published on October 1st 2013 findings that reflected that the intermarriage Continue Reading »

Third Story: ‘The kiss’

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Dorielle Parker

Daniel Roth presented our ‘Judaism and Conflict Resolution’ class for Jewish Educators with this assignment, and below is the modern ‘Third Story’ that I wrote about Jacob and Esav: It is written: “And he kissed him” (Genesis 33:4) Do you remember your first kiss? Awkward braces, chapped lips, a pulse fast enough to make a Continue Reading »